Neuroimaging findings with MDMA/ecstasy: technical aspects, conceptual issues and future prospects
Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2006 Liesbeth Reneman, Maartje M. L. de Win, Wim van den Brink et al. 85 citations
Heavy ecstasy (MDMA) use may cause injury to the brain's serotonin system. Neuroimaging techniques like SPECT, PET, and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy have been used to study this potential neurotoxicity in living humans. The few available studies suggest that heavy users risk reductions in serotonin transporter (SERT) densities in subcortical and possibly cortical brain regions, a marker of serotonin neurotoxicity. These reductions appear dose-dependent and transient, with females possibly more vulnerable than males. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy seems less sensitive for detecting ecstasy's neurotoxic effects. Whether lower exposure also leads to SERT loss remains unknown. Most studies are retrospective, providing indirect evidence, so longitudinal studies are needed for definitive conclusions.