Acute effects of MDMA on trust, cooperative behaviour and empathy : A double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment

Journal article

Borissova, Anna, Ferguson, Bart, Wall, Matthew B., Morgan, Celia J. A., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Bolstridge, M., Bloomfield, Michael A. P., Williams, Tim M., Feilding, Amanda, Murphy, Kevin, Tyacke, Robin J., Erritzoe, David, Stewart, Lorna, Wolff, Kim, Nutt, David, Curran, H. Valerie and Lawn, Will. (2021). Acute effects of MDMA on trust, cooperative behaviour and empathy : A double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 35(5), pp. 547-555. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881120926673
AuthorsBorissova, Anna, Ferguson, Bart, Wall, Matthew B., Morgan, Celia J. A., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Bolstridge, M., Bloomfield, Michael A. P., Williams, Tim M., Feilding, Amanda, Murphy, Kevin, Tyacke, Robin J., Erritzoe, David, Stewart, Lorna, Wolff, Kim, Nutt, David, Curran, H. Valerie and Lawn, Will
Abstract

Background:
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is being actively researched as an adjunct to psychotherapy. It may be beneficial to trust, empathy and cooperative behaviour due to its acute prosocial effects.

Aim:
To test (a) the acute effects of MDMA on measures of empathy, trust and cooperative behaviour, and (b) subacute changes in mood three days after MDMA administration.

Methods:
Twenty-five participants (n=7 female), participated in this double-blind, repeated-measures, placebo-controlled experiment. Participants attended two acute sessions, one week apart. Each acute session was followed by a subacute session three days later. Participants received placebo (100 mg ascorbic acid) during one acute session, and MDMA (100 mg MDMA-HCl) at the other, with order counterbalanced. Participants completed the following tasks assessing prosocial behaviour: a trust investment task, a trustworthy face rating task, an empathic stories task, a public project game, a dictator game and an ultimatum game. Participants reported subjective effects. Blood was taken pre-drug, 2 and 4 hours post-drug, and tested for plasma MDMA levels.

Results:
MDMA acutely increased self-reported ‘closeness to others’ and ‘euphoria’ and increased plasma concentrations of MDMA. MDMA did not significantly change task-based empathy, trust or cooperative behaviour. Using Bayesian analyses, we found evidence that MDMA and placebo did not differ in their effects on empathy and cooperative behaviour. MDMA did not significantly change subacute mood and this was supported by our Bayesian analyses.

Conclusion:
Despite augmentation in plasma MDMA levels and subjective drug effects, we found no increase in prosocial behaviour in a laboratory setting.

KeywordsMDMA; empathy; prosocial; trust; cooperative behaviour
Year01 May 2021
JournalJournal of Psychopharmacology
Journal citation35 (5), pp. 547-555
PublisherSAGE Publications
ISSN0269-8811
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881120926673
PubMed ID32538252
Scopus EIDs2.0-85105733608
PubMed Central IDPMC8155732
Open accessPublished as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range547-555
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online15 Jun 2020
Publication process dates
Deposited04 Nov 2021
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8wzwy/acute-effects-of-mdma-on-trust-cooperative-behaviour-and-empathy-a-double-blind-placebo-controlled-experiment

Log in to edit

Download files

Publisher's version
OA_Borissova_2021_Acute_effects_of_MDMA_on_trust.pdf
License: CC BY 4.0
File access level: Open

  • 101
    total views
  • 125
    total downloads
  • 3
    views this month
  • 2
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Measuring white matter microstructure in 1,457 cannabis users and 1,441 controls : A systematic review of diffusion-weighted MRI studies
Robinson, Emily Anne, Gleeson, John, Arun, Arush Honnedevasthana, Clemente, Adam, Gaillard, Alexandra, Rossetti, Maria Gloria, Brambilla, Paolo, Bellani, Marcella, Crisanti, Camilla, Curran, Valerie H. and Lorenzetti, Valentina. (2023). Measuring white matter microstructure in 1,457 cannabis users and 1,441 controls : A systematic review of diffusion-weighted MRI studies. Frontiers in Neuroimaging. 2, p. Article 1129587. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnimg.2023.1129587
Deficits in episodic future thinking following acute alcohol consumption
Elliott, Morgan, Terrett, Gillian, Curran, H. Valerie, De Bono, Natalie, Rendell, Peter G. and Henry, Julie D.. (2022). Deficits in episodic future thinking following acute alcohol consumption. Psychopharmacology. 239(8), pp. 2445-2455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-022-06136-2
