Ecstasy Neurotoxicity

Ecstasy: pharmacology and neurotoxicity.

In part because it is amphetamine derived, ecstasy has inherited some of its parent compound's reputation for being neurotoxic. However, whereas amphetamine and methamphetamine undoubtedly cause irreversible brain damage with long-term use, the jury is still out on the party drug ecstasy. The deadly reputation of ecstasy has been fuelled by the tragic fates of healthy young clubbers who have di...

ecstasy neurotoxicity

(+/-)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('Ecstasy')-induced serotonin neurotoxicity: studies in animals.

The popular recreational drug, (+/-)3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'Ecstasy') is a potent and selective brain serotonin (5-HT) neurotoxin in animals. MDMA-induced 5-HT neurotoxicity can be demonstrated using a variety of neurochemical, neuroanatomical and, more recently, functional measures of 5-HT neurons. Although the neurotoxic effects of MDMA in animals are widely accepted, the r...

Recreational Ecstasy/MDMA, the serotonin syndrome, and serotonergic neurotoxicity.

The ring-substituted amphetamine derivative 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or "Ecstasy" is widely used a recreational drug. It stimulates the release and inhibits the reuptake of serotonin (5-HT) and other neurotransmitters such as dopamine to a lesser extent. The acute boost in monoamine activity can generate feelings of elation, emotional closeness, and sensory pleasure. In the hot ...

(+/-)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine ('Ecstasy')-induced serotonin neurotoxicity: clinical studies.

(+/-)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'Ecstasy') is a brain serotonergic neurotoxin in experimental animals, including nonhuman primates. It is also an increasingly popular recreational drug of abuse, and doses of MDMA that are used recreationally overlap with those that produce serotonin (5-HT) neurotoxicity in animals. Studies in human MDMA users probing for evidence of brain serotone...