http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/mdma/mdma_neurotoxicity3.shtml

for some proper science and not just some scans that were misinterpreted by MTV and Oprah, after all the media does like a bit of hoo haa

Stopped reading the article after that and haven’t checked comments so sorry if this’ already been posted

peace, J

I’d like to say that I am certainly not an English major, so forgive me if parts of my comment are somewhat poorly structured if not totally incomprehensible. I realize I don’t have the best grammar in the world.

Professionally, I’m actually a neurosurgeon, so I often enjoy reading these sorts of articles, just to judge the general public perception of brain injury. I’ve noticed that some of the effects that you’ve described here are somewhat hyperbolic, to be realistic. For example, there is equipment which we use regularly which outputs microwave radiation. That specific kind of wave happens to be non-ionizing, meaning it doesn’t change the structure of our DNA. This means, that more or less, it’s a safe radiation for us to encounter. Did you know that microwaves are also emitted from phones and W-LAN routers? It’s true! Being that you obviously have a computer, it’s likely that there is a consistent concentration of them throughout your home as you read this. Fear not, though, the levels are far too weak to pose any sort of real threat. That’s something else I should mention, there are instances in the brain of what’s known as “glial regeneration” where glial cells actually repair the damaged axons of certain neurons. So even if the cells “die” don’t count yourself out just yet. The brain has many, many, many defenses against damage. Don’t forget, we’re mammals who walk upright, and lead with out heads, light taps and bumps often don’t have enough force to even move your brain a significant amount, much less do significant damage. Over the course of your life time, you’ll probably never experience a negative change in your general intellect, unless you take direct measures to facilitate it. It certainly is possible to cause massive damage to the brain, however generally speaking, the things described here are every-day occurrences (well, except perhaps for the drug abuse), and should not be disconcerning to you. Generally speaking, you’ll be fine. If you do have a bad bump on the head, become dizzy, or concuss, then please see a medical professional, as without treatment, the associated consequences could be deadly, but for minor things, such as exposure to microwave radiation, minor bumps and taps, inhalation of second-hand smoke, carcinogens, or other toxins, or other small issues, have no fear, you’ve probably done no damage to yourself whatsoever, and even if you have, you certainly have enough neurons in your brain to deal with the loss with no noticeable repercussions.

There is one more thing I wanted to address before I go, and that is the idea of “holes” in the brain. In all my twenty years of surgery, never once have I seen someone with a hole in his or her brain, at least, not beyond one that we had to put there ourselves (and believe me, we only make incredibly small, localized incisions, and we don’t make them unless absolutely necessary). Anyone who tells you that you’re putting massive holes in your brain are simply perpetuating ignorance, and you should correct them, if possible. The brain is actually composed mostly of fat (well, lipids) which makes sense if you think about it’s cellular structure. I don’t think I’ve ever seen, or ever will see, someone who’s abused a substance to the point of a massive localized depression in their outer neural tissue, as I simply don’t believe it’s possible. The brain should maintain it’s structure, even with a massive amount of scar tissue. While I’m sure that casual, chronic consumption of drugs and alcohol certainly isn’t the healthiest option for you, I certainly don’t think that, even with extensive, extended use, it could do a massive amount of damage to you. Just as a disclaimer, I should mention that this is from my own experiences, and not from a formalized study.

Anyway, thanks for the article. Over all, don’t worry about it! You can afford to lose braincells, in fact, it’s totally naturally for us to do so! It’s not necessarily a bad thing, so don’t be paranoid about it, it’s okay. Your intelligence will NOT suffer on any level, I can promise you that. In fact, the only limiting factors, generally speaking, that my patients have are those that they impose on themselves, the idea that they can’t do something, despite the fact that physically, they are capable.

Don’t despair my concerned, neurology-loving friends. Your brains are built to last, and last, they shall.

-Dr. Brent Ledrew