Neural responses to reward anticipation and feedback in adult and adolescent cannabis users and controls
Skumlien, Martine, Mokrysz, Claire, Freeman, Tom P., Wall, Matthew B., Bloomfield, Michael, Lees, Rachel, Borissova, Anna, Petrilli, Kat, Carson, James, Coughlan, Tiernan, Ofori, Shelan, Langley, Christelle, Sahakian, Barbara J., Curran, H. Valerie and Lawn, Will. (2022). Neural responses to reward anticipation and feedback in adult and adolescent cannabis users and controls. Neuropsychopharmacology. 47(11), pp. 1976-1983. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-022-01316-2
Debunking the myth of ‘Blue Mondays’ : No evidence of affect drop after taking clinical MDMA
Sessa, Ben, Aday, Jacob S., O’Brien, Steve, Curran, H. Valerie, Measham, Fiona, Higbed, Laurie and Nutt, David J.. (2022). Debunking the myth of ‘Blue Mondays’ : No evidence of affect drop after taking clinical MDMA. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 36(3), pp. 360-367. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811211055809
The CannTeen Study : Cannabis use disorder, depression, anxiety, and psychotic-like symptoms in adolescent and adult cannabis users and age-matched controls
Lawn, Will, Mokrysz, Claire, Lees, Rachel, Trinci, Katie, Petrilli, Kat, Skumlien, Martine, Borissova, Anna, Ofori, Shelan, Bird, Catherine, Jones, Grace, Bloomfield, Michael A. P., Das, Ravi K., Wall, Matthew B., Freeman, Tom P. and Curran, H. Valerie. (2022). The CannTeen Study : Cannabis use disorder, depression, anxiety, and psychotic-like symptoms in adolescent and adult cannabis users and age-matched controls. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 36(12), pp. 1350-1361. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811221108956
Adjunctive ketamine with relapse prevention-based psychological therapy in the treatment of alcohol use disorder
Grabski, Meryem, McAndrew, Amy, Lawn, Will, Marsh, Beth, Raymen, Laura, Stevens, Tobias, Hardy, Lorna, Warren, Fiona, Bloomfield, Michael, Borissova, Anya, Maschauer, Emily, Broomby, Rupert, Price, Robert, Coathup, Rachel, Gilhooly, David, Palmer, Edward, Gordon-Williams, Richard, Hill, Robert, Harris, Jen, ... Morgan, Celia J. A.. (2022). Adjunctive ketamine with relapse prevention-based psychological therapy in the treatment of alcohol use disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry. 179(2), pp. 152-162. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.21030277
The CannTeen study : Verbal episodic memory, spatial working memory, and response inhibition in adolescent and adult cannabis users and age-matched controls
Lawn, W., Fernandez-Vinson, N., Mokrysz, C., Hogg, G., Lees, R., Trinci, K., Petrilli, K., Borissova, A., Ofori, S., Waters, S., Michór, P., Wall, M. B., Freeman, T. P. and Curran, H. Valerie. (2022). The CannTeen study : Verbal episodic memory, spatial working memory, and response inhibition in adolescent and adult cannabis users and age-matched controls. Psychopharmacology. 239(5), pp. 1629-1641. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-022-06143-3
Is approving esketamine as an antidepressant for treatment resistant depression associated with recreational use and risk perception of ketamine? Results from a longitudinal and cross-sectional survey in nightlife attendees
Grabski, Meryem, Waldron, Jon, Freeman, Tom P., van Laar, Margriet and Curran, H. Valerie. (2022). Is approving esketamine as an antidepressant for treatment resistant depression associated with recreational use and risk perception of ketamine? Results from a longitudinal and cross-sectional survey in nightlife attendees. International Journal of Drug Policy. 102, p. Article 103612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103612
Individual and combined effects of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on striato-cortical connectivity in the human brain
Wall, Matthew B., Freeman, Tom P., Hindocha, Chandni, Demetriou, Lysia, Ertl, Natalie, Freeman, Abigail M., Jones, Augustus P. M., Lawn, Will, Pope, Rebecca, Mokrysz, Claire, Solomons, Daniel, Statton, Ben, Walker, Hannah R, Yamamori, Yumeya, Yang, Zixu, Yim, Jocelyn L. L., Nutt, David J., Howes, Oliver D., Curran, H. Valerie and Bloomfield, Michael A. P.. (2022). Individual and combined effects of cannabidiol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on striato-cortical connectivity in the human brain. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 36(6), pp. 732-744. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811221092506
Age differences in the behavioural economics of cannabis use : Do adolescents and adults differ on demand for cannabis and discounting of future reward?
