XTC linked to memory loss (again)

XTC linked to memory loss (again)

Just been on the ITV News......

Tests at Newcastle University has shown X users have 23% worse long term memories than none use's......

*yawn*

I am not aware of how this study was carried out but there was a mention of cannabis ...... normally...these "studies" are a fucking joke!!! The major cause of memory loss and mental problems in drug users is WEED. These studies on "X users" where carried out on drug users and not ONLY people who ONLY user X......... therefore most of these people will smoke heaps of pot and actually use weed to come down from X..... therefore their problems are very probably to have been caused by WEED & not XTC.

There has been tests which have proven that MDMA rewires brain memory stems.

Although this was done using Resus monkeys being pumped with MDMA day and night over weeks of trials. (not as much fun as it sounds)

The extent of what it does to human users will only start to become evident in about 10 years.

A generation of young people who have taken ecstasy for fun are at risk of a "memory loss time bomb" from the drug, North experts will claim today.

The international study led by scientists at the University of Newcastle found people who regularly took ecstasy were more likely to suffer memory problems with simple tasks than non-users.

The research, which involved students and young people from the region, is the latest in a string of studies pointing to health problems with the drug.

The so-called E-generation of the 1980s - now moving into their 30s - will be the first to suffer any long-term effects of memory problems.

Last night lead researcher Dr Jacqui Rodgers said it was vital that more long-term studies be carried out on this generation in an effort to determine the true danger of the euphoria-inducing drug.

Ecstasy has become one of the most popular drugs with students and young professionals since the late 80s. Many are attracted by claims it offers a supposedly harmless and non-addictive `high'.

But Dr Rodgers, of the School of Neurology, Neurobiology & Psychiatry at Newcastle said: "Users may think that ecstasy is fun and that it feels fairly harmless at the time. However, our results show slight but measurable impairments to

memory as a result of use, which is worrying and indicate we are creating a time-bomb of cognitive difficulties in later life."

Asking questions such as how difficult young people find it to follow a television storyline or whether they forget to pass a message on to someone, the study found ecstasy users were 23pc more likely to report problems than non-users.

Users made 21pc more errors on the questionnaire forms than non-users and 29pc more mistakes than people who did not take drugs at all.

Dr Rodgers added: "We all know of cases where people have suffered acutely from the use of ecstasy, such as the teenager Leah Betts, but relatively little is known about the more subtle effects on the increasing number of regular users worldwide.

"Ecstasy is still a relatively new and poorly understood drug and what we are looking to do now is launch a more in-depth study of this first generation of ecstasy users in order to build up a clearer picture of exactly what effect the drug is having on the brain."

Nearly a quarter of 16 to 24-year-olds in the North-East say they have used ecstasy at some time and use of ecstasy, otherwise known as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA, is on the increase, with an estimated 50,000 tablets being consumed every weekend in the region.

Heidi Douglas, project manager for Streetwise, a Newcastle-based project for young people, said: "We advise 10,000 young people a year on issues such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual health and contraception and mental health problems and I can't remember any of them being concerned about their ecstasy use.

"Young people do see it as something that is fun and short term and because it's a relatively new drug no-one really knows the long term effects.

"I think we do need to raise awareness about ecstasy but the information we give out has to be honest and truthful because otherwise young people won't believe it and it will be a waste of time."

Latest figures collated by the British Crime Survey show that from April 2002 to 2003, almost 17,000 16-to-24-year-olds in the North-East admitted to having taken ecstasy at least once.

In one month alone, 8,000 young people in the region said they had taken the drug.

Today's study, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, is one of the first into the long-term impact of the drug.

But a regional spokesperson for the charity Drugscope said it was unlikely that the study would make current ecstasy users stop taking the drug.

"No-one has ever said that it is a harmless drug and I would say the majority of people taking it are already aware of the health risks but are not always prompted to give up," she said.

The study also revealed regular users of cannabis and ecstasy were more likely to suffer short-term memory problems.

Dr Rodgers added: "The findings suggest that ecstasy users who take cannabis as well are suffering from a double whammy where both their long-term and short-term memory is being impaired. Except for the high-profile tragedies, I think ecstasy has always been seen as a relatively `safe' drug. This research shows it is not."

Involving teams at the universities of Newcastle, Northumbria, Westminster, Teesside and East London, the survey was carried out by posting questionnaires on internet chat rooms, message boards and drug-related sites.

these studies always make me laugh for the same reasons that pike has mentioned...

they should get ppl who have never taken any sort of drug ever & then lock them away & ply them with different sorts of drugs after testing their memory...then after say 6 mths of constant drug taking test their memories again....

