Retracted article on dopaminergic neurotoxicity of MDMA

An editorial article on the paper indicated that researchers had observed dopaminergic neurotoxicity (death of neurons involved in dopamine pathways) in monkeys following MDMA injections, a finding which suggested that recreational users of MDMA may be at risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders associated with dopamine dysfunction.[3]

Following the release of the paper, Science published a “News of the week” article by Constance Holden.[4] The article noted that the results of the study had caused the researchers concern that even a single night of MDMA usage could cause brain damage, and leave a person vulnerable to neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease. Holden also noted that the findings of the study were surprising, due to MDMA being known for prompting the release of large amounts of serotonin, but not dopamine. In the article, cognitive neuroscientist Jon Cole was described as being “skeptical” about the risk of Parkinson’s from MDMA use, stating that there had only been one case report of Parkinson’s related to the use of ecstasy. In response, the researchers stated that this could be due to symptoms not presenting until “70% to 80%“ of dopamine had been depleted.

Alan Leshner, a former director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, also commented on the study- stating ”This says even a single evening's use is playing Russian roulette with your own brain.”[5]

In June 2003, a letter to Science was published in which the results of the study were questioned. Ricaurte stood by the findings.[6]

In September 2003, the paper was retracted. In a statement published in ‘’Science’’, the research team indicated that due to a labelling error, methamphetamine had been administered to 9 of the 10 test animals instead of MDMA. The team had consistently been unable to replicate the original results, which lead to them conducting an investigation and ultimately discovering the error. [2]

Following the retraction, Ricaurte stated that he would continue to investigate the possibility of a relationship between MDMA and dopamine dysfunction, and that the laboratory would be adjusting its chemical handling procedure.[7]

In a review of the year's events published in the December issue of Science, Editor-in-Chief Donald Kennedy wrote, "It was also a vintage year for scientific fluffs. We shared in one: Some vials containing the recreational drug Ecstasy got switched with vials containing methamphetamine, and we wound up publishing a paper we wish we hadn't".[8]

Journalists such as Larry Smith and Carla Spartos have stated that the inaccurate study may have influenced drug policy being made at the time, such as the RAVE act of April 2003.[9][10][11]

In an interview in The Scientist, British scientists Colin Blakemore and Leslie Iversen described how they expressed concerns about the article with editors at Science. "It's an outrageous scandal," Iversen told The Scientist. "It's another example of a certain breed of scientist who appear to do research on illegal drugs mainly to show what the governments want them to show. They extract large amounts of grant money from the government to do this sort of biased work."[12]

• Urban legends about illegal drugs

• Trent S (30 September 2002). Perschetz L (ed.). "Recreational Use of Ecstasy Causes New Brain Damage: Trend to sequential doses of popular drug can have long-term lasting effects". The JHU Gazette (Johns Hopkins University Gazette). Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America: Johns Hopkins University. 32 (5). Archived from the original on 21 April 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
• Rick Doblin: Exaggerating MDMA's Risks to Justify A Prohibitionist Policy
• MAPS.org archive with extensive links to media coverage and copies of the original "Science" articles.
• Thomas A (12 September 2003). "Journal accused of 'grabbing headlines'". ABC Science (ABC News). Sydney, New South Wales, Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Archived from the original on 29 December 2003. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
• TheDEA.org: Letter to Science Highly critical letter pointing out flaws in the original research article (pre-retraction.)
• MDMA Brain Scans Showing Neurotoxicity Discredited erowid.org, April 2002.
• McNeil Jr DJ (2 December 2003). "Research on Ecstasy is clouded by errors". National news. The New York Times. Vol. CLII, no. 241. p. F1. ISSN 0362-4331. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2021..