Skip to content

Preliminary evidence of hippocampal damage in chronic users of ecstasy

Bjørnar den Hollander, M.L.J. Schouw, P.F.C. Groot, Henk Huisman, Matthan W.A. Caan, Frederik Barkhof, Liesbeth Reneman

Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry March 28, 2011 DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.2010.228387 (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 17
Population 10 male chronic ecstasy users and 7 healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects
Topics MDMA
Citations 27
Key findings The hippocampal volume in the ecstasy-using group was on average 10.5% smaller than in the control group (p=0.032), suggesting that ecstasy users may be prone to hippocampal damage.

Abstract

Various studies have shown that ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) users display significant memory impairments, whereas their performance on other cognitive tests is generally normal. The hippocampus plays an essential role in short-term memory. There are, however, no structural human data on the effects of ecstasy on the hippocampus. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the hippocampal volume of chronic ecstasy users is reduced when compared with healthy polydrug-using controls, as an indicator of hippocampal damage. The hippocampus was manually outlined in volumetric MRI scans in 10 male ecstasy users (mean age 25.4 years) and seven healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects (21.3 years). Other than the use of ecstasy, there were no statistically significant differences between both groups in exposure to other drugs of abuse and alcohol. The ecstasy users were on average drug-free for more than 2 months and had used on average 281 tablets over the past six and a half years. The hippocampal volume in the ecstasy using group was on average 10.5% smaller than the hippocampal volume in the control group (p=0.032). These data provide preliminary evidence that ecstasy users may be prone to incurring hippocampal damage, in line with previous reports of acute hippocampal sclerosis and subsequent atrophy in chronic users of this drug.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on MDMA, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Subjective Reports of the Effects of MDMA in a Clinical Setting Individuals who took MDMA in a clinical setting 1986 Observational study
Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA ("Ecstasy") users Abstinent MDMA users 1998 Observational cohort
Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people 2000 Observational
The Psychological and Physiological Effects of MDMA on Normal Volunteers Older, more educated, drug-experienced individuals 1986 Observational cohort
Cognitive performance in recreational users of MDMA or 'ecstasy': evidence for memory deficits Young people who were regular or novice MDMA users, or non-users 1998 Observational cohort n = 30

Citations in the library

Cited by 7

and 2 more in the library

Cites 3

Related reading

Explore topics

MDMA