Differential effects of MDMA and methylphenidate on social cognition
Open accessAbstract
Social cognition is important in everyday-life social interactions. The social cognitive effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') and methylphenidate (both used for neuroenhancement and as party drugs) are largely unknown. We investigated the acute effects of MDMA (75 mg), methylphenidate (40 mg) and placebo using the Facial Emotion Recognition Task, Multifaceted Empathy Test, Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition, Social Value Orientation Test and the Moral Judgment Task in a cross-over study in 30 healthy subjects. Additionally, subjective, autonomic, pharmacokinetic, endocrine and adverse drug effects were measured. MDMA enhanced emotional empathy for positive emotionally charged situations in the MET and tended to reduce the recognition of sad faces in the Facial Emotion Recognition Task. MDMA had no effects on cognitive empathy in the Multifaceted Empathy Test or social cognitive inferences in the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition. MDMA produced subjective 'empathogenic' effects, such as drug liking, closeness to others, openness and trust. In contrast, methylphenidate lacked such subjective effects and did not alter emotional processing, empathy or mental perspective-taking. MDMA but not methylphenidate increased the plasma levels of oxytocin and prolactin. None of the drugs influenced moral judgment. Effects on emotion recognition and emotional empathy were evident at a low dose of MDMA and likely contribute to the popularity of the drug.
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MDMA may help narcissistic patients tolerate vulnerability and interpersonal closeness without triggering defensiveness by decreasing reactivity to perceived criticism and enhancing emotional empathy.
“By decreasing reactivity to perceived criticism and enhancing emotional empathy (152), MDMA may help narcissistic patients tolerate vulnerability and interpersonal closeness without triggering defensiveness.”
From Psychoanalytically informed MDMA-assisted therapy for pathological narcissism: a novel theoretical approach (2025) · cites this paper as [152]
MDMA enhances affective empathy for positive emotions while impairing recognition of negative emotions.
“It enhances affective empathy for positive emotions while impairing recognition of negative emotions, such as sadness or fear, which could potentially help narcissistic individuals tolerate and engage with emotions they would otherwise suppress (152).”
From Psychoanalytically informed MDMA-assisted therapy for pathological narcissism: a novel theoretical approach (2025) · cites this paper as [152]
In two studies, the MDMA-induced increase in emotional empathy was particularly pronounced in response to positive stimuli and in male participants.
“In two studies this increase was particularly pronounced in response to positive stimuli and in male participants (10, 51).”
From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [51]
Both 125 mg and 75 mg MDMA increased emotional empathy.
“One hundred twenty-five milligrams as well as 75 mg MDMA increased emotional empathy (10, 51, 52).”
From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [51]
MDMA at 75, 100, and 125 mg, GHB at 20 mg/kg, and psilocybin at 0.215 mg/kg did not affect cognitive empathy on the MET.
“In line with this, MDMA (75, 100, & 125 mg), GHB (20 mg/kg), and psilocybin (0.215 mg/kg) did not affect cognitive empathy on the MET (10, 12, 51–53, 62).”
From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [51]
Using moral dilemma tasks, neither MDMA at 75 mg nor psilocybin at 0.215 mg/kg influenced moral decision making.
“Using moral dilemma tasks, it has been shown that neither MDMA (75 mg) nor psilocybin (0.215 mg/kg) influenced moral decision making (12, 51).”
From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [51]
MDMA did not change behavior on the Social Value Orientation Test when administered in a lower dose of 75 mg.
“While MDMA did not change behavior on the SVO when administered in a lower dose (75 mg) (51)”
From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [51]
Increases in emotional empathy, impaired identification of negative emotions, enhanced decoding of positive facial expressions, and increased altruistic choices after MDMA administration were not related to oxytocin plasma levels or other neuroendocrine effects.
“For example, increases in emotional empathy, impaired identification of negative emotions, enhanced decoding of positive facial expressions, and increased altruistic choices after MDMA administration were not related to oxytocin plasma levels or other neuroendocrine effects (10, 51, 52, 54).”
From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [51]
These social functions were not influenced by acute administration of MDMA in controlled studies.
“Interestingly, these social functions were not influenced by acute administration of MDMA in controlled studies (10, 51, 52).”
From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [51]
Decreased recognition of negative emotions induced by psilocybin on the RMET was blocked by pretreatment with the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist ketanserin.
“Decreased recognition of negative emotions induced by psilocybin on the RMET was blocked by pretreatment with the 5-HT2A receptor antagonist ketanserin (51).”
From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [51]
Methylphenidate lacked the empathy enhancing properties of MDMA.
“Furthermore, methylphenidate lacked the empathy enhancing properties of MDMA (51).”
From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [51]
LSD and MDMA have shown some dose-dependent effects on empathy and altruistic behavior, indicating that robust modulations are measurable at doses of 100 mg MDMA/100μg LSD and above.
“LSD and MDMA have shown some dose-dependent effects on empathy and altruistic behavior (10, 33, 51), indicating that robust modulations are measurable at doses of 100 mg MDMA/100µg LSD and above.”
From Modulation of Social Cognition via Hallucinogens and “Entactogens” (2019) · cites this paper as [51]
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- Authors
- Schmid, Y., Hysek, C. M., Simmler, L. D., Crockett, M. J., Quednow, B. B., & Liechti, M. E.
- Affiliations
- University Hospital of Basel (CH)
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
- University Hospital Zurich (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Liechti, Matthias E
- Venue
- Journal of Psychopharmacology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2014-07-22
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 847-856
- ISSN
- 0269-8811 (ISSN-L)
- 1461-7285
- OpenAlex
- W2073612520
- Cited by
- 155
- References
- 37
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 4
- FWCI
- 18.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- edoc.unibas.ch
- Locations
- Journal of Psychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- edoc (University of Basel) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
- edoc (University of Basel)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations
- Keywords
- MDMA, ecstasy, methylphenidate, social cognition, affective empathy, cognitive empathy, facial emotion recognition, social value orientation, moral judgment, oxytocin, prolactin, subjective effects, acute drug effects, cognitive enhancement
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Central Nervous System Stimulants, Cognition, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Double-Blind Method, Emotions, Empathy, Epinephrine, Facial Expression, Female, Hallucinogens, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Judgment, Male, Methylphenidate, Oxytocin, Prolactin, Cross-Over Studies, N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine, Recognition, Psychology, Young Adult
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