ONE NIGHT'S ECSTASY USE CAN CAUSE BRAIN DAMAGE

'Like Russian Roulette': Study Finds Drastic Effect On Neurons Of Monkeys,
Baboons

Just one night's use of the drug ecstasy can cause long-lasting damage to
the brain that may lead to the early onset of Parkinson's and other
neurodegenerative diseases, according to a study published today in the
journal Science.

The researchers gave baboons and monkeys the same amount of the drug as is
often taken at all-night rave parties. They found "severe" neurotoxicity
and brain damage in the animals.

Doctors say there is a good chance the same thing happens in human ecstasy
users, since baboons and monkeys are such close relatives of humans. And
they fear the damage may be irreversible.

The findings raise the chilling prospect that thousands of young people who
have used the drug recreationally may have already done enough damage to
develop Parkinson's disease or other neuropsychiatric disorders as they
grow older, said neurologist Dr. George Ricaurte at Johns Hopkins
University, who led the study.

Parkinson's disease, which leads to uncontrolled tremors and loss of motor
control, appears to be hitting more young adults.

More research is needed to prove a link between ecstasy, also known as
MDMA, and Parkinson's, but doctors are urging people to stop using the
chemical, long considered a "soft" drug.

"Using ecstasy is like playing Russian roulette with your brain function,"
said Dr. Alan Leshner, chief executive officer of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science, which publishes the journal Science.

"This study shows that even very occasional use can have long-lasting
effects on many different brain systems," said Dr. Leshner, who was
formerly the director of the U.S. National Institute of Drug Abuse. "It
sends an important message to young people -- don't experiment with your
own brain."

The view was echoed by other doctors.

"There is no way they should even risk it," said Dr. Donald Calne, at the
Neurodegenerative Disorder Centre at the University of British Columbia.

Ecstasy gives users a euphoric rush and heightens sensations and feelings
of warmth and empathy. There have been deaths linked to ecstasy, including
two in Vancouver last year, but they often relate to the way the drug is
combined with other drugs. More common side effects of ecstasy use are
depression, anxiety and increased heart rate.

Scientists have warned for years that MDMA changes the brain by
overstimulating and damaging neurons that communicate using the
neurotransmitter serotonin. There is also evidence of cognitive deficits in
heavy users.

The new experiments point to even more serious damage. They show that MDMA
causes "severe" damage to neurons that use and produce the neurotransmitter
dopamine and are key to control of movement.

Dr. Ricaurte's team gave monkeys and baboons three doses of ecstasy at
three-hour intervals, which is comparable to what people take at raves. One
of the monkeys died of hyperthermia -- or overheating -- and another
developed the shakes. The four surviving monkeys and five baboons showed
the drug had a toxic effect on neurons that produce and use dopamine.
"These are not high doses and we're seeing lesions of 60, 70, 80% depending
on the region you look at," Dr. Ricaurte said.

"We were surprised by both the severity and the occurrence of lesions," he
said, noting that "profound loss" was still evident eight weeks after exposure.

While the damage is obvious to scientists examining brain neurons, doctors
say it would take years for physical symptoms to show up in drug users.
This is because shaking and tremors associated with Parkinson's and related
disea ses do not occur until a loss of 80% of dopamine has occurred.

"You can lose up to 80% and still be normal, but when you cross that line
you get symptoms," said Dr. William Langston, scientific director of the
Parkinson Institute in California. "That's why this drug could be very
pernicious."

Dopamine production slowly decreases with age, so it might take 20 years
for symptoms of Parkinson's to appear if taking ecstasy reduces dopamine
production by knocks down 50 to 60%.

"If the hypothesis is correct [that ecstasy is causing serious, permanent
neuron damage] we could see a wave of Parkinsonism as the years go by,"
said Dr. Langston, who is also chief scientific director of the Michael J.
Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. The foundation bears the name of
the Canadian actor who was diagnosed with the disease in his 30s.

The new findings "definitely merit further exploration," said UBC's Dr.
Calne, who is trying to track down the causes of the disease. He has long
suspected it is caused by brief exposures through life with agents that
kill and damage dopamine-producing cells in the brain.

Dr. Calne said ecstasy can now be added to the list of possible culprits
that also includes viruses, environmental toxins and a genetic
predisposition to the disease.