Neuroimaging of chronic MDMA (“ecstasy”) effects: A meta-analysis
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews November 12, 2018 Felix Müller, Raphael Brändle, Matthias E. Liechti et al. 52 citations
A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies found that people who use MDMA (ecstasy) have significantly lower serotonin transporter (SERT) density in eight out of thirteen brain regions examined, compared to non-users. The reduction in SERT density was positively associated with the duration of abstinence, suggesting that these brain changes may be partially reversible with sustained abstinence. No significant differences were found between users and controls in neurochemical ratios in the frontal and occipital lobes or in blood flow in the basal ganglia. The analysis included 356 MDMA users and 311 controls from sixteen studies, but the user groups showed heavy use patterns and the overall study quality was poor.