NEWS: The Advertiser - 29/11/2006 'Ecstasy poses long-term risk'

[hoptis]

Ecstasy poses long-term risk
LOUISE TRECCASI, KATELYN JOHN
November 29, 2006 01:15am

ECSTASY users at rave parties can be causing long-term brain damage, while even small amounts can be harmful to first-time users, research has found.

A study by University of Adelaide pharmacologist Dr Rod Irvine is the first time researchers have been able to measure the drug's effects on humans, after dozens of tests showing the effect on lab rats.

The research, collected from clubbers at Australian rave parties, was presented yesterday to the Australian Health and Medical Research Congress in Melbourne.

Dr Irvine said his findings showed humans and rats had the same physiological reaction to the drug.

He said until now, the long-term damaging effects of ecstasy had only been modelled on rat research.

"The data that has been shown in animals suggests there are long-term effects of taking these drugs which might result in cognitive impairment," he said.

"So this means people taking ecstasy might have problems with their memory and things in the long term."

Dr Irvine is now looking to recruit 80 ecstasy users for a new study investigating the link between body temperature and high drug concentration levels in the blood.

He said a spike in body temperature was the most severe and sometimes fatal outcome from using ecstasy.

A study presented at the annual Radiological Society of North America, found a decrease in blood circulation in some areas of the brain in young adults who just started to use ecstasy.

University of Amsterdam researchers said long-term or heavy use of ecstasy could damage neurons and cause depression, anxiety, confusion, difficulty sleeping and impairment of memory.

"We found a decrease in blood circulation in some areas of the brain in young adults who just started to use ecstasy," said lead researcher Maartje de Win.

"We also found a relative decrease in verbal memory performance in ecstasy users compared to non-users."

Ecstasy increases the amount of available serotonin - an important neurotransmitter - in the brain.

Serotinin helps regulate several brain functions, including mood and memory.

The study examined 188 volunteers with no history of ecstasy use but considered at high risk of taking ecstasy.

The Advertiser

 

[ayjay]

^Yeah I read this. The article in question is (I think): Plasma Drug Concentrations and Physiological Measures in 'Dance Party' Participants
Rodney J Irvine1, Michael Keane1, Peter Felgate2, Una D McCann3, Paul D Callaghan1 and Jason M White1,4; Neuropsychopharmacology (2006) 31, 424–430. doi:10.1038/sj.npp.1300896; published online 28 September 2005
http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v31/n2/abs/1300896a.html

It's from September 05, so there might be more recent stuff. Irvine has been involved in demonstrating brain damage from ecstasy use for about a decade I think.

From the linked abstract:

These findings are consistent with epidemiological findings that most people who use MDMA at dance parties do not develop serious clinical complications, and suggest that some of these individuals may be at risk for developing MDMA-induced toxicity to brain serotonin neurons.

This is a bit less dramatic than the newspaper headline...

 

[This_is_my_alias]

i have NO DOUBT that a foolish period of excessive MDMA consumption a few years ago has severely impaired my short term memory.

 

[Splatt]

And I'm pretty sure its MDMA, or meth or maybe even long term weed abuse that killed my verbal ability back a fair bit. The words are there for a nanosecond then they dissapear.

 

[ayjay]

Yeah look - I don't want to deny that there's a potential for damage. It's worth balancing that against other things that affect brain function - like how much you use your brain in the first place. For example, being a musician and playing chess have both been shown to be protective factors against Alzheimer's. I think it is still possible to use all these drugs (in moderation) and still care for your brain.

That said - I have one weird memory deficit that I often wonder may be due to previous substance use. I lose people's names. The mind is just completely blank - then I remember some hours later. Might also just be my subconscious fucking with me....

And of course, the one drug that we know for sure breaks your brain is...
... alcohol.

 

[-Raver-]

I believe my anxiety problems occured about a year after I started using MDMA.

 

[go-ee]

I have no doubts MDMA leads to problems with mood (depression, anxiety and paranoia) and cognitive impairment (verbal fluency, working memory and attention). Don't take my word for it, there are literally thousands of studies saying the same thing (albeit not are all perfectly conducted).

The dilemma is determining where the line between "safe recreational use" and "neurotoxic recreational use" lies.