Borissova, A., Soni, S., Aston, E. R., Lees, R., Petrilli, K., Wall, M. B., Bloomfield, M. A. P., Mertzani, E., Paksina, A., Freeman, T. P., Mokrysz, C., Lawn, W. and Curran, H. V.. (2022). Age differences in the behavioural economics of cannabis use : Do adolescents and adults differ on demand for cannabis and discounting of future reward? Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 238, p. Article 109531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109531
An exploration of the nature and prevalence of substance use in a forensic population and an evaluation of its role in recall to hospital
Charles, Matthew, Akram, Hina, Rogalewski, Maja, Mokrysz, Claire, Wood, Nikki and Curran, H. Valerie. (2022). An exploration of the nature and prevalence of substance use in a forensic population and an evaluation of its role in recall to hospital. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. pp. 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-022-00809-x
The International Cannabis Toolkit (iCannToolkit) : A multidisciplinary expert consensus on minimum standards for measuring cannabis use
Lorenzetti, Valentina, Hindocha, Chandni, Petrilli, Kat, Griffiths, Paul, Brown, Jamie, Castillo-Carniglia, Álvaro, Caulkins, Jonathan P., Englund, Amir, ElSohly, Mahmoud A., Gage, Suzanne H., Groshkova, Teodora, Gual, Antoni, Hammond, David, Lawn, Will, López-Pelayo, Hugo, Manthey, Jakob, Mokrysz, Claire, Pacula, Rosalie Liccardo, van Laar, Margriet, ... Freeman, Tom P.. (2022). The International Cannabis Toolkit (iCannToolkit) : A multidisciplinary expert consensus on minimum standards for measuring cannabis use. Addiction. 117(6), pp. 1510-1517. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15702
Drug use changes at the individual level : Results from a longitudinal, multisite survey in young europeans frequenting the nightlife scene
Grabski, Meryem, Waldron, Jon, Freeman, Tom P., Mokrysz, Claire, van Beek, Ruben J. J., van der Pol, Peggy, Hauspie, Bert, Dirkx, Nicky, Schrooten, Jochen, Elgán, Tobias H, Feltman, Kristin, Benedetti, Elisa, Scalia Tomba, Gianpaolo, Fabi, Francesco, Molinaro, Sabrina, Gripenberg, Johanna, van Havere, Tina, van Laar, Margriet and Curran, H. Valerie. (2022). Drug use changes at the individual level : Results from a longitudinal, multisite survey in young europeans frequenting the nightlife scene. European Addiction Research. 28(2), pp. 155-160. https://doi.org/10.1159/000520118
Are psychotic-like experiences related to a discontinuation of cannabis consumption in young adults?
Daedelow, Laura S., Banaschewski, Tobias, Berning, Moritz, Bokde, Arun L. W., Brühl, Rüdiger, Burke Quinlan, Erin, Curran, H. Valerie, Desrivieres, Sylvane, Flor, Herta, Grigis, Antoine, Garavan, Hugh, Hardon, Anita, Kaminski, Jakob, Martinot, Jean-Luc, Paillère Martinot, Marie-Laure, Artiges, Eric, Murray, Hayley, Nees, Frauke, Oei, Nicole Y. L., ... IMAGEN Consortium. (2021). Are psychotic-like experiences related to a discontinuation of cannabis consumption in young adults? Schizophrenia Research. 228, pp. 271-279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2021.01.002
Prospective memory deficits following acute alcohol consumption
Elliott, Morgan, Terrett, Gill, Curran, H. Valerie, De Bono, Natalie, Rendell, Peter G. and Henry, Julie D.. (2021). Prospective memory deficits following acute alcohol consumption. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 35(11), pp. 1386-1397. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811211056195
Cannabis based medicines and cannabis dependence : A critical review of issues and evidence
Schlag, Anne K., Hindocha, Chandni, Zafar, Rayyan, Nutt, David J. and Curran, H. Valerie. (2021). Cannabis based medicines and cannabis dependence : A critical review of issues and evidence. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 35(7), pp. 773-785. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881120986393
The acute and non-acute effects of cannabis on reward processing : A systematic review
Skumlien, Martine, Langley, Christelle, Lawn, Will, Voon, Valerie, Curran, H. Valerie, Roiser, Jonathan P. and Sahakian, Barbara J.. (2021). The acute and non-acute effects of cannabis on reward processing : A systematic review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 130, pp. 512-528. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.008
Illicit drug use and associated problems in the nightlife scene : A potential setting for prevention
Feltmann, Kristin, Elgán, Tobias H., Strandberg, Anna K., Kvillemo, Pia, Jayaram-Lindström, Nitya, Grabski, Meryem, Waldron, Jon, Freeman, Tom, Curran, Helen Valerie and Gripenberg, Johanna. (2021). Illicit drug use and associated problems in the nightlife scene : A potential setting for prevention. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18(9), p. Article 4789. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094789
The effects of acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on striatal glutamatergic function : A proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study
