(dailycollegian.com) "This past year at UMass, the electronic dance music (EDM) scene has fused with the hearts of many students and locals.
By introducing both world-class DJs and world-famous festivals to the school’s community, Mass EDMC, a local Pioneer Valley company that organizes events for “EDM enthusiasts” has helped to spread the EDM scene at UMass over the past year.
The company, founded in 2008, has used its passion for electronic music to present acts including Tiësto, Deadmau5, and Avicii, and it has organized events such as the Winter White Tour and Fantazia 360⁰, which have all drawn in immense crowds and new fans.
But however easy it is to join in on the rave scene, the popular party atmosphere is often associated with illegal drug usage that can have dangerous effects on the brain.
The synthetic drug, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), which belongs to the amphetamine family, is one of the leading recreational drugs used at rave scenes around the world. Known for putting users into a state of bliss, MDMA is sold commonly as ecstasy and is now seen in the form of an extremely potent powder called “Molly.”
Although MDMA may have desirable immediate effects, according to Jerry Meyer, a UMass Psychology Professor and a member of the Neurology Graduate Program, there are both short and long-term effects following the use of the drug.
“Heavy ecstasy users over the weekend will find that several days later, they often have a depressed mood and are more irritable,” said Meyer. “This is what we call ‘mid-week blues.’ Some users seem to go back to normal by the following weekend.”
Meyer refers to studies showing that this depressed mood might possibly come from the temporary depletion of serotonin levels in the brain after ecstasy use.
“Ecstasy causes the release of dopamine [the brain chemical associated with reward] and acts on serotonin [the chemical associated with positive moods],” he said.
Meyer also said that MDMA is considered to be neurotoxic.
“The theory that ecstasy takes ‘ice cream scoops’ out of your brain is a myth,” he said. “But both experimental animal studies and human studies show that high doses can cause long-term reduction in serotonin in the brain.” "
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