Learning and memory deficits in ecstasy users and their neural correlates during a face-learning task.
Gloria M P Roberts, Liam Nestor, Hugh P Garavan
Brain Research October 6, 2009 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.07.040 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case-control functional magnetic resonance imaging study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | 20 recreational drug users whose predominant drug was ecstasy and 20 controls; a secondary analysis included 14 previously tested cannabis users |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | Ecstasy users performed significantly worse than controls and cannabis users on learning and memory. Ecstasy-specific brain hyperactivity appeared in bilateral frontal, left temporal, right parietal, bilateral temporal, and bilateral occipital regions, with hypoactivity in the right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and left posterior cingulate cortex. Both ecstasy and cannabis users showed decreased activation in the right medial frontal gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, left dorsal cingulate gyrus, and left caudate. The authors argue that only some ecstasy-related deficits may be attributed to cannabis use. |
Abstract
It has been consistently shown that ecstasy users display impairments in learning and memory performance. In addition, working memory processing in ecstasy users has been shown to be associated with neural alterations in hippocampal and/or cortical regions as measured by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Using functional imaging and a face-learning task, we investigated neural correlates of encoding and recalling face-name associations in 20 recreational drug users whose predominant drug use was ecstasy and 20 controls. To address the potential confounding effects of the cannabis use of the ecstasy using group, a second analysis included 14 previously tested cannabis users (Nestor, L., Roberts, G., Garavan, H., Hester, R., 2008. Deficits in learning and memory: parahippocampal hyperactivity and frontocortical hypoactivity in cannabis users. Neuroimage 40, 1328-1339). Ecstasy users performed significantly worse in learning and memory compared to controls and cannabis users. A conjunction analysis of the encode and recall phases of the task revealed ecstasy-specific hyperactivity in bilateral frontal regions, left temporal, right parietal, bilateral temporal, and bilateral occipital brain regions. Ecstasy-specific hypoactivity was evident in the right dorsal anterior cingulated cortex (ACC) and left posterior cingulated cortex. In both ecstasy and cannabis groups brain activation was decreased in the right medial frontal gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, left dorsal cingulate gyrus, and left caudate. These results elucidated ecstasy-related deficits, only some of which might be attributed to cannabis use. These ecstasy-specific effects may be related to the vulnerability of isocortical and allocortical regions to the neurotoxic effects 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 10
- Human psychobiology of MDMA or ‘Ecstasy’: an overview of 25 years of empirical research Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental July 1, 2013
- Neuroimaging in moderate MDMA use: A systematic review Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews December 30, 2015
- Verbal Memory Deficits Are Correlated with Prefrontal Hypometabolism in 18FDG PET of Recreational MDMA Users PLoS One April 9, 2013
- MDMA and brain activity during neurocognitive performance: An overview of neuroimaging studies with abstinent ‘Ecstasy’ users Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews August 8, 2017
- Not Just a Pot: Visual Episodic Memory in Cannabis Users and Polydrug Cannabis Users: ROC and ERP Preliminary Investigation Frontiers in Human Neuroscience June 11, 2021
and 5 more in the library
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