8/6/2016

MDMATheEcstasy| JYITheUndergraduateResearchJournal
JointheListserv

THEJOURNAL

CAREERCENTER

NEWS

Pressroom

PARTICIPATE

ContactUs

Search

ABOUTUS

MDMATheEcstasy
by:RioKevin
Institution:Physics
Date:June2007
MDMA,morecommonlyknownasecstasy,hasrapidlybecomeoneofthefourmajorillicit
drugsintheU.S.,alongwithmarijuana,cocaine,andheroin.Duringthe1990s,itsuse
spreadfromtheravesubculturetoamoregeneralhighschoolandcollegeaudience.
Despiteitsreputationasarelativelybenigndrug,datafromanimalandhumanstudies
suggestthatMDMAmaycausebraindamageafterjustafewdoses,unlike'harder'drugs
likecocaineandheroin,whichtakeyearstodamagebraintissue.
MDMABasics
MDMA(3,4methylenedioxyNmethylamphetamine)isderivedfromamphetamine,a
psychomotorstimulant.Itseffectsaresignificantlydifferentfrommoststimulantsinfact,
theyarequiteunique.Takenorallyorinsulfated(snorted),MDMAworksbycausingasurge
inthereleaseofseveralneurotransmitters,chieflyserotoninbutalsodopamineand
norepinephrine,thatregulatetheneuronalcircuitsforpleasureandemotioninthebrain.
RecreationaluserstakeMDMAforitssubjectiveeffects,whichincludeeuphoria,empathy,
andheightenedemotionandopenness.Itisnotsurprisingthatmanypsychiatristswere
onceinterestedinthedrugasasupplementtopsychotherapy,perhapsitwouldallowclients
tospeaktheirmindsmorefreely?Despitethesepotentialbenefits,thetoxiceffectsofthe
drugsmakethispracticesimplytoodangerous.

JYI'snovelpeerreviewprocessbothensures
highprofessionalstandardsandprovides
educationallearningopportunities.Each
submittedmanuscriptiscarefullyand
methodicallyreviewedbyatleasttwo
undergraduateassociateeditorsworkingin
conjunctionwiththeirfacultyadvisers.Most
submittedmanuscriptsarereviewedwithin4
6weeks.

Ssdsandiskplus240gb
IDR850,000
Dapetinapaajadi
Tokopedia!Yangjual
banyak,banyaaak!Sudah
cekTokopedia...
Tokopedia

MDMAalsocausesawidevarietyoftemporaryphysiologicalchanges,whichmostusers
wouldconsidersideeffects.Theseincludedilationofthepupils,increasedheartrateand
bloodpressure,lossofappetite,anddehydration.Thislasteffectisparticularlydangerous.
Therehavebeenseveralreportsofteenagersandyoungadultsdyingofdehydrationafter
anightspentdancingaravepartyonecstasy.
NeurotoxicityinAnimals
MDMA'seffectsinanimals,particularlyratsbut
alsomonkeysandsomeothermammals,have
beenwellstudied.Aconsistentfindingisthat
MDMAreducesoverallfunctioninginserotonin
neurons,thesameneuronsitactsuponto
produceitspleasurableeffects.Itisasifthe
drug"overloads"thebrain'scircuitrywitha
floodofneurotransmitters,whichhavetoxic
effects.Thisdamagedoesnotappeartobe
reversibleandcanhaveseriouslongterm
effects,includinganincreasedsusceptibilityto
depression.

MDMAtabletsfororalconsumption.Imagecourtesy:
erow id.org

AswithmostMDMAresearch,eventhesewellestablishedconclusionsarequestioned.A
studybytheNationalInstituteonDrugAbuse(NIDA)andtheNationalInstitutesofHealth
(NIH)recentlysuggestedthatdosesthatcauseserotonindepletion"donotreliablyincrease
markersofneurotoxicdamagesuchascelldeath,silverstaining,orreactivegliosis."The
studydidnotvindicateMDMAaltogether,italsofoundthatadministrationofthedrugcould
producepersistentanxietyevenintheabsenceofmeasurablecelldamage.
NeurotoxicityinHumans
WhatMDMAdoestoratsisoflittleconcerntomostpeopleoutsidethescientificcommunity.
Whilewemaybeabletogleansomeinsightsintothedrug'saffectsfromanimalstudies,the
http://www.jyi.org/issue/mdmatheecstasy/

1/3

8/6/2016

MDMATheEcstasy| JYITheUndergraduateResearchJournal

publicrarelytakesnoticeuntilevidencein
humantrialscomestolight.Hundredsof
reportsoverthepastdecadeorsosuggest
thatMDMAcausesseriousandlonglasting
braindamageinhumans.

