DRUG CONSUMPTION
Ecstasy can impair the memory
Consuming ecstasy over a long period risks changes to the brain that can have an impact on memory function.
Two ecstasy pills a month over eight years can change the hippocampus. | Photo: Alamy Stock Photo
A study conducted by the University of Zurich has suggested that frequent use of ecstasy (MDMA) can cause a specific region of the brain – the hippocampus – to shrink. The hippocampus transfers information from our short-term memory to our long-term memory. Participants in the study who regularly consumed ecstasy performed worse in a memory test. After two hours, the average ecstasy consumer remembered 12 out of 15 words compared to 14 in the control group.
Taking ecstasy releases neurotransmitters in the brain such as serotonin, leading to intense emotional states. “This study shows that the hippocampus in particular shrinks in areas where there are many serotonin receptors”, says Boris Quednow, a psychopharmacologist involved in the study. He believes that the brain is altered by the excess serotonin triggered by ecstasy.
The more ecstasy people consumed, the bigger the changes. On average, the 61 study participants had been taking around two pills per month for eight years. “That’s roughly the amount that is generally consumed at parties”, says Quednow. Taking ecstasy rarely results in physical or psychological dependence, but there has been hardly any research into its other long-term risks, such as memory impairment in old age.
Even though there is a clear connection among serotonin, brain structure and memory deficits, the influence of distorting factors cannot be completely ruled out. “Even our lifestyle and our sleeping habits can have an impact on memory performance”, says Quednow.
