Effects of MDMA and MDA on Brain Serotonin Neurons: Evidence from Neurochemical and Autoradiographic Studies
PsycEXTRA Dataset January 1, 1989 E B de Souza, Giuseppe Battaglia
Methylenedioxy-substituted amphetamine derivatives, including MDMA, cause widespread and long-lasting degeneration of serotonin neurons in the brain after administration in animals, without consistently affecting dopamine or other catecholamine neurons. The severity of damage depends on dose and frequency, occurs across species including primates, and can be prevented by a serotonin uptake blocker, implicating active uptake of MDMA, a toxic metabolite, or an endogenous neurotoxin. Neuronal recovery may take up to a year, while functional recovery may be permanently impaired. Neurochemical and autoradiographic data show predominant reductions in serotonin uptake sites in terminal regions, with relative sparing of axons of passage and cell bodies.