Cognitive performance in recreational users of MDMA or 'ecstasy': evidence for memory deficits

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.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Cognitive task performance was assessed in three groups of young people: 10 regular users of 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) who had taken 'ecstasy' 10 times or more; 10 novice MDMA users who had taken 'ecstasy' one to nine times; and 10 control subjects who had never taken MDMA. A computerized battery of cognitive tasks (Cognitive Drug Research system) was undertaken on a day when subjects were drug free. Performance on the response speed and vigilance measures (simple reaction time, choice reaction time, number vigilance), was similar across the three subgroups. However on immediate word recall and delayed word recall, both groups of MDMA users recalled significantly less words than controls. Animal research has shown that MDMA can lead to serotonergic neurodegeneration, particularly in the hippocampus and frontal cortex. Although the design of this study was far from ideal, these data are consistent with other findings of memory decrements in recreational MDMA users, possibly caused by serotonergic neurotoxicity.