PMID- 11352367
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20010920
LR  - 20190826
IS  - 0033-2917 (Print)
IS  - 0033-2917 (Linking)
VI  - 31
IP  - 4
DP  - 2001 May
TI  - Recreational use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) or 'ecstasy': 
      evidence for cognitive impairment.
PG  - 647-58
AB  - BACKGROUND: It has recently been shown that 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine 
      (MDMA) or 'ecstasy' causes long-lasting alterations to brain structure and 
      function in animals, and there is mounting evidence that recreational users of 
      the drug show impairments in some aspects of cognitive functioning including 
      memory for verbal information. The present study investigates possible effects on 
      other cognitive functions and explores the temporal course of development and 
      resolution of these impairments by comparing novice, regular and abstaining users 
      with a matched group of non-users. METHODS: Eighty participants categorized as 
      non-users, novice users, regular users or currently abstinent users of MDMA were 
      assessed on tests of verbal IQ, reversed digit span, immediate and delayed recall 
      of a prose passage and of a complex geometric figure and verbal fluency. RESULTS: 
      The four groups were well-matched for verbal IQ and on demographic variables. 
      They differed in frequency of cannabis use over the last month, but this did not 
      correlate with any cognitive test scores. All three groups of MDMA users showed 
      significantly poorer verbal fluency and immediate and delayed prose recall than 
      non-users. Days since last use and total lifetime consumption of MDMA made 
      separate contributions to the variance in recall scores, accounting jointly for 
      almost half of the variance in delayed recall. By contrast, the groups did not 
      differ on either visual recall or reversed digit span. CONCLUSIONS: The observed 
      deficits provide further evidence of impairments of verbal but not visual memory 
      in MDMA users, and indicate that the deficits are not attributable either to 
      differences in general reasoning ability or to impairment of working memory. The 
      data further suggest that the observed impairments may be attributable to a 
      combination of reversible acute effects of MDMA resolving over a period of 2-3 
      weeks and more long-term changes associated with extent of lifetime consumption.
FAU - Bhattachary, S
AU  - Bhattachary S
AD  - Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of London.
FAU - Powell, J H
AU  - Powell JH
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - England
TA  - Psychol Med
JT  - Psychological medicine
JID - 1254142
RN  - 0 (Hallucinogens)
RN  - KE1SEN21RM (N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Cognition Disorders/*chemically induced
MH  - Female
MH  - Hallucinogens/*adverse effects
MH  - Humans
MH  - Intelligence Tests
MH  - Male
MH  - Mental Recall/drug effects
MH  - N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine/*adverse effects
MH  - Verbal Behavior/drug effects
EDAT- 2001/05/16 10:00
MHDA- 2001/09/21 10:01
CRDT- 2001/05/16 10:00
PHST- 2001/05/16 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2001/09/21 10:01 [medline]
PHST- 2001/05/16 10:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1017/s0033291701003828 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Psychol Med. 2001 May;31(4):647-58. doi: 10.1017/s0033291701003828.