Dr. George A. Ricaurte is a neurology researcher who works at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Department of Neurology. He is known for his NIDA-funded research into MDMA neurotoxicity, some of which has generated a great deal of controversy. Neurology is a branch of medicine dealing with disorders of the nervous system. ... The Johns Hopkins University is an internationally prestigious private institution of higher learning located in Baltimore, Maryland. ... Cover of a NIDA educational booklet. ... ecstasy and religious ecstasy MDMA, most commonly known today by the street name ecstasy, is a synthetic entactogen of the phenethylamine family whose primary effect is to stimulate the brain to rapidly secrete large amounts of serotonin, causing a general sense of openness, empathy, energy, euphoria, and well-being. ... Neurotoxicity occurs when the exposure to natural or manmade toxic substances (neurotoxicants) alters the normal activity of the nervous system. ...

The MDMA neurotoxicity controversy

Main article: Retracted article on neurotoxicity of ecstasy This article concerns problems with a paper, Severe dopaminergic neurotoxicity in primates after a common recreational dose regimen of MDMA (ecstasy) that appeared in the leading journal Science, treated as a case study in scientific method. ...

In September 2002 Dr. Ricaurte, together with Jie Yuan, George Hatzidimitriou, Branden J. Cord and Ricaurte's wife Una D. McCann, published the article Severe Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity in Primates After a Common Recreational Dose Regimen of MDMA in Science. The paper immediately came under criticism from a number of sources. The criticism ranged from the method of administration of the drug injection, the fact that the study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the dosages involved and the 20% mortality rate of the animals used in the study. Almost exactly one year later, the paper was retracted with the explanation that the drug used in study had mistakenly been methamphetamine and not MDMA, resulting in a 50-fold overdose of methamphetamine compared to a common recreational dose of MDMA. Dr. Ricaurte claimed that the mixup was the result of mislabeling on behalf of the company that had supplied the drug. Research Triangle Institute. Science is the journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). ... Injection has multiple meanings: In mathematics, the term injection refers to an injective function. ... Cover of a NIDA educational booklet. ... It has been suggested that Desoxyn be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Desoxyn be merged into this article or section. ... The Research Triangle Institute (RTI) is a non-profit research organization based in the Research Triangle Park (RTP) of North Carolina. ...

Prior to the retraction of the results, this erroneous study had already been used as scientific evidence in Congress "as they sought to enact the Illicit Anti-Drug Proliferation Act, commonly known as the RAVE Act"[1].

The matter was not further pursued.

External links

• MAPS Article, Use as Evidence in Congress
• The retracted paper
• LA Weekly, Your Brain On Bad Science
• New Scientist, Controversial ecstasy research used wrong drug
• The Guardian, Scientists admit: we were wrong about 'E'
• BBC, 'Killer' Ecstasy claim was false