Ecstasy – long-term effects on the human central nervous system revealed by positron emission tomography
- 1 August 1999
- journal article
- Published by Royal College of Psychiatrists in The British Journal of Psychiatry
- Vol. 175 (2) , 186-188
- https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.175.2.186
Abstract
Background: The main psychotropic agent of the popular illicit drug ecstasy is 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). In the light of animal studies and examinations of human cerebrospinal fluid, MDMA is suspected of causing neurotoxic lesions to the serotonergic system.Aims: To postulate a relationship between ecstasy use and lasting alterations to the cerebral glucose metabolic rate.Method: Positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) was performed on seven ecstasy users and seven subjects without any known history of illicit drug use. Data were compared for a limited number of brain regions.Results: By comparison with the control group, the glucose metabolic uptake of the ecstasy user group was altered within the amygdala, hippocampus and Brodmann's area 11Conclusions: The results suggest the possibility that ecstasy use has lasting effects on central neuronal activity in humans.Keywords
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