Might be old, but whatever. I didn't find anything here on it.

Ecstasy is being hailed as the key to better treatments for the Parkinson's disease, marking a complete turnaround from a few weeks ago when ecstasy was condemned for causing the disease.

New animal studies have confirmed anecdotal reports that ecstasy can dramatically curb the uncontrollable arm and leg movements that plague so many people with Parkinson's. But the finding may be of little immediate help to sufferers.

Regaining control
The latest study was prompted by the experiences of a former stuntman, Tim Lawrence. He made headlines when he claimed in a BBC TV documentary that "E" enabled him to regain control of his body for hours at a time.

To mimic Parkinson's, they gave six marmosets a chemical that kills dopamine neurons. Then, over the next few months, the monkeys had daily doses of L-dopa until they developed the usual side effect of uncontrolled movements. At this point the animals were given MDMA.

Dramatic effects
The effects were dramatic. Normally, monkeys on L-dopa move their arms and legs around in a repetitive and uncontrolled way virtually all the time. But in the six hours after a dose of MDMA, these movements happened no more than 15 per cent of the time. MDMA somehow reduces the debilitating side effects of L-dopa without blocking its beneficial effects.

The researchers suspect the finding reflects MDMA's ability to stimulate the release of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain. That might make up for a lack of serotonin caused by taking L-dopa for prolonged periods, says Brotchie. However, there are fears that MDMA can damage serotonin-producing cells.


From: http://www.mdma.net/misc/ecstasyantipark.html


Hm..definitely some steps in the right direction. Now I'm just waiting for California MDMA clubs to start popping up.

Medical grade MDMA for the win.

wow, thats fucking bad ass. I wonder if they are going to take the research to the clinical stage. I have been watching MDMA's use in psychotherapy and wonder how this will effect it's standing in the medical community. I know it's been said in the past, however MDMA is looking to be a great medical tool...hopefully more research will follow this to prove it has a use more then street use.

I bet Michael J. Fox is stoked.

Hahaha

I was actually going to post that in the original post...

Now he can make Back to the Future 4 while he's buzzed out on molly.

Great, just what we need. A bunch of shaky ass horny people in clubs.

Now he can make Back to the Future 4 while he's buzzed out on molly.

The funny thing is, his Doc has just given him the all clear to go back to work again.

Maybe he has been dosing up on the diddley's in all his spare time.

hahaha thats the best thing i've heard all day

Alright, well, lets not derail the thread any more than it has been.

How about some actual comments on the article?

Yeah, I'm really happy that MDMA can do this, but the government will make sure that it doesn't become a medicine.

Yeah, I'm really happy that MDMA can do this, but the government will make sure that it doesn't become a medicine.

Same thing was said about marijuana.

the same thing was said about pot, true. However there is still a massive political battle going on over it sadly. In the end it does not matter what or how MDMA is used for in a medical context, it's who has the best political strategy. the fact the government has painted MDMA as a huge life ending monster has been looped in the publics mind. I hate to say it, but MDMA will take a decade or more before any government is willing to see it in any medical context for prescribing it. They are JUST doing phase 2 trials with MDMA in clinical psychotherapy, something that should have been done before there was ever any hearing in the 1990's. In all honesty i think the street use is going to be the downfall of medical MDMA with the current drug policies.

Same thing was said about marijuana.

And they still have, at least from a federal standpoint.

And they still have, at least from a federal standpoint.

True, but we're taking several steps in the right direction as far as that's concerned.

True, but we're taking several steps in the right direction as far as that's concerned.

Definitely.

:)

My grandmother died of Parkinson's, so there is a chance that I will get it as well (she had diabetes, I too have diabetes).

I'm already a fan of MDMA, so it's nice to know that my extra-curricular activities may be staving off a battle with it.

Nice article, Darkus.