The Nation - News from Nov. 5, 1985

Two researchers at the University of Chicago said they have found direct evidence that the drug known as “Ecstasy,” which was outlawed this summer, damages brain cells but only after repeated use, the university reported. The researchers, in a paper to the Drug Enforcement Administration, said that rats given one dose of the drug MDMA suffered few effects, but those given eight doses suffered damage to their brain’s serotonin metabolism. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in regulation of sleep, mood, pain perception, sexuality and other functions.