In rats, treatment with the recreational drug MDMA during a developmental period equivalent to the human third trimester causes long-term spatial and egocentric learning and memory deficits, along with serotonin reductions. Pretreatment with the antidepressant citalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, did not prevent these cognitive deficits. Unexpectedly, citalopram alone produced learning deficits as severe as those caused by MDMA. These are the first findings showing cognitive impairments from developmental exposure to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, suggesting the need for further research on the long-term safety of antidepressants during pregnancy.
Acute exposure to the club drugs MDMA (Ecstasy) and Foxy increases the stress hormone corticosterone in rats at all ages tested—preweaning, juvenile, and adulthood. Blood glucose also rises at all stages except in juveniles. No differences were found between males and females. These hormonal and metabolic changes may contribute to the behavioral and cognitive impairments previously linked to these drugs.
Binge doses of methamphetamine (MA) cause brief epileptiform brain activity in about half of rats and longer seizures in some, while MDMA produces no significant brain-wave abnormalities or muscle jerks. The drug Foxy (5-MeO-DIPT) triggers seizures in all rats shortly after the first dose, with muscle jerks appearing soon after injection. These effects were observed in male rats implanted with cortical electrodes and given four injections of each drug (10 mg/kg every two hours), a regimen that mimics the neurochemical changes seen in chronic users. The findings indicate that MDMA does not increase EEG abnormalities under these conditions, whereas MA and especially Foxy produce severe brain-activity disturbances.