3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Ecstasy)-Induced Learning and Memory Impairments Depend on the Age of Exposure during Early Development
Journal of Neuroscience – May 01, 2001
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
MDMA exposure during critical developmental periods poses potential risks to the developing brain. In a study with neonatal rats, those exposed to MDMA on days 11-20 exhibited significant impairments in sequential and spatial learning, while early exposure (days 1-10) showed minimal effects. Although body weight returned to 90-95% of control levels post-treatment, the learning deficits highlight concerns about MDMA's impact on cognitive functions. Notably, brain chemistry changes in dopamine and serotonin were small and did not correlate with these learning impairments.
Abstract
Use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ecstasy) has increased dramatically in recent years, yet little is known about its effects on the developing brain. Neonatal rats were administered MDMA on days 1–10 or 11–20 (analogous to early and late human third trimester brain development). MDMA exposure had no effect on survival but did affect body weight gain during treatment. After treatment, body weight largely recovered to 90–95% of controls. MDMA exposure on days 11–20 resulted in dose-related impairments of sequential learning and spatial learning and memory, whereas neonatal rats exposed on days 1–10 showed almost no effects. At neither stage of exposure did MDMA-treated offspring show effects on swimming ability or cued learning. Brain region-specific dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine changes were small and were not correlated to learning changes. These findings suggest that MDMA may pose a previously unrecognized risk to the developing brain by inducing long-term deleterious effects on learning and memory.