Bloomfield, Michael A. P., Petrilli, Katherine, Lees, Rachel, Hindocha, Chandni, Beck, Katherine, Turner, Ryan J., Onwordi, Ellis Chika, Rane, Neil, Lythgoe, David J., Stone, James M., Curran, H. Valerie, Howes, Oliver D. and Freeman, Tom P.. (2021). The effects of acute Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on striatal glutamatergic function : A proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging. 6(6), pp. 660-667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.04.013
Does variation in trait schizotypy and frequency of cannabis use influence the acute subjective, cognitive and psychotomimetic effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol? A mega-analysis
Freeman, Abigail M., Mokrysz, Claire, Hindocha, Chandni, Lawn, Will, Morgan, Celia J. A., Freeman, Tom P., Saunders, Rob and Curran, H. Valerie. (2021). Does variation in trait schizotypy and frequency of cannabis use influence the acute subjective, cognitive and psychotomimetic effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol? A mega-analysis. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 35(7), pp. 804-813. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881120959601
Acute effects of cannabis on speech illusions and psychotic-like symptoms : Two studies testing the moderating effects of cannabidiol and adolescence
Mokrysz, Claire, Shaban, Natacha D. C., Freeman, Tom P., Lawn, Will, Pope, Rebecca A., Hindocha, Chandni, Freeman, Abigail, Wall, Matthew B., Bloomfield, Michael A. P., Morgan, Celia J. A., Nutt, David J. and Curran, H. Valerie. (2021). Acute effects of cannabis on speech illusions and psychotic-like symptoms : Two studies testing the moderating effects of cannabidiol and adolescence. Psychological Medicine. 51(12), pp. 2134-2142. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720001038
Ketamine as a mental health treatment : Are acute psychoactive effects associated with outcomes? A systematic review
Grabski, Meryem, Borissova, Anna, Marsh, Beth, Morgan, Celia J. A. and Curran, H. Valerie. (2020). Ketamine as a mental health treatment : Are acute psychoactive effects associated with outcomes? A systematic review. Behavioural Brain Research. 392, p. 112629. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112629
The effects of acute cannabidiol on cerebral blood flow and its relationship to memory : An arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging study
Bloomfield, Michael A. P., Green, Sebastian F., Hindocha, Chandni, Yamamori, Yumeya, Yim, Jocelyn Lok Ling, Jones, Augustus P. M., Walker, Hannah R., Tokarczuk, Pawel, Statton, Ben, Howes, Oliver D., Curran, H. Valerie and Freeman, Tom P.. (2020). The effects of acute cannabidiol on cerebral blood flow and its relationship to memory : An arterial spin labelling magnetic resonance imaging study. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 34(9), pp. 981-989. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881120936419
The development and validation of a human screening model of tobacco abstinence
Grabski, Meryem, Curran, H. Valerie, Nutt, David J., Husbands, Stephen M., Ferguson, Stuart G. and Munafò, Marcus R.. (2020). The development and validation of a human screening model of tobacco abstinence. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 206, p. 107720. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107720
Medical cannabis in the UK : From principle to practice
Schlag, Anne Katrin, Baldwin, David S., Barnes, Michael, Bazire, Steve, Coathup, Rachel, Curran, H. Valerie, McShane, Rupert, Phillips, Lawrence D., Singh, Ilina and Nutt, David J.. (2020). Medical cannabis in the UK : From principle to practice. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 34(9), pp. 931-937. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881120926677
Reduction in the occurrence of distressing involuntary memories following propranolol or hydrocortisone in healthy women
Kamboj, Sunjeev K., Gong, An Tong, Sim, ZhiHui, Rashid, Adrihani A., Baba, Ami, Iskandar, Georges, Das, Ravi K. and Curran, H. Valerie. (2020). Reduction in the occurrence of distressing involuntary memories following propranolol or hydrocortisone in healthy women. Psychological Medicine. 50(7), pp. 1148-1155. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291719001028
Cannabidiol for the treatment of cannabis use disorder : A phase 2a, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, adaptive Bayesian trial
Freeman, Tom P., Hindocha, Chandni, Baio, Gianluca, Shaban, Natacha D. C., Thomas, Emily M., Astbury, Danica, Freeman, Abigail M., Lees, Rachel, Craft, Sam, Morrison, Paul D., Bloomfield, Michael A. P., O'Ryan, Dominic, Kinghorn, Jane, Morgan, Celia J. A., Mofeez, Ali and Curran, H. Valerie. (2020). Cannabidiol for the treatment of cannabis use disorder : A phase 2a, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, adaptive Bayesian trial. The Lancet Psychiatry. 7(10), pp. 865-874. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30290-X
How do online and offline sampling compare in a multinational study of drug use and nightlife behaviour?
