Hockenbury Discovering Psychology 5th txtbk

176 CHAPTER 4 Consciousness and Its VariationsRave Culture All-night dance parties,called raves, originated in Great Britainand quickly spread to other Europeancountries and to the United States. Ravesmay draw anywhere from a few hundredto a few thousand people or more. Highlycaffeinated “energy drinks,” amphetamines,methamphetamine, and otherstimulants may be consumed to maintainthe energy needed to dance all night.Rave culture helped popularize the use ofecstasy, a synthetic drug. Ecstasy users maysuck on baby pacifiers to cope with thedrug’s side effects, which include jawclenching and tooth grinding.At low doses, MDMA acts as a stimulant, but at high doses it has mild psychedeliceffects. Its popularity, however, results from its emotional effects: Feelings ofeuphoria and increased well-being are common. People who have taken ecstasy alsosay that the drug makes them feel loving, open, and closer to others—effects thatled to its use in psychotherapy for a brief time until its adverse effects became apparent(Braun, 2001). Ecstasy’s side effects hint at the problems that can be associatedwith its use: dehydration, rapid heartbeat, tremors, muscle tension and involuntaryteeth-clenching, and hyperthermia (abnormally high body temperature).Rave partygoers who take MDMA in crowded, hot surroundings are particularly atrisk for collapse or death from dehydration and hyperthermia.The “love drug” effects of ecstasy may result from its unique effect on serotoninin the brain. Along with causing neurons to release serotonin, MDMA also blocksserotonin reuptake, amplifying and prolonging serotonin effects (Braun, 2001).While flooding the brain with serotonin may temporarily enhance feelings of emotionalwell-being, there are adverse trade-offs.First, the “high” of ecstasy is often followed by depression when the drug wearsoff. More ominously, animal studies have shown that moderate or heavy use of ecstasycan damage serotonin nerve endings in the brain (Ricaurte & McCann, 2001).Several studies have shown similar damage to serotonin neurons in the human brain(Croft & others, 2001; Reneman & others, 2006). Evidence suggests that femaleusers are more susceptible to brain damage than male users (see Figure 4.6).Other studies have shown that serotonin levels become severely depleted afterlong-term use, possibly causing the depression that follows when the drug wears off(Kuhn & Wilson, 2001). Equally troubling are cognitive effects: In one study,memory and verbal reasoning problems persisted up to a year after the last dose wastaken (Reneman & others, 2001b). Some research suggests that even occasionalFigure 4.6 Effects of Ecstasy on theBrain The “ecstasy” of an MDMA triptakes a heavy toll on the brain, especiallyin women (Allott & Redman, 2007). Thesebrain-scan images show serotonin activity(red) in the brains of (a) a normal femalevolunteer who had never taken ecstasy,(b) a moderate ecstasy user, and (c) aheavy ecstasy user. The study by Dutch scientistLiesbeth Reneman and her colleagues(2001a) included both male andfemale participants. Reneman found thatthe female participants were more susceptibleto brain damage from ecstasy usethan men were. (a) Control, Non-use (b) Moderate MDMA use (c) Heavy MDMA use