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OtherClinical Investigations

Long-Term Effects of “Ecstasy” Use on Serotonin Transporters of the Brain Investigated by PET

Ralph Buchert, Rainer Thomasius, Bruno Nebeling, Kay Petersen, Jost Obrocki, Lars Jenicke, Florian Wilke, Lutz Wartberg, Pavlina Zapletalova and Malte Clausen
Journal of Nuclear Medicine March 2003, 44 (3) 375-384;
Ralph Buchert
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Rainer Thomasius
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Bruno Nebeling
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Kay Petersen
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Jost Obrocki
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Lars Jenicke
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Florian Wilke
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Lutz Wartberg
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Pavlina Zapletalova
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Malte Clausen
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Abstract

Alterations of the serotonergic system due to ecstasy consumption have been extensively documented in recent literature. However, reversibility of these neurotoxic effects still remains unclear. To address this question, PET was performed using the serotonin transporter (SERT) ligand 11C-(+)-McN5652 in a total of 117 subjects subdivided into 4 groups: actual ecstasy users (n = 30), former ecstasy users (n = 29), drug-naive control subjects (n = 29), and subjects with abuse of psychoactive agents other than ecstasy (n = 29). Methods: About 500 MBq 11C-(+)-McN5652 were injected intravenously. Thirty-five scans were acquired according to a dynamic scan protocol of 90 min using a full-ring whole-body PET system. Transaxial slices were reconstructed using an iterative method. Individual brains were transformed to a template defined earlier. Distribution volume ratios (DVRs) were derived by application of a reference tissue approach for reversible binding. Gray matter of the cerebellum served as reference. SERT-rich brain regions—mesencephalon, putamen, caudate, and thalamus—were selected for the evaluation of SERT availability using volumes of interest predefined in the template. Results: Compared with drug-naive control subjects, the DVR in actual ecstasy users was significantly reduced in the mesencephalon (P = 0.004) and the thalamus (P = 0.044). The DVR in former ecstasy users was very close to the DVR in drug-naive control subjects in all brain regions. The DVR in polydrug users was slightly higher than that in the drug-naive control subjects in all SERT-rich regions (not statistically significant). Conclusion: Our findings further support the hypothesis of ecstasy-induced protracted alterations of the SERT. In addition, they might indicate reversibility of the availability of SERT as measured by PET. However, this does not imply full reversibility of the neurotoxic effects.

  • ecstasy
  • long-term effects
  • serotonin transporter
  • PET
  • 11C-(+)-McN5652

Footnotes

  • Received May 2, 2002; revision accepted Sep. 25, 2002.

    For correspondence or reprints contact: Ralph Buchert, PhD, Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, D-20246 Hamburg, Germany.

    E-mail: buchert{at}uke.uni-hamburg.de

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Journal of Nuclear Medicine
Vol. 44, Issue 3
March 1, 2003
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Long-Term Effects of “Ecstasy” Use on Serotonin Transporters of the Brain Investigated by PET
Ralph Buchert, Rainer Thomasius, Bruno Nebeling, Kay Petersen, Jost Obrocki, Lars Jenicke, Florian Wilke, Lutz Wartberg, Pavlina Zapletalova, Malte Clausen
Journal of Nuclear Medicine Mar 2003, 44 (3) 375-384;

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Long-Term Effects of “Ecstasy” Use on Serotonin Transporters of the Brain Investigated by PET
Ralph Buchert, Rainer Thomasius, Bruno Nebeling, Kay Petersen, Jost Obrocki, Lars Jenicke, Florian Wilke, Lutz Wartberg, Pavlina Zapletalova, Malte Clausen
Journal of Nuclear Medicine Mar 2003, 44 (3) 375-384;
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  • Sleep Deprivation Differentially Impairs Cognitive Performance in Abstinent Methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("Ecstasy") Users
  • Revisiting an Old Issue: The Discrepancy Between Tissue Ratio-Derived Binding Parameters and Kinetic Modeling-Derived Parameters After a Bolus of the Serotonin Transporter Radioligand 123I-ADAM
  • Is Correction for Age Necessary in SPECT or PET of the Central Serotonin Transporter in Young, Healthy Adults?
  • Comparative Evaluation of Serotonin Transporter Radioligands 11C-DASB and 11C-McN 5652 in Healthy Humans
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