Neuropsychiatric Alterations in MDMA Users: Preliminary Findings
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences August 1, 2005 Ronald I. Herning 17 citations
People who use MDMA (ecstasy) show distinct brain changes compared to those who use only marijuana or no drugs. In a study of eight MDMA users, eight users of both MDMA and marijuana, fifteen marijuana-only users, and seventeen non-user controls, electroencephalography (EEG) recordings revealed that MDMA users had significantly higher absolute delta wave power at central electrode sites, a pattern not seen in the other groups. Marijuana-only users showed increases in alpha-2 power. Blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral arteries, measured by transcranial Doppler, was higher in MDMA users regardless of marijuana use. These brain changes, similar to those seen in chronic disorders, suggest MDMA may cause long-term neurological harm, though more research is needed.