STUDY SAYS ECSTASY CAUSES BRAIN DAMAGE

The "designer drug" Ecstasy, which has been associated with a number of
deaths, causes long-term brain damage, researchers say.

A team from Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore and the National
Institute of Mental Health took brain scans of 14 long-term users of
methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, the chemical name for the illegal
drug that reportedly induces increased awareness of emotion.

Researchers found that the drug damaged the nerves in the brain that release
serotonin, the naturally occurring chemical that plays a role in mood,
memory, pain perception, sexual desire, sleep and appetite.

In a report published today in the Lancet, one of Britain's leading medical
journals, researchers said they tapped drug users' spinal fluid and found
low levels of a serotonin byproduct, also evidence of damage.

Dr. George Ricaurte, head of the research team, which developed an
examination technique over five years, said: "This is the first time we have
been able to examine the serotonin-producing nerve cells directly in the
brain."

Ecstasy attaches itself to the molecules that transport and reabsorb
serotonin into the nerve cells. The brain probes showed that Ecstasy users
had far fewer serotonin transporters than people who did not take the drug.
The patients who had taken the drug most often also had lost the most
transporters.

Some of the volunteers had not taken the drug for years -- but there was no
evidence that abstaining improved matters.

"We have some indications that there may be changes in memory and
cognition," said Ricaurte. "Our immediate concern is that people who use
MDMA recreationally are unwittingly putting themselves at risk of developing
brain injury."

But Ricaurte said it is too early to tell whether the damage is permanent.

Dr. John Henry, a professor at St. Mary's Hospital in London, said that
Ecstasy had been shown to damage nerve terminals in every animal tested. "We
have had indirect evidence that it is harmful in man. Now we have direct
evidence."

Users of the drug would be likely to have a higher incidence of depression
in later life, he added. "Serotonin is vital ... for maintenance of mood. As
we get older, our serotonin turnover drops."

Checked-by: Don Beck