Expedited publication - Striatal serotonin is depleted in brain of a humanMDMA (Ecstasy) user

The authors found that striatal levels of serotonin and those of its metabo lite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were severely depleted by 50 to 80% in brai n of a chronic user of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) whereas concent rations of dopamine were within the normal control range. Our data suggest that MDMA exposure in the human can cause decreased tissue stores of seroto nin and therefore some of the behavioral effects of this drug of abuse coul d be caused by massive release and depletion of brain serotonin.