Just 1 Ecstasy tab appears to rot the brain

Ecstasy could damage your brain the very first time you use it.

Usually people take risks with drugs whether legal or otherwise because we think the benefits are short-term and the problems longer-term. It's never as clear-cut as that especially when addition steps in. But for Ecstasy it now appears that the risks are present from the first time you try it.

Researchers have discovered that even a small amount of MDMA, better known as ecstasy, can be harmful to the brain, according to the first study to look at the effects of low doses of the recreational drug in new users. 'We found a decrease in blood circulation in some areas of the brain in young adults who just started to use ecstasy,' said Maartje de Win of the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, 'and a relative decrease in verbal memory performance in ecstasy users compared to non-users.'

Ecstasy targets the brain-cells that use the chemical serotonin to communicate. Serotonin plays an important role in regulating a number of mental processes including mood and memory.

Previous research has shown that long-term or heavy ecstasy use can damage these cells and cause depression, anxiety, confusion, difficulty sleeping and decrease in memory. But no previous studies have looked at the effects of low doses of the drug on first-time users.

Dr. de Win and colleagues examined volunteers with no history of ecstasy use using brain imaging techniques and psychological tests. their average age was 21. Eighteen months later, 59 people had used ecstasy (the average number of tablets they had taken was just six) and 56 had not. They were re-examined with the same techniques and tests.

There were indications of 'subtle changes' in the structure of brain cells and decreased blood flow in some brain regions, suggesting prolonged effects from the drug, including some cell damage. Memory was also affected.

'We do not know if these effects are transient or permanent,' Dr. de Win said. 'Therefore, we cannot conclude that ecstasy, even in small doses, is safe for the brain, and people should be informed of this risk.'

Ecstasy is a Class A illegal drug that acts as a stimulant and psychedelic.

In 2003, a United Nations report suggested that 2.2% of Britons aged 16 to 59 - 730,000 people — had taken Ecstasy. The British rate was higher than in any other country except Australia and Ireland.

However, in the 2005-06 British crime survey, 1.6% of 16 to 59-year-olds reported using ecstasy, suggesting a decline since 2003. When the drug first hit the dance scene in the late 1980s, a pill typically cost £25, but prices have fallen to less than a fiver.