Dutch researchers have found that even a small amount of ecstasy can be harmful to the brain.
Ecstasy is an illegal class A drug that acts as a stimulant and psychedelic and is commonly used by young people both in the UK and the U.S. mostly in parties, clubs and discos.
But according to the study by a team at the University of Amsterdam even small amounts of the drug can be harmful to the brains of first time users.
The study is the first to look at the neurotoxic effects of low doses of the recreational drug in new ecstasy users.
Maartje de Win, M.D., radiology resident at the Academic Medical Center at the University, says they found a decrease in blood circulation in some areas of the brain in young adults who just started to use ecstasy and a decrease in verbal memory performance when compared to non-users.
It seems ecstasy targets neurons in the brain that use the chemical serotonin to communicate and serotonin plays an important role in regulating a number of mental processes including mood and memory.
Research has shown that long-term or heavy ecstasy use can damage these neurons and cause depression, anxiety, confusion, difficulty sleeping and memory loss.
However, no previous studies have looked at the effects of low doses of the drug on first-time users.
For the study Dr. de Win and colleagues examined 188 volunteers with no history of ecstasy use but at high-risk for first-time ecstasy use in the near future.
The examinations included neuroimaging techniques to measure the integrity of cells and blood flow in different areas of the brain and various psychological tests.
After 18 months, 59 first-time ecstasy users who had taken six tablets on average and 56 non-users were re-examined with the same techniques and tests.