Waldron, Jon, Grabski, Meryem, Freeman, Tom P., Mokrysz, Claire, Hindocha, Chandni, Measham, Fiona, van Beek, Ruben, van der Pol, Peggy, Hauspie, Bert, Dirkx, Nicky, Schrooten, Jochen, Elgán, Tobias H., Feltmann, Kristin, Benedetti, Elisa, Tomba, Gianpaolo Scalia, Fabi, Francesco, Molinaro, Sabrina, Gripenberg, Johanna, van Havere, Tina, ... Curran, H. Valerie. (2020). How do online and offline sampling compare in a multinational study of drug use and nightlife behaviour? International Journal of Drug Policy. 82, p. 102812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102812
The acute effects of cannabidiol on the neural correlates of reward anticipation and feedback in healthy volunteers
Lawn, Will, Hill, James, Hindocha, Chandni, Yim, Jocelyn, Yamamori, Yumeya, Jones, Gus, Walker, Hannah, Green, Sebastian F., Wall, Matthew B., Howes, Oliver D., Curran, H. Valerie, Freeman, Tom P. and Bloomfield, Michael A. P.. (2020). The acute effects of cannabidiol on the neural correlates of reward anticipation and feedback in healthy volunteers. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 34(9), pp. 969-980. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881120944148
Social cognition impairments in long-term opiate users in treatment
Terrett, Gill, Mercuri, Kimberly, Pizarro-Campagna, Elizabeth, Hugrass, Laila, Curran, H. Valerie, Henry, Julie D. and RendeRendell, Peter G.ll, P.. (2020). Social cognition impairments in long-term opiate users in treatment. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 34(2), pp. 254-263. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881119875981
Value-based decision-making of cigarette and nondrug rewards in dependent and occasional cigarette smokers: An FMRI study
Lawn, Will, Mithchener, Ludo, Freeman, Tom P., Benattayallah, Abdelmalek, Bisby, James A., Wall, Matthew B., Dodds, Chris M., Curran, Helen V. and Morgan, Celia J.A.. (2020). Value-based decision-making of cigarette and nondrug rewards in dependent and occasional cigarette smokers: An FMRI study. Addiction Biology. 25(4), pp. 1 - 12. https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12802
Acute effects of cannabinoids on addiction endophenotypes are moderated by genes encoding the CB1 receptor and FAAH enzyme
Hindocha, Chandni, Freeman, Tom P., Schafer, Grainne, Gardner, Chelsea, Bloomfield, Michael A. P., Bramon, Elvira, Morgan, Celia J.A. and Curran, Helen Valerie. (2020). Acute effects of cannabinoids on addiction endophenotypes are moderated by genes encoding the CB1 receptor and FAAH enzyme. Addiction Biology. 25(3), pp. 1 - 11. https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12762
What are the psychological effects of using synthetic cannabinoids? A systematic review
Akram, Hina, Mokrysz, Claire and Curran, H. Valerie. (2019). What are the psychological effects of using synthetic cannabinoids? A systematic review. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 33(3), pp. 271-283. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881119826592
Ketamine can reduce harmful drinking by pharmacologically rewriting drinking memories
Das, Ravi K., Gale, Grace, Walsh, Katie, Hennessy, Vanessa E., Iskandar, Georges, Mordecai, Luke A., Brandner, Brigitta, Kindt, Merel, Curran, H. Valerie and Kamboj, Sunjeev K.. (2019). Ketamine can reduce harmful drinking by pharmacologically rewriting drinking memories. Nature Communications. 10(1), p. 5187. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-13162-w
How does cannabidiol (CBD) influence the acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in humans? A systematic review
Freeman, Abigail M., Petrilli, Katherine, Lees, Rachel, Hindocha, Chandni, Mokrysz, Claire, Curran, H. Valerie, Saunders, Rob and Freeman, Tom P.. (2019). How does cannabidiol (CBD) influence the acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in humans? A systematic review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 107, pp. 696-712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.036
Which biological and self-report measures of cannabis use predict cannabis dependency and acute psychotic-like effects?
