STUDY SHOWS DRUG ECSTASY SLOWS LEARNING

CANBERRA - Illicit pill poppers using the popular party drug Ecstasy suffer
permanent learning problems linked to known long-term loss of memory caused
by temporary brain damage, an Australian study has found.

Australian National University psychologist Jeff Ward said Friday memory
tests and brain scans performed on 30 subjects who had recently taken
Ecstasy revealed they struggled to process and learn new information,
affecting their memory functions.

The scans showed the worst damage on the brain's cortical neurons linked to
memory function, which can be impaired on three levels -- entry into the
brain, storage and retrieval.

"Users have no difficulty in retrieving memories once they are learned, the
problem lies in learning new material," Ward told Reuters.

"It takes more exposure to new material for them to learn."

Results revealed that in Ecstasy users, the brain cells linked to the three
stages of memory had a decreased density of receptors for the
neurotransmitter serotonin, which transports messages between cells and is
known to affect mood.

"Even organized professionals like lawyers complained they would miss
appointments and forget important facts long after using the drug," Ward said.

Previous research has suggested that ecstasy causes a flood of serotonin in
the brain, followed by a lull when the drug wears off and ultimately damage
to the brain's memory function.

Sometimes known as MDMA or by its chemical name
3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, Ecstasy can also cause dramatic changes
in heart rate and blood pressure.

Ward also did brain scans on 30 former ecstasy users who had abstained from
the drug for at least two years, showing damage to the serotonin receptors
in cortical neurons had repaired.

But ex-users continued to struggle to digest new information and did not
perform as well on memory tests as 30 control subjects who had never used
the drug.

"The impairment is definitely noticeable in contrast to non-Ecstasy users,"
Ward said.

The study, involving users aged up to 30 years, showed the longer Ecstasy
was used and the higher the dosages, the worse the memory impairment, Ward
said.

Animal studies have shown damage to cells connected to memory function last
up to seven years after exposure to the drug.