Reorganization of ascending 5-HT axon projections in animals previously exposed to the recreational drug (+/-)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy")
Journal of Neuroscience August 1, 1995 Christina Weide Fischer, George Hatzidimitriou, J Wlos et al. 269 citations
MDMA destroys serotonin axons in the brain. After injury, these axons can regrow, but the new connections are often abnormal. In rats and squirrel monkeys studied 12–18 months after MDMA exposure, some brain regions remained denervated while others became reinnervated or even hyperinnervated. Distant targets like the dorsal neocortex stayed denervated, whereas proximal targets such as the amygdala and hypothalamus recovered. Longer or more highly arborized axons had lower recovery probability. This lasting reorganization of serotonin projections may have implications for humans who use MDMA recreationally.