Pubdate: Sat, 03 Nov 2001
Source: New Scientist (UK)
Copyright: New Scientist, RBI Limited 2001
Contact:  http://www.newscientist.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/294
Page: 17
Author: Andy Coghlan
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/raves.htm (Raves)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

SPEED-FREAK MOUSE RAVERS SQUEAK THEIR LAST

Listening To Loud Music While On Speed Could Be Bad For Your Health. 
Especially If You're A Mouse.

"it seems that listening to pulsatile music strengthens the toxic effects 
of methamphetamine," says Jenny Morton of Cambridge University. She exposed 
mice given the drug to silence, white noise or loud music-either music by 
The Prodigy or Bach's Violin Concerto in A minor, which share a similar 
tempo, she says.

Loud music alone didn't harm the mice. In fact, all those given injections 
of plain salt water instead of speed fell asleep during the "rave". But the 
loud music seemed to intensify the effects of methamphetamine. Of the 40 
mice exposed to Bach, 4 died during or after the experiment, and no fewer 
than 7 of the 40 exposed to The Prodigy died. Morton doesn't think mice can 
tell the difference between violin concertos and rave music, however. "They 
just heard pulsating noise," she says.

The murine ravers; also behaved abnormally. Mice on methamphetamine usually 
charge around for half an hour, lapse into agitated repetitive movement 
called stereotypy, then charge around for another half-hour or so before 
becoming normal again.

This was the pattern for mice exposed either to white noise or silence. But 
the mice listening to the music spent the whole fourour rave glued to the 
spot or walking backwards, showing agitated stereotypic movements. "They 
jiggle backwards and forwards and move their noses from side to side," says 
Morton.

These mice also suffered more brain damage, as measured by the number of 
glial "repair" cells found in brain regions that are targeted by 
methamphetamine. "if you saw how the mice behaved, you wouldn't want to 
take methamphetamine," says Morton. "I might go to raves, but I wouldn't 
take methamphetamine."
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