Neuropsychological evidence of a relatively selective profile of temporal dysfunction in drug-free MDMA ("ecstasy") polydrug users.
BACKGROUND
Experimental evidence has shown that 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") can act as a serotonergic neurotoxin in laboratory animals. The serotonin system predominantly innervates frontal and limbic regions of the brain and has been associated with consolidatory learning and mnemonic processes in humans.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to investigate the cognitive neuropsychological profile of drug-free ecstasy users by employing a selection of tasks previously associated with lesion or neurodegenerative damage to the temporal lobe or fronto-striatal regions.


METHODS
The study comprised 40 participants: 20 ecstasy polydrug users and 20 polydrug users who had never taken ecstasy.


RESULTS
Ecstasy users were significantly impaired on a recognition task for complex visual patterns and spatial working memory, as a function of task difficulty rather than systematic search strategy. They also showed a trend towards impairment on several learning paradigms. Ecstasy users remained relatively unimpaired on most measures associated with prefrontal functioning, with the exception of verbal fluency "letter" generation.


CONCLUSIONS
Initial cognitive deficits in ecstasy polydrug users may be more apparent in tasks known to be sensitive to temporal functioning.
Department of Psychology, University of East London, Romford Road, London E15 4LZ, UK. h.c.fox@uel.ac.uk
H C
HC
Fox
A
A
McLean
J J D
JJ
Turner
A C
AC
Parrott
R
R
Rogers
B J
BJ
Sahakian
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006213:Hallucinogens / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000523:psychology*; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000737:chemistry; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013028:Space Perception / Q000187:drug effects; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects
D006213:Hallucinogens; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine