Neurotoxicity of MDMA: Main effects and mechanisms

Giulia Costa; Krystyna Gołembiowska

doi:10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113894

Neurotoxicity of MDMA: Main effects and mechanisms

Exp Neurol. 2022 Jan:347:113894. doi: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113894. Epub 2021 Oct 13.

Authors

Giulia Costa¹, Krystyna Gołembiowska²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. Electronic address: gcosta@unica.it.
² Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, 12 Smętna, 31-343 Kraków, Poland.

PMID: 34655576
DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113894

Abstract

Preclinical and clinical studies indicate that 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'ecstasy'), in addition to having abuse potential, may elicit acute and persistent abnormalities of varying severity at the central level. Importantly, neurotoxic effects of MDMA have been demonstrated in experimental animals. Accordingly, central toxicity induced by MDMA may pose a serious harm for health, since MDMA is among the substances that are used for recreational purposes by young and adult people. This review provides a concise overview of recent findings from preclinical and clinical studies that evaluated the central effects of MDMA, and the mechanisms involved in the neurotoxicity induced by this amphetamine-related drug.

Keywords: Ecstasy; Excitotoxicity; Hyperthermia; MDMA metabolites; Mitochondrial dysfunction; Neuroinflammation; Neurotoxicity; Oxidative stress.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain / drug effects*
Hallucinogens / adverse effects*
Humans
N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / adverse effects*
Neurotoxicity Syndromes* / etiology

Substances

Hallucinogens
N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine