Patterns of Memory Dysfunction in Current and 2-year Abstinent MDMA Users
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology March 21, 2006 Jeff Ward, Kate Hall, Catherine Haslam 28 citations
MDMA, also known as ecstasy, is a selective serotonin neurotoxin in many species and has been linked to memory problems in humans. Recent research indicates that this memory impairment can last for at least a year after stopping use, but it was unclear which stage of memory processing is affected. This study compared 31 current MDMA users, 30 former users who had abstained for over two years, and 30 non-users using the WMS-III memory test. The results suggest MDMA use is associated with memory dysfunction that persists for up to two years after cessation, and that the impairment may stem from interference during the encoding stage of memory processing.