Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Disruption of Frontal Lobe Neural Synchrony During Cognitive Control by Alcohol Intoxication
Published on: February 6, 2019
Neuropsychological evidence of a relatively selective profile of temporal dysfunction in drug-free MDMA ("ecstasy")
H C Fox1, A McLean, J J D Turner
1Department of Psychology, University of East London, Romford Road, London E15 4LZ, UK. h.c.fox@uel.ac.uk
Rationale:
Experimental evidence has shown that 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") can act as a serotonergic neurotoxin in laboratory animals. The serotonin system predominantly innervates frontal and limbic regions of the brain and has been associated with consolidatory learning and mnemonic processes in humans.
Objectives:
The aim of the present study was to investigate the cognitive neuropsychological profile of drug-free ecstasy users by employing a selection of tasks previously associated with lesion or neurodegenerative damage to the temporal lobe or fronto-striatal regions.
Methods:
The study comprised 40 participants: 20 ecstasy polydrug users and 20 polydrug users who had never taken ecstasy.
Results:
Ecstasy users were significantly impaired on a recognition task for complex visual patterns and spatial working memory, as a function of task difficulty rather than systematic search strategy. They also showed a trend towards impairment on several learning paradigms. Ecstasy users remained relatively unimpaired on most measures associated with prefrontal functioning, with the exception of verbal fluency "letter" generation.
Conclusions:
Initial cognitive deficits in ecstasy polydrug users may be more apparent in tasks known to be sensitive to temporal functioning.
More Related Videos
10:02Event Related Potentials (ERPs) and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Published on: March 12, 2020
07:30Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Related Concept Videos
CNS Stimulants: Psychedelic Agents
Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists
Nonlinear Pharmacokinetics: Dependence of Elimination Half-Life and Dose Clearance
A study on guinea pigs examined the...
An Overview of Psychoactive Drugs
Stimulants such as cocaine, amphetamines, and nicotine enhance brain activity, leading to increased alertness, attention, and energy. These drugs typically raise heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. While they can induce feelings of euphoria, their misuse can result in severe health...
Hallucinogens and Psychedelics
Marijuana, derived from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp plant, contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)...
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.