Toxicology Reports
October 11, 2016
Michael T. Williams, Matthew R. Skelton, Ian D. Longacre et al.
3 citations
Rats given MDMA during a period of brain development equivalent to late human pregnancy showed lasting changes in brain cell structure. In the nucleus accumbens, dendrites were shorter with fewer spines. In the dentate gyrus, dendritic length decreased but spine density increased. In the entorhinal cortex, both basilar and apical dendritic lengths were reduced. These structural changes occurred in brain regions linked to learning and memory, matching previously observed cognitive deficits in MDMA-exposed animals.
Toxicology Reports
May 10, 2026
Amadea Bleisch, Selina Späni, Regina Schumann et al.
Ingesting large quantities of nutmeg can cause psychoactive and hallucinogenic effects. A 23-year-old man on long-term fluoxetine and quetiapine who ingested 75 g of nutmeg with suicidal intent developed tachycardia and mydriasis four hours later, became somnolent after about 14 hours, and all symptoms resolved spontaneously within 26 hours. Analysis of enquiries to the Swiss national poison information center from 2014 to 2023 identified 236 patients (51% female, ages 0–85). The highest number of enquiries (30) occurred in 2020 and 2021, coinciding with a TikTok nutmeg challenge and increased home baking during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nutmeg intoxications usually show a mild course, and incidence may be subject to social influences.
Toxicology Reports
December 19, 2024
Elizabeth F. Ebbens, Saralyn R. Williams, Rebecca E. Bruccoleri et al.
A 17-year-old girl who ate a chocolate bar marketed as a medicinal mushroom product developed altered mental status, dilated pupils, salivation, and muscle jerks that did not respond to benzodiazepines. She required a breathing tube but all symptoms resolved within 8 hours, and she was discharged the next day. The product, "Diamond Shruumz," had been recalled because it likely contained muscimol, the main toxin in Amanita muscaria mushrooms. This case shows that unregulated medicinal mushroom supplements can be contaminated with toxic substances, producing a recognizable toxidrome. It is among the first reports of such contamination in a commercially available product.