The paper describes some interesting new findings that are likely to inform …

• (Abstract)
• The Dopaminergic Pathway
• Alcohol Withdrawal: the role of glutamate
• Opioid Dependence: what other neurotransmitter systems are involved?
• Ecstacy: the 5-HT system and neurotoxicity
• The Gabaergic System: target for sedatives
• Conclusion
• References

Biology Articles » Neurobiology » Neurobiology of Diseases & Aging » Neurobiology of addiction and implications for treatment » Ecstacy: the 5-HT system and neurotoxicity

Ecstacy: the 5-HT system and neurotoxicity

- Neurobiology of addiction and implications for treatment

Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA) and its derivatives MDA (Adam) and MDEA (Eve) have both stimulant and hallucinogenic properties. Acutely, MDMA increases 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT or serotonin) levels, and, to a lesser extent, dopamine levels, by stimulating release and inhibiting uptake.

Animal studies have revealed ecstasy and its derivatives to be neurotoxic to serotonergic neurons (MDA>MDMA>MDEA), but it is controversial whether and to what extent the same occurs in man (Boot et al, 2000). Neuroimaging studies using PET and single photon emission tomography (SPET) to measure 5-HT transporter levels in persons who are regular heavy ecstasy users report reduced levels. However, methodological questions about the tracer, contribution of blood flow and choice of subjects necessarily limit these conclusions (Semple et al, 1999; Reneman et al, 2001). There is some evidence for cognitive impairments in individuals using ecstasy which may persist after a period of chronic use, and it is not clear how reversible these are with time. In animal models, fluoxetine has been shown to be neuroprotective, apparently by blocking ecstasy uptake into 5-HT neurons, but it is unknown whether this protective effect occurs in humans.