Multifaceted empathy of healthy volunteers after single doses of MDMA: a pooled sample of placebo-controlled studies
A pooled analysis of 118 healthy volunteers across six placebo‑controlled within‑subject studies showed that single doses of MDMA (75–125 mg) reliably increased emotional empathy — particularly for positive emotions — without altering cognitive empathy. The empathy enhancement correlated with MDMA plasma concentrations, was consistent across laboratories and doses, and was independent of sex, drug‑use history and trait empathy, while MDMA‑induced rises in oxytocin were unrelated to the behavioural effect.
Authors
- Patrick Dolder
- Matthias Liechti
- Kim Kuypers
Published
Abstract
Previous placebo-controlled experimental studies have shown that a single dose of MDMA can increase emotional empathy in the multifaceted empathy test (MET) without affecting cognitive empathy. Although sufficiently powered to detect main effects of MDMA, these studies were generally underpowered to also validly assess contributions of additional parameters, such as sex, drug use history, trait empathy and MDMA or oxytocin plasma concentrations. The present study examined the robustness of the MDMA effect on empathy and investigated the moderating role of these additional parameters. Participants ( n = 118) from six placebo-controlled within-subject studies and two laboratories were included in the present pooled analysis. Empathy (MET), MDMA and oxytocin plasma concentrations were assessed after oral administration of MDMA (single dose, 75 or 125 mg). Trait empathy was assessed using the interpersonal reactivity index. We confirmed that MDMA increased emotional empathy at both doses without affecting cognitive empathy. This MDMA-related increase in empathy was most pronounced during presentation of positive emotions as compared with negative emotions. MDMA-induced empathy enhancement was positively related to MDMA blood concentrations measured before the test, but independent of sex, drug use history and trait empathy. Oxytocin concentrations increased after MDMA administration but were not associated with behavioral effects. The MDMA effects on emotional empathy were stable across laboratories and doses. Sex did not play a moderating role in this effect, and oxytocin levels, trait empathy and drug use history were also unrelated. Acute drug exposure was of significant relevance in the MDMA-induced emotional empathy elevation.
Research Summary of 'Multifaceted empathy of healthy volunteers after single doses of MDMA: a pooled sample of placebo-controlled studies'
Introduction
Kuypers and colleagues situate their study in a literature showing that a single dose of MDMA can increase aspects of sociability and emotional empathy while effects on cognitive empathy have been inconsistent across paradigms. The Multifaceted Empathy Test (MET), which presents complex, ecologically valid images and yields separate measures of cognitive empathy (CE) and emotional empathy (EE), has produced a consistent pattern in smaller placebo-controlled studies: no effect on CE but an increase in EE. Previous work has also reported MDMA-induced rises in peripheral oxytocin, which has been hypothesised to contribute to empathogenic effects, but two prior studies found no relationship between oxytocin levels and behavioural changes in EE. Small sample sizes in earlier studies limited the ability to examine potential moderators such as sex, trait empathy, lifetime ecstasy use, and MDMA or oxytocin plasma concentrations. The present paper pooled data from six placebo-controlled, within-subject studies conducted in two laboratories to evaluate the robustness of MDMA's effects on CE and EE in a larger sample (n = 118). The investigators aimed to confirm whether MDMA enhances EE without affecting CE and to test whether that effect is moderated by sex, trait empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index), lifetime ecstasy use, MDMA blood concentrations, or changes in peripheral oxytocin. Pooling data was intended to increase power to detect moderator effects and to assess consistency across doses (75 mg and 125 mg) and sites.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compound
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- APA Citation
Kuypers, K. P., Dolder, P. C., Ramaekers, J. G., & Liechti, M. E. (2017). Multifaceted empathy of healthy volunteers after single doses of MDMA: a pooled sample of placebo-controlled studies. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 31(5), 589-598. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881117699617
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