Long-Term Neuropsychiatric Consequences of "Ecstasy" (MDMA): A Review
Harvard Review of Psychiatry January 1, 2002 Alonso Montoya, Renée Sorrentino, Scott E. Lukas et al. 102 citations
Repeated use of the recreational drug ecstasy (MDMA) is linked to sleep, mood, and anxiety disturbances, elevated impulsiveness, memory deficits, and attention problems that may persist for up to 2 years after stopping. Experimental studies in animals and humans indicate that MDMA damages serotonergic neurons. In a subset of humans, particularly adolescents, serotonin depletion from MDMA use may hasten or enhance vulnerability to a range of neuropsychiatric problems. The reviewed studies provide substantial evidence that MDMA causes neuronal damage, but more research is needed to determine if this destruction can have long-term or permanent neuropsychiatric consequences.