Curran, H. Valerie, Hindocha, Chandni, Morgan, Celia J. A., Shaban, Natacha, Das, Ravi K. and Freeman, Tom P.. (2019). Which biological and self-report measures of cannabis use predict cannabis dependency and acute psychotic-like effects? Psychological Medicine. 49(9), pp. 1574-1580. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003329171800226X
Dissociable effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol on the human brain’s resting-state functional connectivity
Wall, Matthew B., Pope, Rebecca, Freeman, Tom P., Kowalczyk, Oliwia S., Demetriou, Lysia, Mokrysz, Claire, Hindocha, Chandni, Lawn, Will, Bloomfield, Michael A. P., Freeman, Abigail M., Feilding, Amanda, Nutt, David and Curran, H. Valerie. (2019). Dissociable effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol on the human brain’s resting-state functional connectivity. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 33(7), pp. 822-830. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881119841568
Post-traumatic stress disorder in victims of sexual assault with pre-assault substance consumption: A systematic review
Gong, An Tong, Kamboj, Sunjeev K. and Curran, Helen Valerie. (2019). Post-traumatic stress disorder in victims of sexual assault with pre-assault substance consumption: A systematic review. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 10, pp. 1 - 18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00092
Antipsychotic treatment of very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis (ATLAS) : A randomised, controlled, double-blind trial
Howard, Robert, Cort, Elizabeth, Bradley, Rosie, Harper, Emma, Kelly, Linda, Bentham, Peter, Ritchie, Craig, Reeves, Suzanne, Fawzi, Waleed, Livingston, Gill, Sommerlad, Andrew, Oomman, Sabu, Nazir, Ejaz, Nilforooshan, Ramin, Barber, Robert, Fox, Chris, Macharouthu, Ajay Verma, Ramachandra, Pranathi, Pattan, Vivek, ... Gray, Richard. (2018). Antipsychotic treatment of very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis (ATLAS) : A randomised, controlled, double-blind trial. The Lancet Psychiatry. 5(7), pp. 553-563. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30141-X
The effects of cannabidiol on impulsivity and memory during abstinence in cigarette dependent smokers 
Chandni Hindocha, Tom P. Freeman, Meryem Grabski, H. Crudgington, A.C. Davies, J.B. Stroud, Ravi K. Das, Will Lawn, Celia Morgan and H. Valerie Curran. (2018). The effects of cannabidiol on impulsivity and memory during abstinence in cigarette dependent smokers . Scientific Reports. 8(7568), pp. 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-25846-2
The acute effects of a dopamine d3 receptor preferring agonist on motivation for cigarettes in dependent and occasional cigarette smokers
Will Lawn, Tom P. Freeman, Katie East, Annie Gaule, Elizabeth R. Aston, M. A P Bloomfield, Ravi K. Das, Celia Morgan and H. Valerie Curran. (2018). The acute effects of a dopamine d3 receptor preferring agonist on motivation for cigarettes in dependent and occasional cigarette smokers. Nicotine and Tobacco Research. 20(7), pp. 800-809. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntx159
Psilocybin with psychological support improves emotional face recognition in treatment-resistant depression
J.B. Stroud, Tom P. Freeman, Robert Leech, Chandni Hindocha, Will Lawn, D.J. Nutt, H. V. Curran and R. L. Carhart-Harris. (2018). Psilocybin with psychological support improves emotional face recognition in treatment-resistant depression. Psychopharmacology. 235(2), pp. 459-466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4754-y
Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up
R. L. Carhart-Harris, M. Bolstridge, C.M.J. Day, J. Rucker, R. Watts, David Erritzoe, M. Kaelen, B. Giribaldi, M. A P Bloomfield, S. Pilling, J.A. Rickard, B. Forbes, A. Feilding, D. Taylor, H. V. Curran and D.J. Nutt. (2018). Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology. 235(2), pp. 399-408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4771-x
Non-dependent and dependent daily cannabis users differ in mental health but not prospective memory ability
