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  • Title: Memory-related hippocampal dysfunction in poly-drug ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) users.
    Author: Daumann J, Fischermann T, Heekeren K, Henke K, Thron A, Gouzoulis-Mayfrank E.
    Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl); 2005 Aug; 180(4):607-11. PubMed ID: 15372137.
    Abstract:
    RATIONALE: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy) is neurotoxic in animal studies and its use has been associated with cognitive impairments in humans. OBJECTIVE: To study hippocampal activation during the retrieval from episodic memory in polyvalent users of ecstasy. METHODS: Twelve polyvalent ecstasy users and twelve matched controls were examined by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they retrieved face-profession associations from episodic memory. RESULTS: Ecstasy users had a normal structural MRI scan without focal brain lesions or anatomical abnormalities. They exhibited equal retrieval accuracy during memory retrieval to that of the matched controls. Yet, their retrieval-related activity was lower and more spatially restricted in the left anterior hippocampus than that of the controls. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide evidence for abnormal hippocampal functioning in MDMA users even at the presence of normal memory performance. This finding may be linked to MDMA-induced neurotoxicity and suggests that diminished hippocampal activation during memory retrieval might be a more sensitive or earlier index of MDMA-related neurotoxicity than neuropsychological performance.
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