Neurotoxic Effects of MDMA on Brain Serotonin Neurons: Evidence from Neurochemical and Radioligand Binding Studiesa
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 1990 Errol B. de Souza, George Battaglia, Thomas R. Insel 54 citations
MDMA (ecstasy) causes widespread and long-lasting degeneration of serotonin neurons in the brain, while catecholamine neurons remain largely unaffected. The severity of damage depends on dose, with rhesus monkeys more sensitive than rats. Although serotonin uptake sites can recover over up to a year, functional recovery may be permanently impaired, as serotonin content remains 40–50% below that of age-matched controls even one year after administration. Regional differences in damage are observed, with greater reductions in serotonin uptake sites in brain regions containing terminals, while areas with axons and cell bodies are relatively spared.