Wouldn't surprise me if it did effect memory loss - my concentration span has definetly been reduced by it

The problem with these tpyes of studies is that most people who take ecstacy do so with other drugs as well (including acholol).

Ok whatever.

Although there seems to be no conclusive evidence to support these theories, I think most users will agree that when completely smashed on xtc, it does feel like there could be some damage to the brain however small.

I think everyone is aware their are side-effects from taking e. I question whether or not I'm going to suffer any serious long term problems tho. I know when I stop doing it for a while my head usually starts to get back to normal (whatever that is! ).

I guess we wont know for a while.

We'll just have to keep going til the come-downs outweigh the good times!

I have been there mate and just cut down a bit!!!

Everything in moderation, eh!!

I suppose so.

U there tomorrow night?

No I leave Quality to the 's!!!

Will be going to see Corvin tho!!!

wouldn't there be loads of mental patients knocking about from all the 'users' who started doing it in '88? thats almost 16 years ago now.....

only time will tell...

I was going to post my opinion here, but i can't remember what this thread is about:spangled: :spangled: :spangled:

i love all these 'studies'

so...

where did they get their baseline data from? (subjects memory data prior to xtc use)
how did they account for comfounding variables? (other drugs/reasons for memloss)

this study doesn't really 'prove' anything' cos you could get 2 groups of people off the street an probs get similar results...

i'll never trust these 'findings' after the ones in the us, where they showed the piccies of your brain activity on an after use, an it seemed like there was big holes in your brain...

but if you actually took your time to read the actual report it found that there was no significant differance between users and non-users ffs!

i seen studies that shown an increase in physical activity and a restricted diet can cause moderate gains in weight, but that doesn't mean exercise will make you fat, does it?

HAHA





people still going on about Leah Betts, she had 12pints of water in one hour though

At the end of the day stupid people still SMOKE and thats proven to kill you for sure but the govermant makes BIG BUCKS from taxing it...

exactly, thats why drugs such as xtc are ilegal the gov't cant dont make ay money off them!

This 'study; is complete bullshit. I got this e-mail on Wednesday the 19th of Novermber to my uni account.

> I am a 3rd year Psychology student in the process of
> recruiting subjects for my research project. My study is on
> recreational Ecstasy use and depression, and takes the form
> of an Ecstasy effect and depression inventory questionnaire
> which is online. I'm sending out lots of e-mails with a link
> to my website, the Biology school has kindly forwarded it
> out. What I would like to ask (you've probably guessed) is
> could you send out my e-mail to everyone
> (students
> and staff) in your school? I would be very grateful. Because
> of the nature of the study I need to make sure I recruit
> enough subjects (I'm aiming for at least 150 Ecstasy users,
> and the same number of non-users) for valid results and make
> any valid points. Thus, having my questionnaire online has a
> huge advantage. I would appreciate any suggestions you may
> have for other places I can advertise my questionnaire, or
> any comments on the questionnaire itself.
>
> I've added my covering e-mail and link at the bottom. Many thanks,
>
> Helen Woodward
>
>
>
> Dear all,
>
> First of all, my apologies to those who have already received
> this e-mail!
>
> Some of you will know that I am researching Ecstasy use and
> its possible links with depression. My research is based on
> an Ecstasy-effect and depression inventory questionnaire,
> which I have set up online. Doing it via the internet gives
> me the advantage of hopefully recruiting more subjects as
> well as not knowing your identities - you are not asked to
> give your name.
>
> I do need Ecstasy users, but I do also need (illegal) drug
> users who have never taken Ecstasy, as well as legal drug
> users (alcohol and tobacco) and non-drug users. So,
> everyone's response is needed.
>
> The questionnaire is split into sections, of which one is for
> Ecstasy users only. It takes on avergage 7-8 minutes (10 max)
> if you're an Ecstasy user and about 5 minutes (7 max) if
> you're not. It really won't take any longer.
>
> So, to get to the point, please would you take the time to
> fill in the questionnaire for me? I would also be grateful if
> you could forward the questionnaire on to absolutely everyone
> you know, that way I get lots of people and not just students.
>
> For those of you who are interested I've given more detail
> about the investigation below.
>
> Many thanks to all,
>
> Helen
>

I took part in the study. All it consists of is simple questions. Very unscietific, and many of the questions promote demand characteristics and are very vague. such quetions as "Do you feel depressed after taking ecstasy". The questionnaire was online at this link, but has obviously been taken offline so people can no longer see how shit it was. This was the link.

http://www.students.ncl.ac.uk/h.f.m.woodward/index.html

As usual, the media build up a frenzy, even over an undergraduates study.