The Toxicity Debate

The history of research on MDMA toxicity includes early deaths and neurotoxicity studies, often compromised by biased methodologies. A notable scandal involved a Johns Hopkins researcher who mistakenly administered methamphetamine instead of MDMA to monkeys, falsely linking MDMA to Parkinson's disease. Later studies on recreational users found mixed results, but a study of Mormon subjects who used only MDMA showed no long-term cognitive effects. The chapter also discusses how research results have been used in anti-Ecstasy campaigns.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract This chapter covers the history of research and events related to the possible toxicity of MDMA, from the first cases of death involving MDMA and early toxicological research through to studies on its neurotoxicity in humans. It also provides some of the background stories behind the research and the debate about MDMA’s possible toxicity. Some ‘anti-Ecstasy campaigns’ related to the toxicity debate are also described. Complex issues and research related to the toxicity question are presented. Some early studies were obviously biased by compromised research methodologies. This is illustrated by the scandal surrounding a Johns Hopkins University researcher who, in 2000, claimed that MDMA could cause Parkinson’s disease; it was later discovered that he accidentally administered methamphetamine, instead of MDMA, to his experimental monkeys. When research on possible toxicological consequences of recreational MDMA began in earnest, a lot of studies were conducted internationally about possible changes in the brain and the long-term consequences for cognitive functions. Some of the more important, sometimes biased, studies and their implications are presented and discussed. A study undertaken with Mormon subjects, who had consumed MDMA, but no other drugs, showed that if MDMA is used alone, it has no long-term effects on cognition. The use of research results in anti-Ecstasy campaigns are described.