Cognitive performance in recreational ecstasy polydrug users: a two-year follow-up study
Journal of Psychopharmacology January 21, 2008 Susana de Sola Llopis, Mónica Miguélez-Pan, Jordi Peña‐Casanova et al. 58 citations
Recreational ecstasy use, often alongside cannabis, is linked to lasting cognitive deficits. Over two years, regular ecstasy users performed worse than cannabis-only users and non-users on tests of verbal fluency, working memory, and processing speed. Heavier users (more than 100 tablets) also showed impairments in episodic memory. These deficits persisted across the study period. The findings suggest that ecstasy, possibly combined with cannabis, causes subtle but lasting cognitive harm, though pre-existing differences between groups cannot be ruled out.