CONSEQUENCES

CLUES TO ECSTASY'S EFFECTS ON ADDICTS

An autopsy of the brain of a chronic abuser of the drug ecstasy suggests
that it may work by causing violent fluctuations in the brain chemical
serotonin, according to a report last week in Neurology.

Animal studies of ecstasy, an amphetamine derivative, have found it can
trigger a sudden release of serotonin, which has a powerful effect on mood.
Dr. S. J. Kish of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto
said users of the drug reported increased awareness of emotion and
heightened feelings of intimacy.

The researchers led by Dr. Kish compared serotonin levels of the brains of
11 people who had not used drugs with those in the brain of a man who had
died at age 26 after using ecstasy heavily since the age of 17. "The levels
of serotonin and another chemical associated with serotonin were 50 to 80
percent lower in the brain of the ecstasy user," Dr. Kish said. "This is
the first study to show that this drug can deplete the level of serotonin
in humans."

Ecstasy users commonly appear lethargic and depressed after the drug wears
off, including the addict in the study, whose friends said he appeared
depressed and had slow speech and reaction time after binges.

Further research, Dr. Kish said, may show whether supplementing serotonin
levels might help those seeking to go through withdrawal.