Ruth Braidwood, Samantha Mansell, Jon Waldron, Peter Rendell, Sunjeev Kamboj and H. Valerie Curran. (2018). Non-dependent and dependent daily cannabis users differ in mental health but not prospective memory ability. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 9(97), pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00097
Individual and combined effects of acute delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol on psychotomimetic symptoms and memory function
Celia Morgan, Tom P. Freeman, Chandni Hindocha, Grainne Schafer, Chelsea Gardner and H. Valerie Curran. (2018). Individual and combined effects of acute delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol on psychotomimetic symptoms and memory function. Translational Psychiatry (online). 8(1), pp. 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-018-0191-x
Cannabis Dampens the Effects of Music in Brain Regions Sensitive to Reward and Emotion
Tom P. Freeman, Rebecca A. Pope, Matthew B. Wall, James A. Bisby, Maartje Luijten, Chandni Hindocha, Claire Mokrysz, Will Lawn, Abigail Moss, Michael A. P. Bloomfield, Celia J. A. Morgan, David J. Nutt and H. Valerie Curran. (2018). Cannabis Dampens the Effects of Music in Brain Regions Sensitive to Reward and Emotion. International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. 21(1), pp. 21-32. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyx082
Cannabidiol reverses attentional bias to cigarette cues in a human experimental model of tobacco withdrawal
Chandni Hindocha, Tom P. Freeman, Meryem Grabsk, Jack B. Stroud, Holly Crudgington, Alan C. Davies, Ravi K. Das, William Lawn, Celia Morgan and H. Valerie Curran. (2018). Cannabidiol reverses attentional bias to cigarette cues in a human experimental model of tobacco withdrawal. Addiction. 113(9), pp. 1696-1705. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.14243
Amisulpride for very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis: The ATLAS three-arm RCT
Howard, Robert, Cort, Elizabeth, Bradley, Rosie, Harper, Emma, Kelly, Linda, Bentham, Peter, Ritchie, Craig, Reeves, Suzanne, Fawzi, Waleed, Livingston, Gill, Sommerlad, Andrew, Oomman, Sabu, Nazir, Ejaz, Nilforooshan, Ramin, Barber, Robert, Fox, Chris, Macharouthu, Ajay, Ramachandra, Pranathi, Pattan, Vivek, ... Gray, Richard. (2018). Amisulpride for very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis: The ATLAS three-arm RCT. Health Technology Assessment. 22(67), pp. 1 - 60. https://doi.org/10.3310/hta22670
Ketamine treatment for depression : Opportunities for clinical innovation and ethical foresight
Singh, Ilina, Morgan, Celia, Curran, Valerie, Nutt, David, Schlag, Anne and McShane, Rupert. (2017). Ketamine treatment for depression : Opportunities for clinical innovation and ethical foresight. The Lancet Psychiatry. 4(5), pp. 419-426. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30102-5
Anatomy of a Joint: Comparing Self-Reported and Actual Dose of Cannabis and Tobacco in a Joint, and How These Are Influenced by Controlled Acute Administration
Chandni Hindocha, Tom P. Freeman and H. Valerie Curran. (2017). Anatomy of a Joint: Comparing Self-Reported and Actual Dose of Cannabis and Tobacco in a Joint, and How These Are Influenced by Controlled Acute Administration. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. 2(1), pp. 217-223. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2017.0024
Acute memory and psychotomimetic effects of cannabis and tobacco both 'joint' and individually: A placebo-controlled trial
Hindocha, Chandni, Freeman, T. P., Xia, J. X., Shaban, Natacha D. C. and Curran, Helen V.. (2017). Acute memory and psychotomimetic effects of cannabis and tobacco both 'joint' and individually: A placebo-controlled trial. Psychological Medicine. 47(15), pp. 2708 - 2719. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717001222
Editorial : Reporting guidelines for psychopharmacology
Steckler, Thomas, Curran, H. Valerie, de Wit, Harriet, Howes, Oliver, Hoyer, Daniel, Lucki, Irwin, Miczek, Klaus A., Morrow, A. Leslie, Price, Lawrence H. and Robbins, Trevor W.. (2016). Editorial : Reporting guidelines for psychopharmacology. Psychopharmacology. 233(7), pp. 1131-1134. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-016-4252-7
