The research, conducted by scientists at the Children's Hospital Research Foundation and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, was published in the Journal of Neuroscience May 1. The researchers administered the drug to young rats at a stage of development comparable to a fetus in the third trimester of development.
Ecstasy creates a state of euphoria by changing the body's serotonin levels.
Its use has been on the increase among youth and young adults. Trafficking of the substance between the United States, Europe and the Middle East has become a matter of increasing concern for law enforcement authorities. The researchers administered MDMA to two groups of newborn rats. To determine the effects of ecstasy on cognitive abilities, a series of maze and swimming tests were conducted on the rats when they reached an average age of 60 days. While no cognitive changes were noted in the rats given ecstasy at an earlier age, memory and learning deficiencies were noted in the group exposed to ecstasy during days 11-20.