Cognitive performance in recreational users of MDMA or 'ecstasy': evidence for memory deficits
Journal of Psychopharmacology January 1, 1998 A. C. Parrott, A. J. Lees, N. J. Garnham et al. 226 citations
Regular and novice users of MDMA (ecstasy) showed similar performance to non-users on tests of reaction time and vigilance, but both user groups recalled significantly fewer words than controls on immediate and delayed word recall tasks. The study involved 10 regular users (10+ lifetime uses), 10 novice users (1-9 uses), and 10 never-users. These memory deficits align with animal research suggesting MDMA may cause serotonergic damage in brain regions critical for memory, such as the hippocampus and frontal cortex.