Andrew C Parrott

..Hence, MDMA is clearly damaging to humans, with extensive empirical data for both structural and functional deficits...

..This study investigated whether symptoms of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were also raised in polydrug users...

..To review the thermal effects of MDMA in humans, and discuss the practical implications...

..Several traditional processes are probably involved, but one of the possible causes is a novel mechanism largely unique to the ring substituted amphetamine derivatives, namely serotonergic neurotoxicity...

..These multiple influences are integrated within a bioenergetic stress model, where factors which heighten acute metabolic distress lead to more neuropsychobiological problems...

..We assessed whether dancing and feeling hot on Ecstasy would be associated with more psychobiological problems in recreational users...

..AIMS AND RATIONALE: The purpose of this study was to review whether methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) has the appropriate pharmacodynamic profile to be a therapeutic agent...

..In order to investigate these potential complexities, future research will need better empirical data on the exact patterns of co-drug usage...

..The present study is the first to prospectively compare a group of recreational Ecstasy users when dance clubbing on 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and when clubbing during abstinence from Ecstasy/MDMA...

..3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) can affect both neurotransmitter and neurohormonal activity. This review will debate the role of the metabolic activation hormone cortisol for the psychobiological effects of ecstasy/MDMA...

..This study investigated the acute mood effects of oral MDMA, methamphetamine, and placebo in a double-blind laboratory study...

..The historical origins and evolution of this mismatch will be reviewed, in order to estimate the proportions of ecstasy tablets containing MDMA at different periods over the past 30 years...

..Recreational drug use is increasingly widespread amongst young people, but there are concerns that psychoactive drugs may be associated with psychiatric symptoms or psychobiological problems...

..However, ecstasy/MDMA did not affect the memory consolidation function of sleep for either the declarative or the procedural memory task...

..The cognitive deficits in drug-free recreational ecstasy users, suggest that MDMA may also be neurotoxic in humans...

..Consistent with this prediction, the extent of self-reported dancing/exercise when on MDMA has recently been shown to be associated with significantly more psychobiological problems afterwards...

..Although the design of this study was far from ideal, these data are consistent with other findings of memory decrements in recreational MDMA users, possibly caused by serotonergic neurotoxicity...

..However, since repeated MDMA can cause serotonergic neurotoxicity in laboratory animals and man, these problems may reflect reduced serotonin activity induced by regular ecstasy use...

..Because all Ecstasy participants also consumed a range of other illicit drugs, the results are reflective of Ecstasy polydrug use in individuals who use Ecstasy as a drug of preference...

..The serotonin system predominantly innervates frontal and limbic regions of the brain and has been associated with consolidatory learning and mnemonic processes in humans...

..Moreover, these deficits often remained when other illicit drug use was statistically controlled. In conclusion: If MDMA neurotoxicity in humans is a myth, then it is a myth with a heavy serotonergic component...

..To explain how nicotine dependency causes mood fluctuation and increases daily stress...

..Finally, this profile of cognitive deficits is also consistent with a hypothetical integrative construct: namely reduced cortical inhibition...

..Severe problems with sleep and sex were also reported. Further studies involving larger groups of abstinent former users are needed; adverse sequelae associated with intensive Ecstasy use may sometimes be enduring...

..057). These findings suggest there are selective memory deficits associated with smoking and that long-term prospective memory deficits should be added to the growing list of problems associated with cigarette use...

..Functional deficits may remain long after drug use has ceased and are consistent with serotonergic axonal loss in higher brain regions...

..Nesbitt's Paradox is therefore not actually a paradox; it never was a paradox...

..The repetitive use of nicotine by cigarette smokers does not seem to generate any real psychobiological gains or advantages. Instead, dependent smokers need regular hits of nicotine just to remain feeling normal...

..Cannabis users produced significantly more "rare-creative" responses, but did not rate themselves as more creative...

..Interestingly, in the male sample, drug users reported higher symptom ratings than nondrug users, whereas women's scores remained constant across drug groups...

..Participants also reported a number of effects that they regarded as beneficial. Future research should also take these aspects of use into account...