Ecstasy Drug Can Cause Chronic Changes in the Brain

Vanderbilt University investigators have discovered that recreational use of Ecstasy — the illegal “rave” drug that causes feelings of euphoria and emotional warmth — is associated with chronic changes in the human brain. The findings, reported online Dec. 5 in the Archives of General Psychiatry, add to growing evidence that Ecstasy produces long-lasting serotonin neurotoxicity in humans, according to Ronald Cowan, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry. For more information, click here to read the full release.