MAPS: Re: V2: MDMA Memory Study, December 1998

[sn0wman@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Hi All,
Quoteed from the article:

RE:Individuals with lower vocabulary scores had greater 
decrements in performance with increasing MDMA dose, whereas individuals
with higher vocabulary scores had fewer decrements with increasing MDMA
dose. 

     What I think Bolla, McCann, and Ricaurte meant by this is the less
intelligent (verbally) the subject was, the greater the damage with
increased MDMA use, when score vs. dose was graphed, i.e., a steeper
(negitive) slope on the plot was observed.  This is substantiated by the
Medline abstract of the work.  (See Below)
     It would be interesting to look at the data where the cannabis
users were taken out.  It's a fairly well known fact that smoking weed
does impair short term memory on a temporary basis.
   As a scientist, I'd say that the verdict is not written in stone,
until a single drug (MDMA) using population is studied against a
control.  The current info *will* make me think twice about how safe
MDMA really is.  I am concerned.  


"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored."
 - Aldous Huxley  

Memory impairment in abstinent MDMA ("Ecstasy") users.

Bolla KI, McCann UD, Ricaurte GA

Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore,
MD, USA. 

[Medline record in process]

BACKGROUND: Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, or "Ecstasy") is a
popular recreational drug of abuse that is known to damage brain
serotonergic neurons in animals and possibly humans. Few functional
consequences of MDMA-induced serotonin (5-HT) neurotoxicity have been
identified, either in animals or humans. This study sought to determine
whether individuals with a history of extensive MDMA use showed evidence
of memory impairment, because brain serotonin has been implicated in
mnemonic function. METHOD: The authors compared 24 abstinent MDMA users
and 24 control subjects on several standardized tests of memory, after
matching subjects for age, gender, educational level, and vocabulary
score (a surrogate of verbal
intelligence). The authors also explored correlations between changes in
memory function and decrements in CSF 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid
(5-HIAA), which serves as a marker of central 5-HT neural function.
RESULTS: Greater use of MDMA (total milligrams per month) was associated
with greater impairment in immediate verbal memory (p < 0.02) and
delayed visual memory (p < 0.06). Furthermore, lower vocabulary scores
were associated with stronger dose-related effects, with men having
greater dose-related deficits than women. Lastly, lower concentrations
of CSF 5-HIAA were associated with poorer memory performance. 

CONCLUSION: Abstinent MDMA users have impairment in verbal and visual
memory. The extent of memory impairment
correlates with the degree of MDMA exposure and the reduction in brain
5-HT, as indexed by CSF 5-HIAA. 

PMID: 9855498, UI: 99071140

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