The British Journal of Psychiatry (2009) 194: 355-359. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.108.050344
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
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Brain serotonin transporter binding in former users of MDMA (‘ecstasy’)

Sudhakar Selvaraj, MRCPsych

Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, London, and University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK

Rosa Hoshi, PhD

Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, UK

Zubin Bhagwagar, MD, MRCPsych, DPhil(Oxon)

Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

Naga Venkatesha Murthy, MRCPsych

Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre and GSK Clinical Imaging Centre, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK

Rainer Hinz, PhD

Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, University of Manchester, UK

Philip Cowen, MD, FRCPsych

University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, UK

H. Valerie Curran, PhD, DClinPsy

Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, UK

Paul Grasby, MD, FRCP

Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.

Correspondence: Paul Grasby, PET Psychiatry, Cyclotron Building, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College, Hammersmith Hospital, London W12 0NN, UK. Email: paul.grasby{at}csc.mrc.ac.uk

Declaration of interest

P.G. has received occasional consultancy for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), MERCK, Pfizer and GE Healthcare. P.C. is an MRC Clinical Scientist. N.V.M. is a GSK employee and holds GSK shares. Z.B. has served on the speakers’ panel of BMS, AstraZenaca and Janssen.

Funding

This study was supported by the Medical Research Council (MRC). R.H. was supported by an MRC studentship.

Background

Animal experimental studies have prompted concerns that widespread use of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘ecstasy’) by young people may pose a major public health problem in terms of persistent serotonin neurotoxicity.

Aims

To determine the status of brain serotonin neurons in a group of abstinent MDMA users.

Method

We assessed the integrity of brain serotonin neurons by measuring serotonin transporter (SERT) binding using positron emission tomography (PET) and [11C]DASB in 12 former MDMA users, 9 polydrug users who had never taken MDMA and 19 controls who reported no history of illicit drug use.

Results

There was no significant difference in the binding potential of [11C]DASB between the groups in any of the brain regions examined.

Conclusions

To the extent that [11C]DASB binding provides an index of the integrity of serotonin neurons, our findings suggest that MDMA use may not result in long-term damage to serotonin neurons when used recreationally in humans.


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eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Lack of long-term effect of ‘ecstasy’ use on serotonin binding fits with known risk profile of MDMA
Teri S. Krebs, et al.
BJP Online, 7 Apr 2009 [Full text]