Learning, Memory, and Executive Function in New MDMA Users: A Two-Year Follow-up Study

Frontiers in Neuroscience

Daniel eWagner¹  Benjamin eBecker¹  Philip eKoester¹  Simon eTkotz¹  Euphrosyne eGouzoulis-mayfrank¹  Joerg eDaumann¹ 

[1] University Hospital Cologne;

关键词: Cognition;    follow-up;    MDMA;    verbal memory;    ecstasy;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fnins.2015.00445

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is associated with changes in neurocognitive performance. Recent studies in laboratory animals have provided additional support for the neurodegeneration hypothesis. However, results from animal research need to be applied to humans with caution. Moreover, several of the studies that examine MDMA users suffer from methodological shortcomings. Therefore, a prospective cohort study was designed in order to overcome these previous methodological shortcomings and to assess the relationship between the continuing use of MDMA and cognitive performance in incipient MDMA users. It was hypothesized that, depending on the amount of MDMA taken, the continued use of MDMA over a two-year period would lead to further decreases in cognitive performance, especially in visual paired association learning tasks. 96 subjects were assessed at the second follow-up assessment: 31 of these were non-users, 55 moderate-users and 10 heavy-users. Separate repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted for each cognitive domain, including attention and information processing speed, episodic memory and executive functioning. Furthermore, possible confounders including age, general intelligence, cannabis use, alcohol use, use of other concomitant substances, recent medical treatment, participation in sports, level of nutrition, sleep patterns and subjective well-being were assessed.The Repeated measures analysis of variance (rANOVA) revealed that a marginally significant change in immediate and delayed recall test performances of visual paired associates learning had taken place within the follow-up period of two years. No significant differences with the other neuropsychological tests were noted. It seems that MDMA use can impair visual paired associates learning in new users. However, in the recent study, further deterioration in continuing MDMA-users was not observed.

【 授权许可】

Unknown