Freizeit-Ecstasy-Konsum ist mit dauerhaften Gedächtnisstörungen verbunden. Eine neue Analyse zeigt, dass Menschen, die die Droge in der Freizeit konsumieren, bei kognitiven Tests schlechter abschneiden als diejenigen, die sie noch nie konsumiert haben.
Recreational ecstasy use is linked to lasting memory impairments
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>Use of the drug MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, may lead to lasting difficulties with learning and memory that persist long after a person stops taking it. A new analysis indicates that people who use the drug recreationally perform worse on cognitive tests than those who have never used it. These deficits appear to remain the same even in individuals who have abstained from the drug for months or years. These [findings](https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811251389559) were published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.
>The chemical 3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine, or MDMA, is a synthetic substance that alters mood and perception. It works primarily by causing a massive release of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays a major role in regulating sleep, mood, and memory. The drug prevents the brain from reabsorbing this chemical, which creates the feelings of euphoria and empathy that users seek. However, this mechanism also depletes the brain’s supply of serotonin.
>Animal studies have provided evidence that MDMA can be neurotoxic. Experiments with rats and primates suggest that repeated exposure to the drug can damage the nerve endings that release serotonin. These changes can last for a long time. In humans, brain imaging studies have shown alterations in the serotonin systems of heavy users. These changes often appear in the neocortex and the limbic system, which are brain areas essential for thinking and memory.
I wonder what’s the cause. They did studies and found that the short term negative effects like Blue Mondays weren’t from the drug but just from being up all night partying, etc.
>Debunking the myth of ‘Blue Mondays’: No evidence of affect drop after taking clinical MDMA
>
The results support the overall safety and tolerability of clinically administered MDMA and, importantly, suggest that the ‘come downs’ previously associated with the substance may be explained by confounds in research relating to the illicit sourcing of the drug and specific environmental setting for recreational consumption.
[https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02698811211055809](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/02698811211055809)
>Halpern’s team compared ecstasy users with non-users who had a history of all-night dancing with limited exposure to alcohol and drugs. Both groups completed tests for verbal fluency, memory, depression and other factors.
[https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20928012-700-is-lack-of-sleep-and-water-giving-ecstasy-a-bad-name/](https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20928012-700-is-lack-of-sleep-and-water-giving-ecstasy-a-bad-name/)
On a cursory glance this appears to be a very loose meta-study, and doesn’t appear to exclude anything else or account for frequency or dosage.
Quote from the article:
„The authors of the study advise caution when interpreting these results. They noted that the quality of the available evidence is generally low. Most of the studies included in the review were cross-sectional. This means they looked at a snapshot of people at one point in time rather than following them over many years. It is possible that people who choose to use MDMA have pre-existing differences in memory or impulsivity compared to those who do not.
Another major complication is the use of other drugs. People who use ecstasy recreationally rarely use only that substance. They often consume alcohol, cannabis, or cocaine as well. While the researchers tried to account for this, it is difficult to isolate the specific effects of MDMA from the effects of these other substances. Alcohol and cannabis are known to affect memory. It is possible that the deficits observed are the result of cumulative polydrug use rather than MDMA alone.
The purity of the drug is another variable. The studies relied on participants reporting how many pills they had taken in their lifetime. However, the amount of active MDMA in a street pill varies wildly. Some pills contain very high doses, while others contain none at all. This makes it impossible to calculate a precise dose-response relationship.“
I commented about this yesterday.
„People with severe trauma might be more prone to use MDMA? Can we compare people with severe trauma who used it and who didn’t? Trauma is known to inhibit learning.
Also many street drugs are sold as something completely different than what they are.
How many mdma users thought they were using MDMA and either had heavily adulterated mdma or even something completely different?“
This may sound harsh, but I imagine a possible confounder is that people that may have a lower cognitive level and iq may just be more prone to use drugs like ecstasy.
I haven’t read the study, but i wouldn’t think that there are many cohort nor case-control studies (as that seems highly unethical) on the use of MDMA or most other drugs used recreationally.
Combined with 120dB EDM pumped directly into the brain, this does not come as a surprise.
I’ve never used it… or at least I don’t remember using it.