Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
Volume 155, Issue 3 , Pages 179-188 , 15 August 2007

Occipital cortical proton MRS at 4 Tesla in human moderate MDMA polydrug users

  • Ronald L. Cowan

      Affiliations

    • Psychiatric Neuroimaging Program, Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1601 23rd Avenue South, Suite 3057, Nashville, TN 37212, United States
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +1 615 322 2303; fax: +1 615 936 3563.
    web address
    • ,
  • Nicolas R. Bolo

      Affiliations

    • Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont MA 02478, United States
    • Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02155, United States
    • ,
  • Mary Dietrich

      Affiliations

    • Psychiatric Neuroimaging Program, Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 1601 23rd Avenue South, Suite 3057, Nashville, TN 37212, United States
    • ,
  • Erica Haga

      Affiliations

    • Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont MA 02478, United States
    • Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02155, United States
    • ,
  • Scott E. Lukas

      Affiliations

    • Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont MA 02478, United States
    • Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02155, United States
    • ,
  • Perry F. Renshaw

      Affiliations

    • Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont MA 02478, United States
    • Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02155, United States

Received 30 May 2006 ,Revised 9 January 2007 ,Accepted 28 January 2007.

References 

  1. Auer DP, Schirmer T, Heidenreich JO, Herzog J, Putz B, Dichgans M. Altered white and gray matter metabolism in CADASIL: a proton MR spectroscopy and 1H-MRSI study. Neurology. 2001;56(5):635–642(Mar 13)
  2. Bankson MG, Cunningham KA. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) as a unique model of serotonin receptor function and serotonin-dopamine interactions. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 2001;297:846–852
  3. Bates TE, Strangward M, Keelan J, Davey GP, Munro PM, Clark JB. Inhibition of N-acetylaspartate production: implications for 1H MRS studies in vivo. NeuroReport. 1996;7:1397–1400
  4. Bhakoo KK, Pearce D. In vitro expression of N-acetyl aspartate by oligodendrocytes: implications for proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy signal in vivo. Journal of Neurochemistry. 2000;74:254–262
  5. Bitsch A, Bruhn H, Vougioukas V, Stringaris A, Lassmann H, Frahm J, et al. Inflammatory CNS demyelination: histopathologic correlation with in vivo quantitative proton MR spectroscopy. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 1999;20:1619–1627
  6. Buchert R, Thomasius R, Wilke F, Petersen K, Nebeling B, Obrocki J, et al. A voxel-based PET investigation of the long-term effects of “Ecstasy” consumption on brain serotonin transporters. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2004;161:1181–1189
  7. Chang L, Ernst T, Grob CS, Poland RE. Cerebral (1)H MRS alterations in recreational 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”) users. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 1999;10:521–526
  8. Cowan RL. Neuroimaging research in human MDMA users: a review. Psychopharmacology. 2007;189:539–556
  9. Cowan RL, Lyoo IK, Sung SM, Ahn KH, Kim MJ, Hwang J, et al. Reduced cortical gray matter density in human MDMA (Ecstasy) users: a voxel-based morphometry study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2003;72:225–235
  10. Cowan RL, Haga E, Frederick B deB, Dietrich MS, Vimal RLP, Lukas SE, et al. MDMA use is associated with increased spatial BOLD fMRI visual cortex activation in human MDMA users. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 2006;84:219–228
  11. Daumann J, Fischermann T, Pilatus U, Thron A, Moeller-Hartmann W, Gouzoulis-Mayfrank E. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in ecstasy (MDMA) users. Neuroscience Letters. 2004;362:113–116
  12. de Stefano N, Matthews PM, Arnold DL. Reversible decreases in N-acetylaspartate after acute brain injury. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. 1995;34:721–727
  13. Fantegrossi WE, Woolverton WL, Kilbourn M, Sherman P, Yuan J, Hatzidimitriou G, et al. Behavioral and neurochemical consequences of long-term intravenous self-administration of MDMA and its enantiomers by rhesus monkeys. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2004;29:1270–1281
  14. Green AR, Mechan AO, Elliott JM, O'Shea E, Colado MI. The pharmacology and clinical pharmacology of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstasy”). Pharmacological Reviews. 2003;55:463–508
  15. Guimaraes AR, Schwartz P, Prakash MR, Carr CA, Berger UV, Jenkins BG, et al. Quantitative in vivo 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging of neuronal loss in rat brain. Neuroscience. 1995;69:1095–1101
  16. Hatzidimitriou G, McCann UD, Ricaurte GA. Altered serotonin innervation patterns in the forebrain of monkeys treated with (+/−)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine seven years previously: factors influencing abnormal recovery. Journal of Neuroscience. 1999;19:5096–5107
  17. Hetherington HP, Pan JW, Chu WJ, Mason GF, Newcorner BR. Biological and clinical MRS at ultra-high field. NMR in Biomedicine. 1997;10:360–371
  18. Hoyer D, Hannon JP, Martin GR. Molecular, pharmacological and functional diversity of 5-HT receptors. Pharmacological and Biochemistry of Behavior. 2002;71:533–554
  19. Jung RE, Yeo RA, Chiulli SJ, Sibbitt WL, Weers DC, Hart BL, et al. Biochemical markers of cognition: a proton MR spectroscopy study of normal human brain. NeuroReport. 1999;10:3327–3331
  20. Kalra S, Cashman NR, Genge A, Arnold DL. Recovery of N-acetylaspartate in corticomotor neurons of patients with ALS after riluzole therapy. NeuroReport. 1998;9:1757–1761
