Like certain antidepressants, MDMA also attaches to serotonin transporters. The transporters lie embedded in the membranes of nerve cells, at the tips of fingerlike extensions called axons. In the study, the PET scans showed MDMA users had far fewer serotonin transporters than controls who didn't use the drug. Whether or not the cells are permanently damaged, he says, is uncertain. But in studies in animals, including primates, the losses are long-lasting and may be permanent in some brain regions.
Ecstasy is a designer drug hybrid of the hallucinogen mescaline and the stimulant amphetamine.
Users report a heightened sense of closeness with others, increased awareness of emotion and ability to communicate. But our immediate concern is that people who use MDMA recreationally are unwittingly putting themselves at risk of developing brain injury. As for direct behavioral signs of brain damage in heavy users of the drug, Ricaurte says, studies to evaluate possible differences in thought and behavior are well under way. We have some early indications there may be changes in memory and cognition. The PET technique in this study is the first that allows researchers to pick serotonin-producing nerves out of millions of others in the brain and view them directly, says Ricaurte.