Ecstasy's effects on the brain might be overestimated

Previous research into brain damage caused by ecstasy has focused on extremely heavy users, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

The author of the paper, University of Edinburgh's Balázs Szigeti, was inspired to conduct this research having found an inconsistency in the methodology of a previous study that analysed the drug's effects on the brain.

He explained to PsyPost: "I found it weird that they called users who take two pills twice a month ‘low to moderate users,’ I suspected that it is much more than what the average user takes."

Through its research, the team revealed the effects of "ecstasy induced serotonergic alterations" are "likely to be overestimated for the majority of users". However, Szigeti emphasised this does not suggest all MDMA usage is harmless.

In other ecstasy news, the pill testing service at Canberra's Groovin' The Moo festival revealed less than 50 per cent of samples showed a "reasonably high purity" of the drug.

Find out how ecstasy reached the UK here.

[Via: MDMA Team]