Dr. Leospace
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Memory loss seen in Ecstasy users
Studies have shown that the recreational drug Ecstasy can cause brain damage when used often, but a new study suggests that even a few doses of the illegal substance can alter the brain's memory system and that the changes may be long-lasting.
"We didn't expect to find such changes," said Dr. Maartje De Win, a resident in radiology at the Academic Medicine Center in Amsterdam. She and her colleagues tested the effects of the popular drug on 188 young adults (average age 22) they recruited who said they had intentions of trying Ecstasy but had not done so yet.
The volunteers were given initial brain scans and followed for 18 months. By that time, 59 had used an average of six tablets. They were invited back into the scanning machines, along with another 59 of the volunteers who had not yet experimented with the drug.
The scientists found that the people who experimented with Ecstasy showed subtle memory loss and a decrease in brain blood circulation based on tests they were given. The scans and the psychological tests were done anywhere from two to 18 weeks after they had taken the drug.
Ecstasy, also called MDMA, selectively targets a brain chemical called serotonin that has many jobs - from regulating mood and memories to helping blood circulate. People who take the drug say it heightens their sensory perceptions and makes them feel more uninhibited and energetic. "They say they can dance all night," De Win said. "They also say they feel more love for others."
There was no damage to the neurons that make serotonin, as was observed in studies done on chronic Ecstasy users.
"In heavy Ecstasy users, the effects are more clear," De Win said. "But even in incidental users, we saw small effects. We don't know whether the blood flow changes are some kind of brain adaptation to the drug, or whether it will be reversible."
The scientists also conducted other types of brain scans and showed that there are structural changes in the cells - even in those who have only taken Ecstasy a few times.
The findings were presented earlier this week at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting in Chicago.
The scientists say they hope to follow these people for a year to see if the changes persist.
BY JAMIE TALAN
Source: Newsday
Dutch link: http://www.elsevier.nl/nieuws/laatste_24_uur/artikel/asp/artnr/128168/
Studies have shown that the recreational drug Ecstasy can cause brain damage when used often, but a new study suggests that even a few doses of the illegal substance can alter the brain's memory system and that the changes may be long-lasting.
"We didn't expect to find such changes," said Dr. Maartje De Win, a resident in radiology at the Academic Medicine Center in Amsterdam. She and her colleagues tested the effects of the popular drug on 188 young adults (average age 22) they recruited who said they had intentions of trying Ecstasy but had not done so yet.
The volunteers were given initial brain scans and followed for 18 months. By that time, 59 had used an average of six tablets. They were invited back into the scanning machines, along with another 59 of the volunteers who had not yet experimented with the drug.
The scientists found that the people who experimented with Ecstasy showed subtle memory loss and a decrease in brain blood circulation based on tests they were given. The scans and the psychological tests were done anywhere from two to 18 weeks after they had taken the drug.
Ecstasy, also called MDMA, selectively targets a brain chemical called serotonin that has many jobs - from regulating mood and memories to helping blood circulate. People who take the drug say it heightens their sensory perceptions and makes them feel more uninhibited and energetic. "They say they can dance all night," De Win said. "They also say they feel more love for others."
There was no damage to the neurons that make serotonin, as was observed in studies done on chronic Ecstasy users.
"In heavy Ecstasy users, the effects are more clear," De Win said. "But even in incidental users, we saw small effects. We don't know whether the blood flow changes are some kind of brain adaptation to the drug, or whether it will be reversible."
The scientists also conducted other types of brain scans and showed that there are structural changes in the cells - even in those who have only taken Ecstasy a few times.
The findings were presented earlier this week at the Radiological Society of North America's annual meeting in Chicago.
The scientists say they hope to follow these people for a year to see if the changes persist.
BY JAMIE TALAN
Source: Newsday
Dutch link: http://www.elsevier.nl/nieuws/laatste_24_uur/artikel/asp/artnr/128168/
