Drug and Alcohol Dependence
October 1, 2009
Sharlene Kaye, Shane Darke, Johan Duflou
To examine the demographic characteristics, circumstances, toxicology and major organ pathology of MDMA-related deaths in Australia. Retrospective review of cases in which MDMA was a cause of death, as identified from the National Coronial Information System. 82 cases over a 5-year period were identified. The majority of decedents were male (83%), with a median age of 26 years. Deaths were...
Drug Metabolism and Disposition
October 2009
Melanie Mueller, Jie Yuan, Anne Felim et al.
The mechanism by which the recreational drug (+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) destroys brain serotonin (5-HT) axon terminals is not understood. Recent studies have implicated MDMA metabolites, but their precise role remains unclear. To further evaluate the relative importance of metabolites versus the parent compound in neurotoxicity, we explored the relationship between...
Behavioral Neuroscience
October 1, 2009
Jacobi I. Cunningham, Jamie Raudensky, John Tonkiss et al.
27 citations
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a drug of abuse worldwide and a selective serotonin (5-HT) neurotoxin. An important factor in the risk of drug abuse and relapse is stress. Although multiple parallels exist between MDMA abuse and stress, including effects on 5-HTergic neurotransmission, few studies have investigated the consequences of combined exposure to MDMA and chronic stress....
Journal of Neuroscience Research
October 1, 2009
Irene Riezzo, Daniela Cerretani, Carmela Fiore et al.
47 citations
Abstract 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)‐induced neurotoxicity leads to the formation of quinone metabolities and hydroxyl radicals and then to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). We evaluated the effect of a single dose of MDMA (20 mg/kg, i.p.) on the enzymatic and nonenzymatic cellular antioxidant defense system in different areas of rat brain in the early hours (<6 hr)...
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology
September 30, 2009
Karen L. Hanson, Mónica Luciana
34 citations
This study and our previous report (Hanson, Luciana, & Sullwold, 2008) suggest that moderate MDMA use does not lead to persistent impairments above and beyond that associated with generally heavy drug use, but polydrug use may lead to dose-related temporal and frontoparietal dysfunction. Marijuana use may be particularly problematic. Cause-effect relations are unclear.
Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
September 30, 2009
Euphrosyne Gouzoulis‐mayfrank, Jörg Daumann
115 citations
Ecstasy (MDMA, 3,4-methylendioxymethamphetamine) and the stimulants methamphetamine (METH, speed) and amphetamine are popular drugs among young people, particularly in the dance scene. When given in high doses both MDMA and the stimulant amphetamines are clearly neurotoxic in laboratory animals. MDMA causes selective and persistent lesions of central serotonergic nerve terminals, whereas...
European Journal of Pharmacology
September 15, 2009
Alinde E Wallinga, Anna M Ten Voorde, Sietse F De Boer et al.
Ecstasy or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a frequently (ab)used recreational drug for its acute euphoric effects but on the long-term may cause neurotoxic damage to serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) nerve endings in the brain. Since decreased brain 5-HT function has been strongly associated with several impulse control disorders like hostility and violent aggression, ecstasy...
Addiction Biology
September 8, 2009
Manuel Daza‐losada, Marta Rodríguez‐arias, María A. Aguilar et al.
37 citations
ABSTRACT Those who take ecstasy are more likely to consume other drugs than non‐users with cocaine abuse being reported by 75.5% of high school student MDMA (± 3,4‐methylenedioxymetamphetamine hydrochloride) users. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of exposure during adolescence to MDMA, cocaine or to both drugs on the MDMA‐induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in adult...
Journal of Psychopharmacology
September 2009
K Allott, B K Canny, J H Broadbear et al.
Despite evidence that +/-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'ecstasy') causes persistent alterations to the serotonergic system of animals, evidence for long-term neurological effects of ecstasy/MDMA in humans remains equivocal. The current study assessed serotonin functioning of nine male and 11 female recreational ecstasy polydrug users by measuring neuroendocrine (prolactin, cortisol)...
Psychopharmacology
August 13, 2009
Effects of MDMA on sociability and neural response to social threat and social reward.