St ep by st ep ef f ect on syn apt ic
t r an sm ission
When a neuron receives enough
stimulus an electrical impulse reaches
the axon terminal and becomes
chemical due to the neurotransmitters.
Regularly, when releasing serotonin,
the vesicles holding the
neurotransmitter merge with the
membrane and release serotonin into
the synaptic gap. The
neurotransmitters then attach
themselves to the postsynaptic neurons
protein receptors and relay the stimuli.
Eventually, the serotonin
neurotransmitter ether dissolves or get
reabsorbed. When ecstasy is ingested,
ecstasy gets taken up by the serotonin
transporters in the pre-synaptic neuron
because Ecstasy acts like Serotonin.
This causes the transporter to work in
reverse by transporting serotonin out
of the pre-synaptic neuron because it
became confused. As a result, more
serotonin gets trapped in the synaptic
gap and rebinds to the protein
receptors causing the neuron to be
over stimulated. This process also
happens with dopamine where ecstasy
becomes an inhibitor to the dopamine
transporters, which prevents dopamine
from being reabsorb resulting in
constant stimulus down the
postsynaptic neuron.
Wh at par t s of t h e br ain does
Ecst asy ef f ect ?
Body text
Ecstasy affects a nerve pathway called the
serotonin pathway. Serotonin is a
neurotransmitter regulates mood,
emotions, and perceptions. Meaning
Ecstasy also affects places such as the
neocortex which is important in
perceptions, the limbic system which
includes the amygdala, hippocampus,
basal ganglia and hypothalamus, which is
involved in mood and fear.
An experiment was performed on monkeys to determine
if ecstasy can damage neurons. They were given ecstasy
for four days and another group of monkeys for seven
years. Two weeks after a monkey received ecstasy, most
of the serotonin was gone meaning that the serotonin
terminals damaged long-term because seven years later
there was minimal recovery. Changes in limbic areas of
the brain were also found.
Where to get more information/help:
https://drugabuse.com/ecstasy/how-to-help-an-addict/
In t er est in g f act s
Sometimes Ecstasy contains rat
poison as a filler
It was first invented in 1912 by the
Merck pharmaceutical laboratories
to suppress appetite and it was also
used for military purposes
Wh at is ecst asy/ Ef f ect s on t h e
body
Love Dr u g
Side ef f ect s
Ecst asy
-
Impaired judgment
False sense of affection
Confusion/ confused episodes
Blurred vision
Nausea Long?term
Con sequ en ces
-
-
Liver failure
Dehydration
Exhaustion
Risk of a heart attack Kidney,
liver and brain damage
Long?lasting lesions on brain
tissue
Irreparable damage to the
nervous system
Sleep problems
Severe anxiety/paranoia
Muscle tension
Long?lasting brain damage
affecting thought and memory
Degenerated nerve endings
Memory loss
Hemorrhaging
-
Death
-
Ecstasy is a drug that affects the release
of serotonin in the brain and it is often
called ?the love pill? or MDMA in powder
form. Its chemical name is
methylenedioxymethamphetamine It can
come in any color or shape but it is
produced white. Ecstasy can regulate
mood, appetite and increase the
perceptions of the 5 senses, especially
sight, sound and touch. This causes
people on this drug to become sexually
active when being touched. Taking
Ecstasy often can cause a build up of
tolerance meaning more of the drug is
needed to get high, moreover, your body
begins to become dependent. This
means that people are not addicted to
Ecstasy but addicted to the feeling it
gives. Often the drugs sold under the
name Ecstasy contains many other street
drugs such as cocaine and other
hallucinogens. This causes people to see
or feel things that are not really there.
Often the bodies natural alarm signal
when is in danger is turned off. As a
result, people on this drug take risks and
push themselves past what their body
can take. For example, ecstasy increase
the body temperature and in warm
crowded places like a club that can cause
overheating and dehydration.