Neurotoxicity and Neurodegeneration of Drug Abuse

The neurotoxic consequences of amphetamines, methamphetamine, and their derivatives, especially MDMA (“ecstasy”), have been described in various animal species as well as in humans. The underlying pathogenetic mechanisms are not yet fully resolved. Furthermore, it is still unclear how to transmit the animal data to the human abusers and whether persistent neurotoxicity also develops in humans.