Ecstasy Damages Brain Ecstasy Damages Brain Serotonin NeuronsSerotonin Neurons

Presented by Michelle Dupre

Biology Department

Eastern Connecticut State University

Positron emission tomographic evidence of toxic effect of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) on brain serotonin

neurons in human beings.

Article written by:

U.D McCann, Z. Szabo, U. Scheffel, R. F. Dannals, G. A. Ricaurte

The Lancet 1998 352: 1433-37

What do we know about Ecstasy?What do we know about Ecstasy?

Transport of serotoninTransport of serotonin

Previous findings…Previous findings…

Animals show losses in serotonin markers

Doses parellel human doses

Previous studies use cerebrospinal fluid

Positron Emission Tomography (PET)Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

Detects status of neurons in the brain

Attaches to face masks

11C Labels serotonin transporter

Neuroimaging technique

The ExperimentThe Experiment

• Experimental group• Control group• PET scanning

What were they looking for?What were they looking for?

1) Differences in serotonin transport sites.

2) The relationship between MDMA use and binding.

3) Overall brain activity

MDMA users have lower densities of 5-HT

transporter sites.

Direct relationship

between MDMA use and decrease in 5-HT binding.

What does this all mean????

DEATH 16 years old

23 years old

18 years old