Dennis RomeroEver talk to a graying raver about that great party in nineteen-ninety … oh, what year was that again?
Yeah.
Unfortunately, this is bad news here in the rave capital of America: Yet another study has found that ecstasy can lead to memory loss. Not only that, but it apparently doesn't take much:
New research published today in the journal Addiction says that even short-term use of MDMA will lead to “specific memory impairments” that the user might not be aware of until it's too late, according to a summary.
Folks who took 10 pills in a year showed “immediate” short-term memory loss, according to the paper out of the University of Cologne.
E-tards could be turning themselves into virtual Alzheimer's patients:
L.A. County actually once planned to teach ravers how to properly take ecstasy.; Credit: L.A. County
These findings are associated with damage of the hippocampus, the area of the brain that oversees memory function and navigation. Interestingly, hippocampal damage is one of the first signs of Alzheimer's disease, resulting in memory loss and disorientation.
Researchers looked at subjects who took about 2 and a half pills per month. Lead author, Daniel Wagner:
By measuring the cognitive function of people with no history of ecstasy use and, one year later, identifying those who had used ecstasy at least ten times and remeasuring their performance, we have been able to start isolating the precise cognitive effects of this drug.
Of course, there are a lot of nonbelievers out there when it comes to the effects of this shite drug. For you there's the Santa Cruz-based Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), which believes that ecstasy can do wonders.
Agree? That is your church. Just don't blame us when you forget how to get home.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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