Better known as “ecstasy”, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a small molecule that has played a prominent role in defining the ethos of today’s teenagers and young adults, much like lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) did in the 1960s. Though MDMA possesses structural similarities to compounds like amphetamine and mescaline, it produces subjective effects that are unlike any of the classical psychostimulants or hallucinogens and is one of the few compounds capable of reliably producing prosocial behavioral states. As a result, MDMA has captured the attention of recreational users, the media, artists, psychiatrists, and neuropharmacologists alike. Here, we detail the synthesis of MDMA as well as its pharmacology, metabolism, adverse effects, and potential use in medicine. Finally, we discuss its history and why it is perhaps the most important compound for the future of psychedelic science—having the potential to either facilitate new psychedelic research initiatives, or to usher in a second Dark Age for the field.

中文翻译：

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化学神经科学的黑暗经典：3,4-亚甲二氧基甲基苯丙胺

3,4-亚甲二氧基甲基苯丙胺 (MDMA) 更广为人知的名字是“摇头丸”，它是一种小分子，在定义当今青少年和年轻人的精神风气方面发挥着重要作用，就像 20 世纪 60 年代的麦角酸二乙胺 (LSD) 一样。尽管摇头丸与安非他明和麦斯卡林等化合物具有结构相似性，但它产生的主观效果不同于任何经典的精神兴奋剂或致幻剂，并且是少数能够可靠地产生亲社会行为状态的化合物之一。因此，MDMA 吸引了娱乐使用者、媒体、艺术家、精神病学家和神经药理学家等的关注。在这里，我们详细介绍了 MDMA 的合成及其药理学、代谢、副作用和在医学上的潜在用途。最后，我们讨论了它的历史，以及为什么它可能是迷幻科学未来最重要的化合物——有可能促进新的迷幻研究计划，或者开创该领域的第二个黑暗时代。