Ecstasy affects memory through serotonin
A team of researchers at the Hopkins School of Medicine have uncovered new details about the chemistry of memory performance. They did this in an interesting way: by studying the brains of ecstasy users who frequently report memory problems.
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), more commonly known by its street name "ecstasy," is a recreational drug taken widely in club and party settings. Prized for inducing feelings of euphoria, the drug is sometimes taken in multiple doses over the course of a night.
Beyond being used for recreation, however, the drug is also recognized as a serotonergic neurotoxin, meaning it has adverse effects on the class of neurons that use the neurotransmitter serotonin. Until this study was conducted, however, it remained unclear as to whether or not MDMA was injurious to dopaminergic neurons within the brain as well.
"In the case of MDMA, studies on animals have shown that damage is generally directed towards brain serotonin neurons unless given at high doses or high temperatures," principal investigator Una McCann said.
"Our recently published study was intended to determine whether people who 'binged' on MDMA, like animals given high dosages of MDMA, developed dopamine neurotoxicity in addition to serotonin neurotoxicity," McCann said.
"We also hoped to determine whether loss of brain serotonin markers, as measured using positron emission tomography (PET) was related to memory problems that have previously been found in abstinent MDMA users." For the purposes of the study, abstinent users are those who had not taken the drug for at least two weeks prior to the study.
In order to test these hypotheses, 16 abstinent MDMA users and 16 control subjects were examined using positron emission topography. PET is an advanced neuroimaging technique that measures cerebral blood flow by following the decay process of an injected radioactive tracer. Blood flow patterns are a good indicator of activity levels in different parts of the brain.
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), more commonly known by its street name "ecstasy," is a recreational drug taken widely in club and party settings. Prized for inducing feelings of euphoria, the drug is sometimes taken in multiple doses over the course of a night.
Beyond being used for recreation, however, the drug is also recognized as a serotonergic neurotoxin, meaning it has adverse effects on the class of neurons that use the neurotransmitter serotonin. Until this study was conducted, however, it remained unclear as to whether or not MDMA was injurious to dopaminergic neurons within the brain as well.
"In the case of MDMA, studies on animals have shown that damage is generally directed towards brain serotonin neurons unless given at high doses or high temperatures," principal investigator Una McCann said.
"Our recently published study was intended to determine whether people who 'binged' on MDMA, like animals given high dosages of MDMA, developed dopamine neurotoxicity in addition to serotonin neurotoxicity," McCann said.
"We also hoped to determine whether loss of brain serotonin markers, as measured using positron emission tomography (PET) was related to memory problems that have previously been found in abstinent MDMA users." For the purposes of the study, abstinent users are those who had not taken the drug for at least two weeks prior to the study.
In order to test these hypotheses, 16 abstinent MDMA users and 16 control subjects were examined using positron emission topography. PET is an advanced neuroimaging technique that measures cerebral blood flow by following the decay process of an injected radioactive tracer. Blood flow patterns are a good indicator of activity levels in different parts of the brain.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
idosedthekoolaid
posted 11/14/08 @ 2:49 PM EST
OH YES, let's PLEASE listen to Johns Hopkins U. researchers on this topic, since they did such a divinely WONDERFUL job with "Severe Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity in Primates After a Common Recreational Dose Regimen of MDMA" in 2002. (Continued…)
deepansh
Effects of ecstasy
posted 12/23/08 @ 4:10 AM EST
Ecstasy is very dangerous drug. There are many side effects of ecstasy such as, depression, confusion, sleep problem, low concentration, increases heart rate and blood pressure, eye pupil dilation and bruxia effects. (Continued…)
Post a Comment