Repeated use of MDMA (“ecstasy”) may cause sleep apnea in otherwise healthy young adults according to a new study by scientists at the John Hopkins University School of Medicine.

A team led by professor Una D. McCann has previously linked MDMA to neurological problems such as subtle cognitive deficits, impulsive behavior, and altered brain wave patterns during sleep.

The scientists conclude that these findings suggest that prior recreational methylenedioxymethamphetamine use increases the risk for obstructive sleep apnea and lend support to the notion that brain serotonin neuronal dysfunction plays a role in the pathophysiology of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea in young abstinent recreational MDMA (“ecstasy”) consumers

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