(±)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’)-Induced Serotonin Neurotoxicity: Clinical Studies
Neuropsychobiology January 1, 2000 Una D. Mccann, Victoria Eligulashvili, George A. Ricaurte 192 citations
MDMA (Ecstasy) is a brain serotonergic neurotoxin in animals, including nonhuman primates. Recreational doses overlap with those causing serotonin neurotoxicity in animals. Human MDMA users show selective decreases in cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid and brain serotonin transporters, similar to neurotoxicity seen in nonhuman primates. Functional abnormalities possibly related to serotonin injury include cognitive deficits, altered sleep architecture, altered neuroendocrine function, altered behavioral responses to serotonin-selective drugs, and increased impulsivity. Further animal, longitudinal, and epidemiological studies are needed to confirm these findings and assess whether users face increased risk of neuropsychiatric illness with age.