Ecstasy May Damage Brain Cells, Study Finds

The brains of ecstasy users show low levels of a certain protein, a finding that may explain why many feel they need to turn to higher doses of the drug.

In Tuesday’s issue of the journal Brain, Stephen Kish of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto and his colleagues confirmed that low levels of the serotonin transporter, or SERT, are found in part of the brain of chronic ecstasy users who typically take about two tablets twice a month.