It sounds perfect-a drug that promotes peace, is less addictive than alcohol, cocaine or heroin and offers a greater sense of control than psychedelics. Unfortunately, unlike those other drugs, MDMA actually damages certain brain cells and has occasionally caused deaths for reasons which are not clearly understood. The scientific debate over the drug centers on the meaning and effects of this brain damage-and on the frequency and causes of the deaths. Dr. Una McCann, and her husband, Dr. George Ricaurte, both professors at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, are the leading Ecstasy researchers in the United States. It was their work that demonstrated that MDMA is neurotoxic in humans.
All drugs cause brain changes-but so does learning.
In all animals studied, this effect has been seen when their brains were dissected. The higher the species, the worse the damage. Even worse, lasting damage can result from just one dose. Researchers estimate that heavy MDMA use can lower serotonin activity by 10 to 30 percent, which is frightening because similar reductions are seen among people who attempted or succeeded at suicide. Numerous studies have linked low serotonin levels with depression, anxiety and impulsiveness.