Users of ecstasy and methamphetamine exhibit signs of brain damage similar to that suffered by victims of traumatic brain injuries, according to researchers at the University of Florida (UF).

A five-year study found that using these drugs can cause a chemical chain reaction leading to cell death in the brain, memory loss, and other potentially permanent problems.

"Using methamphetamine is like inflicting a traumatic brain injury on yourself," said Firas Kobeissy of the UF College of Medicine, who studied the brains of rats exposed to drugs and found that the damage they cause to certain proteins in the brain could lead to cell death and brain inflammation.

"We found that a lot of brain cells are being injured by these drugs ... When proteins are oxidized they are not functional. When proteins are not working, the cell cannot function."

The study was unveiled at a recent meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.