Incidental use of ecstasy: no evidence for harmful effects on cognitive brain function in a prospective fMRI study.
Gerry Jager, Maartje M. L. de Win, Hylke K E Vervaeke, Thelma Schilt, René S. Kahn, Wim van den Brink, Jan M Van Ree, Nick F. Ramsey
Psychopharmacology August 2007 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-007-0792-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Prospective cohort study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 49 |
| Population | Novice ecstasy users and persistent ecstasy-naive controls matched on age, gender, IQ, and cannabis use |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | No significant effects of a low dose of ecstasy were found on working memory, selective attention, or associative memory, neither behaviorally nor neurophysiologically, providing no firm evidence for sustained effects on cognitive brain function. |
Abstract
Heavy ecstasy use in humans has been associated with cognitive impairments and changes in cognitive brain function supposedly due to damage to the serotonin system. There is concern that even a single dose of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine may be neurotoxic, but very little is known about the consequences of a low dose of ecstasy for cognitive brain function. The objective of the study was to assess the effects of a low dose of ecstasy on human cognitive brain function using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We prospectively studied, as part of the NeXT (Netherlands XTC toxicity) study, sustained effects of a low dose of ecstasy on brain function in 25 subjects before and after their first episode of ecstasy use (mean 2.0 +/- 1.4 ecstasy pills, on average 11.1 +/- 12.9 weeks since last ecstasy use), compared to 24 persistent ecstasy-naive controls, also measured twice and matched with the novice users on age, gender, IQ, and cannabis use. Cognitive brain function was measured in the domains of working memory, selective attention, and associative memory using fMRI. No significant effects were found of a low dose of ecstasy on working memory, selective attention, or associative memory neither at the behavioral level nor at the neurophysiological level. This study yielded no firm evidence for sustained effects of a low dose of ecstasy on human cognitive brain function. The present findings are relevant for the development of prevention and harm reduction strategies. Furthermore, the study is relevant to the discussion concerning potential therapeutic use of ecstasy.
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 15
- Breakthrough for Trauma Treatment: Safety and Efficacy of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy Compared to Paroxetine and Sertraline Frontiers in Psychiatry September 12, 2019
- 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): current perspectives Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation November 1, 2013
- Neuroimaging in moderate MDMA use: A systematic review Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews December 30, 2015
- Ecstasy use and higher-level cognitive functions: weak effects of ecstasy after control for potential confounds Psychological Medicine September 1, 2008
- Morbidity associated with MDMA (ecstasy) abuse: A survey of emergency department admissions Human & Experimental Toxicology May 20, 2010
and 10 more in the library
Cites 14
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- Neurotoxicity of methylenedioxyamphetamines (MDMA; ecstasy) in humans: how strong is the evidence for persistent brain damage? Addiction February 27, 2006
- A review of acute effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in healthy volunteers Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2006
- Dissociable Effects of a Single Dose of Ecstasy (MDMA) on Psychomotor Skills and Attentional Performance Journal of Psychopharmacology December 1, 2003
- Damage of serotonergic axons and immunolocalization of Hsp27, Hsp72, and Hsp90 molecular chaperones after a single dose of MDMA administration in Dark Agouti rat: Temporal, spatial, and cellular patterns The Journal of Comparative Neurology 2006
and 9 more in the library