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| |  DG DISPATCH - ECNP: Ecstasy Impairs Intellectual Function By Olwen Glynn Owen Special to DG News LONDON, UK -- September 23, 1999 -- People who take methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), better known as the recreational drug Ecstasy, run the risk of seriously impairing their cognitive abilities, according to a new study presented in a poster at the 12th congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP) in London, UK.
German researcher Euphrosyne Gouzoulis-Mayfrank and colleagues from Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of Technology, Aachen, describe their findings as "clearly alarming" given the popularity of the recreational drug among young people. They are now calling for further research. In the present study, the researchers tested cognitive skills of 28 subjects with past experience of Ecstasy, with or without concomitant use of cannabis. Average use was 3.5 tablets/month over 27 months and most had last taken it two to eight weeks before the study. The 28 Ecstasy users were compared against the same numbers using cannabis only and controls. Participants were of similar age and educational level and all underwent comprehensive cognitive testing involving tests of attention, memory, learning, word fluency, thinking, problem-solving and general intelligence. Results showed no significant differences between cannabis users and controls. Ecstasy users performed just as well on all but one attention test. However, Ecstasy users scored poorly on selective attention, memory and learning tasks and in tasks involving problem-solving and general knowledge. Poor memory results were associated with heavy combined Ecstasy and cannabis use. The researchers comment that results endorse concerns arising from neurotoxic effects of Ecstasy seen on central serotonergic systems in animal studies. The threshold dose for neurotoxicity in humans is unknown. "The present data raise concern that Ecstasy use, possibly in conjunction with cannabis, may lead to cognitive decline in otherwise healthy young individuals." Problems with working memory are a particular worry. They conclude the deficits observed are related to the neurotoxic potential of Ecstasy. "These data suggest even typical recreational doses are sufficient to cause neurotoxicity in humans."
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