Tweetsby
@jyijournal
JYI
@jyijournal

ArecentstudyconductedatJohnHopkins
UniversityusedPETscanstoexaminespecific
nervecellsinthebrainsofhumanMDMA
users."WehadlongsuspectedMDMAwas
SERT(serotoninneuron)densitymeasuredbyPET
dangerous,basedonourearlierstudiesin
scaninbaboonbrains.Thebaboonontherightw as
primatesthatshowednervedamageatdoses
givenaneurotoxicdoseofMDMAayearbeforethe
similartothosetakenbyrecreationaldrug
scanthecontrolbaboonw asgivenaplacebo.
users,"saysneurologistGeorgeRicuarte,
Imagecourtesy:DEA
principalinvestigator."Butthisisthefirsttime
we'vebeenabletoexaminetheactual
serotoninproducingnervecellsdirectlyinthebrain."Serotonergicdamagewasgreater
amongMDMAusersthaninacontrolgroup,andtheamountofdamagewasproportionalto
thenumberoftimesusershadtakenthedrug.
ResearchersattheUniversityofTorontofoundthatprolongedMDMAuseledtomemory
lossinhumansubjects.Thedrugaffectsthehippocampus,aportionofthebraininvolvedin
consolidatingmemoriesfromshorttolongterm.Thisdamageresultedincognitivedecline,
particularlyinretrospectivememory,theabilitytorecallashortpassageimmediatelyand
afteradelay."Forthosewhouseecstasyrepeatedly,thereispreliminaryevidenceto
suggestmemoryprocessescanbeimpairedwithcontinueduseofthedrug,"says
KonstantineZakzanis,coauthorofthestudy.
ParticularlyfrighteningisMDMA'sabilitytocausebraindamageduringthefirstorsecond
recreationaldose.Afternumerousanimalstudies,thefirstpapertoexaminetheseeffectsin
humanswaspublishedin2006andpresentedattheannualmeetingoftheRadiological
SocietyofNorthAmerica(RSNA).Subtle,butmeasurable,differencesinbrainchemistry
wereobservedinfirstorsecondtimeusers,includingdecreasedbloodflowtocertainareas
ofthebrainandchangesincellarchitecture.Itisstillunknownwhetherthesechangesare
permanentornot.

jyi.org/issue/ametaa...fb.me/2nr2W998L
07Jun

JYI
@jyijournal
jyi.org/issue/neurali

Readthisarticlebyan...fb.me/1i9tXNHmJ
05Jun

JYI
@jyijournal

jyi.org/issue/isregen...fb.me/4GTgEcMpF
04Jun

JYI
@jyijournal
jyi.org/issue/makingm
Areyoustudyingorinterestedin...
fb.me/DiqMgGWA
Embed

ViewonTwitter

TheFutureofMDMA
Despitethesesomewhatgrimreports,manyremainunconvincedthatMDMAisdangerous
inhumans.TheLancet,aleadingmedicaljournal,recentlypublishedanarticlefromUK
researchersthatsuggestsMDMAisoneoftheleastdangerousillicitdrugsforhuman
consumption,rankingbelowalcohol,tobacco,andmarijuana.
Thereporthasbeencriticizedbymanyinthescientificcommunity.Inparticular,itsdefinition
of"dangerous"hasbeencalledintoquestion.Thestudy'sfindingsarebasedonsurveys
filledoutbydrug'experts,'amongthemdoctors,pharmacologists,andlawenforcement
agents.Toapoliceofficer,MDMAwouldseemrelativelyharmless,itdoesnotmakeusers
violent(likemethamphetamineorcocaine)anditisnotsoexorbitantlyexpensivethatits
usersmustresorttocrimetosupporttheiraddiction(likeheroin).SimplybecauseMDMA
doesnotposemuchrisktononusersdoesnotmeanitshouldbeconsideredsafe.
Althoughthereisnosmokingguntoprovethat
MDMAisneurotoxicatthefirstrecreational
dose,evidenceismountingtothatend.Users
shouldbeawarethatMDMA,likeanydrug,is
nottotallyharmlessandcanhaveseriousside
effects.
MaartjedeWin,aradiologistattheUniversity
ofAmsterdamintheNetherlands,sumsupthe
currentstateofMDMAresearchbysaying,
"Wedonotknowiftheseeffectsaretransient
orpermanent.Therefore,wecannotconclude
thatecstasy,eveninsmalldoses,issafefor
thebrain,andpeopleshouldbeinformedof
thisrisk."
Withhope,thisinformationwilltrickledownto
theteenagersandyoungadultscurrentlyusing
orthinkingaboutusingMDMA.Whetherornot
theychoosetotakethedrugisanindividual
decision,buttheyshouldatleastbeawareof
itspotentiallydangerousconsequences.

FOLLOWUS
ForallthelatestnewsfromJYI,joinour
Facebook.
ForallthelatestnewsfromJYI,joinour
Youtube.
ForallthelatestnewsfromJYI,joinour
twitter.
ForallthelatestnewsfromJYI,joinour
emaillist.

TRANSLATE
PilihBahasa

FBSbrokerforex
terbaik
Ahighlycontroversialrankingoflicitandillicitdrugs,
from"mostdangerous"ontherightto"least
dangerous"ontheleft.NotethatMDMA(ecstasy)is
amongtheleastdangerous.Imagecourtesy:The

Leverage1:3000Lot
minimum0.01TradingMT4.
EA,Hedgingdllboleh

Lancet.

References:
"Hopkinsstudyshowsbraindamageevidenceinecstasyusers"fromJohnsHopkinsMedical
http://www.jyi.org/issue/mdmatheecstasy/

2/3

8/6/2016

MDMATheEcstasy| JYITheUndergraduateResearchJournal

Institutions(http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/199810/JHMIHSSB301098.php)
"Studyfindslongtermecstasyuseleadstomemoryloss"fromtheAmericanAcademyof
Neurology(http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/200104/AAoNSfle0904101.php)
"Ecstasycanharmthebrainoffirsttimeusers"fromtheRadiologicalSocietyofNorth
America(http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/200611/rsonech112106.php)
"Alcoholandtobaccocausemoreharmthanecstasy,studyclaims"byDavidRose,The
Times(UK).
WrittenByKevinRio.
ReviewedByAntjeHeidemann.

Sandiskssdx210256gb(oempack)
IDR850,000

Gmail for Work

Terlihatlah lebih profesional
dengan email khusus dari Google Apps.
Mulai uji coba
gratis

DapetinapaajadiTokopedia!Y angjualbany ak,bany aaak!

SudahcekTokopedia...

Tokopedia

19982016JournalofYoungInvestigators.Allrightsreserved.ISSN:15394026

http://www.jyi.org/issue/mdmatheecstasy/

PrivacyPolicy StaffTools InternalDashboard

3/3