  21. Kish SJ. How strong is the evidence that brain serotonin neurons are damaged in human users of ecstasy?. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior. 2002;71:845–855
  22. Lyles J, Cadet JL. Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy) neurotoxicity: cellular and molecular mechanisms. Brain Research Reviews. 2003;42:155–168
  23. Mader I, Karitzky J, Klose U, Seeger U, Sperfeld A, Naegele T, et al. Proton MRS in Kennedy disease: absolute metabolite and macromolecular concentrations. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2002;16(2):160–167(Aug)
  24. Marco EJ, Moreno MJ, de Pablo AL. Local treatments of dorsal raphe nucleus induce changes in serotonergic activity in rat major cerebral arteries. Stroke. 1999;30:1695–1701
  25. Martinez-Turrillas R, Moyano S, Del Rio J, Frechilla D. Differential effects of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, “ecstacy”) on BDNF mRNA expression in rat frontal cortex and hippocampus. Neuroscience Letters. 2006;402:126–130
  26. McCann UD, Szabo Z, Scheffel U, Dannals RF, Ricaurte GA. Positron emission tomographic evidence of toxic effect of MDMA (“Ecstasy”) on brain serotonin neurons in human beings. Lancet. 1998;352:1433–1437
  27. McCann UD, Szabo Z, Seckin E, Rosenblatt P, Mathews WB, Ravert HT, et al. Quantitative PET studies of the serotonin transporter in MDMA users and controls using [(11)C]McN5652 and [(11)C]DASB. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2005;30:1741–1750
  28. Obergriesser T, Ende G, Braus DF, Henn FA. Hippocampal 1H-MRSI in ecstasy users. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. 2001;251:114–116
  29. Oliveri M, Calvo G. Increased visual cortical excitability in ecstasy users: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study. Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 2003;74:1136–1138
  30. Patel TB, Clark JB. Synthesis of N-acetyl-l-aspartate by rat brain mitochondria and its involvement in mitochondrial/cytosolic carbon transport. Biochemical Journal. 1979;184:539–546
  31. Provencher SW. Estimation of metabolite concentrations from localized in vivo proton NMR spectra. Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. 1993;30:627–679
  32. Reneman L, Booij J, Schmand B, van den Brink W, Gunning B. Memory disturbances in “Ecstasy” users are correlated with an altered brain serotonin neurotransmission. Psychopharmacology. 2000;148:322–324
  33. Reneman L, Habraken JB, Majoie CB, Booij J, den Heeten GJ. MDMA (“Ecstasy”) and its association with cerebrovascular accidents: preliminary findings. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 2000;21:1001–1007
  34. Reneman L, Majoie CBLM, Habraken JBA, den Heeten GJ. Effects of ecstasy (MDMA) on the brain in abstinent users: initial observations with diffusion and perfusion MR imaging. Radiology. 2001;220:611–617
  35. Reneman L, Majoie CBLM, Schmand B, van den Brink W, den Heeten GJ. Prefrontal N-acetylaspartate is strongly associated with memory performance in (abstinent) ecstasy users: preliminary report. Biological Psychiatry. 2001;50:550–554
  36. Reneman L, Endert E, de Bruin K, Lavalaye J, Feenstra MG, de Wolff FA, et al. The acute and chronic effects of MDMA ("ecstasy") on cortical 5-HT2A receptors in rat and human brain. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2002;26(3):387–396
  37. Reneman L, Majoie CBLM, Flick H, den Heeten GJ. Reduced N-acetylaspartate levels in the frontal cortex of 3,4-methylenedioxymehtamphetamine (Ecstasy) users: preliminary results. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 2002;23:231–237
  38. Ross BD, Danielsen ER, Bluml S. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy: the new gold standard for diagnosis of clinical and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy?. Digestive Diseases. 1996;14(Supplement 1):30–39
  39. Sager TN, Thomsen C, Valsborg JS, Laursen H, Hansen AJ. Astroglia contain a specific transport mechanism for N-acetyl-l-aspartate. Journal of Neurochemistry. 1999;73:807–811
  40. Savic I, Lekvall A, Greitz D, Helms G. MR spectroscopy shows reduced frontal lobe concentrations of N-acetyl aspartate in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2000;41(3):290–296(Mar)
  41. Semple DM, Ebmeier KP, Glabus MF, O'Carroll RE, Johnstone EC. Reduced in vivo binding to the serotonin transporter in the cerebral cortex of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) users. British Journal of Psychiatry. 1999;175:63–69
  42. Stoll AL, Renshaw PF, Yurgelun-Todd DA, Cohen BM. Neuroimaging in bipolar disorder: what have we learned?. Biological Psychiatry. 2000;48:505–517
  43. Taylor DL, Davies SE, Obrenovitch TP, Doheny MH, Patsalos PN, Clark JB, et al. Investigation into the role of N-acetylaspartate in cerebral osmoregulation. Journal of Neurochemistry. 1995;65:275–281
  44. Wang X, Baumann MH, Xu H, Rothman RB. 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) administration to rats decreases brain tissue serotonin but not serotonin transporter protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein. Synapse. 2004;53:240–248
  45. Wang X, Baumann MH, Xu H, Morales M, Rothman RB. (+/−)-3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine administration to rats does not decrease levels of the serotonin transporter protein or alter its distribution between endosomes and the plasma membrane. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. 2005;314:1002–1012
  46. Whitaker-Azmitia PM. Serotonin and brain development: role in human developmental diseases. Brain Res Bull. 2001;56(5):479–485(Nov 15)
  47. World Medical Organization . Declaration of Helsinki. British Medical Journal. 1996;313:1448–1449

PII: S0925-4927(07)00035-2

doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2007.01.008

Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
Volume 155, Issue 3 , Pages 179-188 , 15 August 2007

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution