Title:Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Abstinent MDMA Users: A Review
Volume: 8
Issue: 1
Author(s): Aayushi Garg, Saloni Kapoor, Mishita Goel, Saurav Chopra, Manav Chopra, Anirudh Kapoor, Una D. McCann and Chittaranjan Behera
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Abstinent, Ecstasy, fMRI, Functional magnetic resonance imaging, MDMA.
Abstract: Ecstasy or 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a popular drug of abuse. In the animal studies
MDMA has been shown to have deleterious effects on the serotonergic neurotransmitter system. Understanding the
adverse effects of MDMA on human brain function is of considerable importance owing to the rising number of MDMA
users. Various neuroimaging studies have investigated the structural, chemical and functional differences in the brain
integrity of chronic MDMA users. Various neurocognitive domains like working memory, episodic memory, semantic
memory, visual stimulation, motor function and impulsivity have been compared between chronic MDMA users and nonusers
using fMRI. The fMRI studies remain much more sensitive in studying the neurological deficits associated with
chronic MDMA use as compared to the cognitive studies alone and therefore they serve as a prelude in our understanding
of MDMA induced neurotoxicity. However they still face certain limitations contributing to inconsistency in the results
and further research is needed before we can draw definitive conclusions regarding the neurotoxic effects of MDMA.
