Ecstasy, methamphetamine and their combination: Assessment of adverse effects

MDMA（摇头丸）和甲基苯丙胺（冰毒）是澳大利亚年轻人经常使用的流行派对毒品。与使用MDMA和冰毒相关的健康问题是：(1)许多人因这些药物产生的高体温（热疗）而遭受并发症；(2)MDMA和冰毒都可能导致大脑中关键神经递质的长期丧失。这种对大脑的影响很可能导致心理问题，如焦虑、抑郁、冲动行为增加和记忆障碍。然而，MDMA和甲基苯丙胺的使用与随后的脑损伤之间的联系仍然非常有争议。最近，我们发现，当MDMA和冰毒混合使用时，会出现一种特别的毒性作用，即体温很高，对情绪和大脑功能产生持久的不利影响。这是一个令人担忧的主要原因，因为有证据表明，许多澳大利亚吸毒者经常将冰毒和摇头丸混合使用。该项目将调查MDMA、冰毒和冰毒-MDMA组合的短期和长期影响。第一阶段的目的是研究不同剂量的药物是否会导致情绪、行为和大脑功能的持久变化，并比较三种治疗方法的相对毒性。第二阶段将确定液体摄入不足、环境温度高和高龄是否是确定MDMA和冰毒毒性的危险因素。第三阶段将评估这些药物治疗的毒性是否取决于动物是自愿服用药物还是实验者给它们注射药物。该项目的最后一部分将使用各种先进技术来追踪在一系列条件下给予这些药物治疗所造成的脑损伤。这个项目的意义在于增加我们对MDMA和METH如何影响大脑和行为的理解，以及如何预测和减少这些药物造成的危害。

MDMA (Ecstasy) and Methamphetamine (METH) are popular party drugs that are frequently used by young Australians. Health problems associated with MDMA and METH use are (1) many people suffer complications arising from the high body temperature (hyperthermia) that these drugs produce, and (2) MDMA and METH may both cause long-term loss of key neurotransmitters in the brain. This effect on the brain may well lead to psychological problems such as anxiety, depression, increased impulsive behaviour and memory impairment. However the link between MDMA and METH use and subsequent brain damage is still very controversial. Recently, we have found that when MDMA and METH are combined, a particularly toxic effect is seen with very high body temperatures and lasting adverse effects on mood and brain function. This is a major cause for concern because of evidence that many Australian drug users are combining METH and MDMA on a regular basis. This project will investigate the short and long-term effects of MDMA, METH and METH-MDMA combinations. Phase 1 is aimed at investigating whether different doses of the drugs lead to lasting changes in mood, behaviour and brain function and to compare the relative toxicity of the three treatments. Phase 2 will determine whether lack of fluid intake, high environmental temperatures and advanced age are risk factors in determining the toxicity of MDMA and METH. Phase 3 will assess whether the toxicity of these drug treatments depends upon whether an animal takes the drugs voluntarily or whether they are injected with the drug by the experimenter. The final part of the project will use a wide variety of advanced techniques to track the brain damage caused by these drug treatments given under a range of conditions. The significance of this project will be in increasing our understanding of how MDMA and METH affect the brain and behaviour and how the harms posed by these drugs may be predicted and therefore minimised.