Ecstasy

McCann, Una D.; Mertl, Melissa; Ricaurte, George A.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-2913-9_35

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 62 publications

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“…A meta-analysis on methamphetamine abuse reported neuropsychological deficits in several domains, including executive functions, episodic memory, information processing and working memory [Scott et al 2007]. This might be related to evidence obtained in animal models and post-mortem studies that demonstrated neurotoxic effects from psychostimulants, particularly to monoaminergic neurons [McCann and Ricaurte, 2004;Berman et al 2008]. Recent decades have seen extensive debate, especially concerning MDMA use, around potential neurotoxic damage and neuropsychological deficits in chronic users and the issue remains highly controversial in the public arena [Parrott, 2013;Doblin et al 2014;Krebs and Johansen, 2012a;Mithoefer et al 2003].…”

Section: Longer-term Effectsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Legal highs: staying on top of the flood of novel psychoactive substances

Baumeister

Tojo

Tracy

2015

Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology

145

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There has been growing clinical, public, and media awareness and concern about the availability and potential harmfulness of so-called 'legal highs', which are more appropriately called new or novel psychoactive substances (NPS). A cat-and-mouse process has emerged wherein unknown chemists and laboratories are producing new, and as yet nonproscribed, compounds for human consumption; and as soon as they are banned, which they inevitably are, slightly modified analogues are produced to circumvent new laws. This rapidly changing environment, 81 new substances were identified in 2013 alone, has led to confusion for clinicians, psychopharmacologists, and the public at large. Our difficulties in keeping up with the process has had a two-fold negative effect: the danger of ignoring what is confusing; and the problem that some of the newer synthesized compounds appear ever more potent. This review aims to circumscribe a quick moving and growing field, and to categorize NPS into five major groups based upon their 'parent' compounds: stimulants similar to cocaine, amphetamines and ecstasy; cannabinoids; benzodiazepine based drugs; dissociatives similar to ketamine and phencyclidine (PCP); and those modelled after classic hallucinogens such as LSD and psilocybin. Pharmacodynamic actions, subjective and physical effects, harmfulness, risk of dependency and, where appropriate, putative clinical potentials are described for each class. Clinicians might encounter NPS in various ways: anecdotal reportage; acute intoxication; as part of a substance misuse profile; and as a precipitant or perpetuating factor for longer-term physical and psychological ill health. Current data are overall limited, and much of our knowledge and treatment strategies are based upon those of the 'parent' compound. There is a critical need for more research in this field, and for professionals to make themselves more aware of this growing issue and how it might affect those we see clinically and try to help: a brave new world of so-called 'psychonauts' consuming NPS will also need informed 'psychotherapeutonauts'. The paper should serve as a primer for clinicians and interested readers, as well as provide a framework into which to place the new substances that will inevitably be synthesized in the future.

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Section: Longer-term Effectsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Legal highs: staying on top of the flood of novel psychoactive substances

Baumeister

Tojo

Tracy

2015

Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology

145

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Ecstasy Abuse

Crepeau‐Hobson

2014

Encyclopedia of Special Education

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Altered prolactin response to M‐chlorophenylpiperazine in monkeys previously treated with 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or fenfluramine

Hatzidimitriou¹,

Tsai²,

McCann³

et al. 2002

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3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("Ecstasy," MDMA) and fenfluramine, widely used by humans, are potent brain serotonin (5-HT) neurotoxins in animals. Thus, there is concern that humans previously exposed to these amphetamine derivatives may have incurred brain 5-HT neurotoxicity. However, assessing the status of brain 5-HT neurons in the living organism is challenging. To determine whether MDMA- and/or fenfluramine-induced 5-HT neurotoxicity can be detected during life using neuroendocrine methods, groups of monkeys previously treated with neurotoxic regimens of MDMA or fenfluramine, along with saline-treated controls, underwent neuroendocrine challenge with the direct 5-HT agonist and 5-HT-releasing drug, m-chlorophenylpiperazine (m-CPP). Animals treated 2 weeks previously with MDMA exhibited a nonsignificant reduction in the prolactin response to m-CPP. In contrast, monkeys treated 3 1/2 years previously with MDMA or 2 years previously with fenfluramine exhibited significantly increased prolactin responses to m-CPP. No significant differences in cortisol concentrations were noted between groups at any time point. These data indicate that neuroendocrine challenge with m-CPP is capable of detecting substituted amphetamine-induced 5-HT neurotoxicity in living primates, but that the recency of drug exposure is an important consideration. Changes in the neuroendocrine response to m-CPP over time in animals with substituted amphetamine-induced neurotoxicity may be related to aberrant 5-HT reinnervation of the basal forebrain that occurs over time in monkeys previously treated with neurotoxic doses of MDMA or fenfluramine.

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Ecstasy

Cited by 4 publications

References 62 publications

Legal highs: staying on top of the flood of novel psychoactive substances

Legal highs: staying on top of the flood of novel psychoactive substances

Ecstasy Abuse

Altered prolactin response to M‐chlorophenylpiperazine in monkeys previously treated with 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or fenfluramine

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