AKT1 genotype moderates the acute psychotomimetic effects of naturalistically smoked cannabis in young cannabis smokers
Morgan, Celia J. A., Freeman, T. P., Powell, J. and Curran, Helen V.. (2016). AKT1 genotype moderates the acute psychotomimetic effects of naturalistically smoked cannabis in young cannabis smokers. Translational Psychiatry. 6(2), pp. 1 - 6. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2015.219
Deconstructing the nature of episodic foresight deficits associated with chronic opiate use
Mercuri, Kimberly, Terrett, Gill, Bailey, Phoebe E., Henry, Julie D., Curran, Helen Valerie and Rendell, Peter G.. (2016). Deconstructing the nature of episodic foresight deficits associated with chronic opiate use. British Journal of Clinical Psychology. 55(4), pp. 401 - 413. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12110
Are adolescents more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis than adults? A placebo-controlled study in human males
Mokrysz, Claire, Freeman, Tom P., Korkki, S., Griffiths, K. and Curran, Helen V.. (2016). Are adolescents more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis than adults? A placebo-controlled study in human males. Translational Psychiatry. 6(11), pp. 1 - 10. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2016.225
LSD enhances the emotional response to music
Kaelen, M., Barrett, F. S., Roseman, L., Lorenz, R., Family, N., Bolstridge, M., Curran, Helen V., Feilding, A., Nutt, David J. and Carhart-Harris, R. L.. (2015). LSD enhances the emotional response to music. Psychopharmacology. 232(19), pp. 3607 - 3614. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-015-4014-y
Effects of immediate-release opioid on memory functioning: A randomized-controlled study in patients receiving sustained-release opioids
Kamboj, S. K., Conroy, L., Tookman, A., Carroll, E., Jones, L. and Curran, H.. (2014). Effects of immediate-release opioid on memory functioning: A randomized-controlled study in patients receiving sustained-release opioids. European Journal of Pain. 18(10), pp. 1376 - 1384. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1532-2149.2014.498.x
Effects of ecstasy on cooperative behaviour and perception of trustworthiness: A naturalistic study
Stewart, L. H., Ferguson, B., Morgan, C. J. A., Swaboda, N., Jones, L., Fenton, R., Wall, M. B. and Curran, H.. (2014). Effects of ecstasy on cooperative behaviour and perception of trustworthiness: A naturalistic study. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 28(11), pp. 1001 - 1008. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881114544775
Prospective memory impairment in long-term opiate users
Terrett, Gillian, McLennan, Skye, Henry, Julie, Biernacki, Kathryn, Mercuri, Kimberly, Curran, Valerie and Rendell, Peter. (2014). Prospective memory impairment in long-term opiate users. Psychopharmacology. 231(13), pp. 2623 - 2632. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-014-3432-6
Benzodiazepines: Risks and benefits. A reconsideration
Baldwin, David S., Aitchison, Katherine, Bateson, Alan, Curran, H. Valerie, Davies, Simon, Leonard, Brian, Nutt, David J., Stephens, David N. and Wilson, Sue. (2013). Benzodiazepines: Risks and benefits. A reconsideration. Journal of Psychopharmacology. 27(11), pp. 967 - 971. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881113503509
Prospective memory and future event simulation in individuals with alcohol dependence
Griffiths, Alison, Hill, Robert, Morgan, Celia, Rendell, Peter Gregory, Karimi, Khashayar, Wanagaratne, Shamil and Curran, Valerie. (2012). Prospective memory and future event simulation in individuals with alcohol dependence. Addiction. 107(10), pp. 1809 - 1816. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.03941.x
Neurocognitive function and schizophrenia-proneness in individuals dependent on ketamine, on high potency cannabis (skunk) or on cocaine
Morgan, Celia, Duffin, S., Hunt, S., Monaghan, L., Mason, O. and Curran, Helen. (2012). Neurocognitive function and schizophrenia-proneness in individuals dependent on ketamine, on high potency cannabis (skunk) or on cocaine. Pharmacopsychiatry. 45(7), pp. 269 - 274. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0032-1306310