Evidence of Neurotoxicity of Ecstasy: Sustained Effects on Electroencephalographic Activity in Polydrug Users

According to previous EEG reports of indicative disturbances in Alpha and Beta activities, a systematic search for distinct EEG abnormalities in a broader population of Ecstasy users may especially corroborate the presumed specific neurotoxicity of Ecstasy in humans.105 poly-drug consumers with former Ecstasy use and 41 persons with comparable drug history without Ecstasy use, and 11 drug naives were investigated for EEG features. Conventional EEG derivations of 19 electrodes according to the 10-20-system were conducted. Besides standard EEG bands, quantitative EEG analyses of 1-Hz-subdivided power ranges of Alpha, Theta and Beta bands have been considered.Ecstasy users with medium and high cumulative Ecstasy doses revealed an increase in Theta and lower Alpha activities, significant increases in Beta activities, and a reduction of background activity. Ecstasy users with low cumulative Ecstasy doses showed a significant Alpha activity at 11 Hz. Interestingly, the spectral power of low frequencies in medium and high Ecstasy users was already significantly increased in the early phase of EEG recording. Statistical analyses suggested the main effect of Ecstasy to EEG results.Our data from a major sample of Ecstasy users support previous data revealing alterations of EEG frequency spectrum due rather to neurotoxic effects of Ecstasy on serotonergic systems in more detail. Accordingly, our data may be in line with the observation of attentional and memory impairments in Ecstasy users with moderate to high misuse. Despite the methodological problem of polydrug use also in our approach, our EEG results may be indicative of the neuropathophysiological background of the reported memory and attentional deficits in Ecstasy abusers. Overall, our findings may suggest the usefulness of EEG in diagnostic approaches in assessing neurotoxic sequela of this common drug abuse

Microbiological Transformation of Silicon Compounds: Enantioselective Reduction of Trimethylsilylalkyl Acetoacetates and their Carba-Analogues

The trimethylsilylalkyl acetoacetates 1 b and 2 b as well as their carba analogues 1 a and 2 a have been reduced microbiologically by Kloeckera corticis (ATCC 20109), leading to the corresponding ( + )-3(S)-hydroxybutanoates 3b, 4b, 3a, and 4a. The enantiomeric purity was found to be 80% (3a, 3b, 4b) and 65% (4a), respectively. The reduction of lb and 2b is - to our knowledge - the first example for a controlled microbiological transformation of organosilicon substrates

Subjective Experience of Relaxation - Induced by Vibroacoustic Stimulation by a Body Monochord or CD Music - A Randomised, Controlled Study in Patients With Psychosomatic Disorders

Vibroacoustic stimulation via a Body Monochord can induce states of relaxation and subjective well-being. Sometimes unpleasant experiences such as fear, loss of control and unpleasant imagery can occur. Previous results were mainly deduced from investigations in healthy subjects. In this study, we examined psychosomatic patients’ subjective experiences during a single treatment with a Body Monochord in comparison to a listening session of relaxation music via audio CD. Diagnosed disorders were anxiety disorders n = 14, depressive disorders n = 18, adjustment disorder n = 27 and somatoform disorders n = 6. Each of the two treatments took approximately 20 minutes and was presented to the patients in random order. Subjective experiences were recorded via a shortened version of the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory. Neither clinical disorders nor psychometric scales for depressiveness and anxiety showed any influence on the emotional experience of the Body Monochord. However, patients with higher depression and anxiety scores showed a tendency to experience the CD music as less emotionally positive. The experience of relaxation induced by the Body Monochord is characterised to a greater extent by release of control (paired t-test: p = .003, effect size Cohen’s d = .54). Contrary to listening sessions of the CD music, the intensity of imagery during the treatment with the Body Monochord was not related to positive emotional feelings. Possibly during treatment with the Body Monochord psychological defence mechanisms of subjects are more reduced; this may make it easier for unconscious or preconscious contents to appear

EEG subbands of Alpha and Theta activities in regard to drug consumption order.

<p>Histogram of spectral power by electroencephalographic frequency in 1.0 Hz steps within the Theta-band, and in 0.5 Hz steps within the Alpha-band, according to groups of polydrug-users with and without Ecstasy consumption and drug naives, in a study cohort of 146 polydrug-users and 11 drug naives as controls.</p

Prevalences of drug misusers and their consumptions.

<p>30-day-prevalence (30), 6-months-prevalence (6) and 12-months-prevalence (12) of drug consumption regarding differences in group and consumption order (results in percentage).</p

Relaxation – Induced by Vibroacoustic Stimulation via a Body Monochord and via Relaxation Music – Is Associated with a Decrease in Tonic Electrodermal Activity and an Increase of the Salivary Cortisol Level in Patients with Psychosomatic Disorders

<div><p>Vibroacoustic stimulation by a Body Monochord can induce relaxation states of various emotional valence. The skin conductance level (SCL) of the tonic electrodermal activity is an indicator of sympathetic arousal of the autonomic nervous system and thus an indicator of the relaxation response. Salivary cortisol is considered to be a stress indicator of the HPA-axis.</p><p>The effects of the treatment with a Body Monochord and listening to relaxation music (randomized chronological presentation) on SCL and salivary cortisol in relation to the emotional valence of the experience were examined in patients with psychosomatic disorders (N = 42). Salivary cortisol samples were collected immediately before and after the expositions. Subjective experience was measured via self-rating scales.</p><p>Overall, both the exposure to the Body Monochord as well as the exposure to the relaxation music induced an improvement of patients’ mood and caused a highly significant reduction of SCL. A more emotionally positive experience of relaxation correlated with a slightly stronger reduction of the SCL. Both treatment conditions caused a slight increase in salivary cortisol, which was significant after exposure to the first treatment. The increase of salivary cortisol during a relaxation state is contrary to previous findings. It is possible that the relaxation state was experienced as an emotional challenge, due to inner images and uncommon sensations that might have occurred.</p></div

Salivary cortisol.

<p>Salivary cortisol levels measured immediately before the first treatment after the resting condition, immediately after the first treatment and after the second treatment for the two groups with different chronological order of the two kinds of treatment (N = 36).</p

Electrodermal activity (SCL) of the patients who discontinued the treatment session.

<p>Individual courses of the SCL of the patients who discontinued the treatment session with the Body Monochord (N = 7) or the CD music (N = 1) because of unpleasant feelings or occurring imageries. The last measurement points refer to the last minute immediately before termination of the treatment exposure.</p

Electrodermal activity (SCL).

<p>Course of SCL during the two kinds of treatment (Body Monochord, CD music). The left diagram shows the courses of the SCL when the Body Monochord was presented as first and the CD music was presented as second exposure. The right diagram shows the courses of the SCL when the CD music was presented as first and the Body Monochord was presented as second exposure.</p

Berlin Mood Questionnaire (BSF).

<p>Perceived states of mood measured via the Berlin Mood Questionnaire (BSF) at the resting condition, after the exposure to the Body Monochord, and after the exposure to the CD music. (N = 37).</p