Two studies to which MAPS contributed have been completed. The following report is based on preliminary findings and is not to be quoted for attribution or cited in any report or media article. Publication of scientific papers about the findings are pending. This news is somewhat discouraging. However, since so few animals were studied, the effect in the thalamus may be a statistical aberration.
More research is needed.
Preliminary data yielded unexpected results, and suggest that total recovery may not occur after severe neurotoxicity. Most surprising are indications that other neurotransmitter systems may be increasing in number, possibly acting to counteract the loss of serotonin neurons. When considering the implications of this new data, it is important to keep in mind that MDMA has been used for almost twenty years in the United States without a single case in the scientific literature suggesting that anyone, user or abuser, suffers from MDMA-related brain damage.