Exposure to 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on postnatal days 11–20 induces reference but not working memory deficits in the Morris water maze in rats: implications of prior learning
Charles V. Vorhees, Tracy M. Reed, Matthew R. Skelton, Michael T. Williams
International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience August 1, 2004 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2004.06.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rat offspring exposed to MDMA on postnatal days 11–20 |
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Dose | 0, 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg × 2/day |
| Duration | Exposure on postnatal days 11–20; testing afterward |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Working memory Memory impairment Water maze Hippocampus Pharmacology |
| Citations | 76 |
| Key findings | MDMA exposure on postnatal days 11–20 impaired spatial reference memory in the Morris water maze when the maze was administered first, but did not affect cued learning, swimming ability, or working memory. |
Abstract
Abstract 3,4‐Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in previous experiments has been shown to induce long‐term spatial and sequential learning and memory deficits in adult offspring after exposure to the drug on postnatal (P) days 11–20, but not after exposure on P1–10. Herein we further tested for the effects of MDMA (0, 5, 10 or 20 mg/kg × 2/day) after exposure on P11–20 on reference and working memory in the Morris water maze (MWM), on reference memory in the Barnes maze, and on cued learning in the visible platform version of the MWM. The MWM and Barnes mazes were counterbalanced such that half the litters received the MWM‐first and the other half received the Barnes maze first. Effects on MWM performance as a function of test order were observed. For animals that received the Barnes maze first, spatial MWM learning and memory trends were seen but they were not significantly different between MDMA groups and saline controls. For those receiving the MWM‐first, there are consistent impairments on all measures in the MDMA groups compared to controls on MWM performance (latency, path length, and cumulative distance from the goal). On probe trials, MDMA animals receiving the MWM‐first showed increased distance from the target site compared to controls. There were no MDMA effects seen on cued trials in the MWM or on straight channel swimming trials regardless of test order, indicating that MDMA had no effects on swimming ability or on the skills needed to learn the MWM. Similarly, there were no effects of MDMA on MWM working memory regardless of test order. No MDMA effects on the Barnes maze were found regardless of test order, however, the interpretation of this finding was compromised by the poor performance of the animals on this task.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on MDMA, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amphetamine-type central nervous system stimulants release norepinephrine more potently than they release dopamine and serotonin | 2000 | Experimental study | |
| Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) cause selective ablation of serotonergic axon terminals in forebrain: immunocytochemical evidence for neurotoxicity Rat brain | 1988 | Experimental study | |
| The molecular mechanism of "ecstasy" [3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA)]: serotonin transporters are targets for MDMA-induced serotonin release. Human platelet plasma membrane vesicles and bovine adrenal chromaffin granule membrane... | 1992 | Laboratory study | |
| Oxytocin-dependent reopening of a social reward learning critical period with MDMA | 2019 | Experimental study | |
| Effects of certain hallucinogenic amphetamine analogs on the release of [3H]-serotonin from rat brain synaptosomes Rat whole brain synaptosomes | 1982 | Experimental study |
Citations in the library
Cited by 22
- Neurobehavioral outcomes of infants exposed to MDMA (Ecstasy) and other recreational drugs during pregnancy Neurotoxicology and Teratology March 5, 2012
- A developmental comparison of the neurobehavioral effects of ecstasy (MDMA) Neurotoxicology and Teratology October 21, 2006
- One-Year Outcomes of Prenatal Exposure to MDMA and Other Recreational Drugs Pediatrics August 21, 2012
- (+/–)3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) Dose-Dependently Impairs Spatial Learning in the Morris Water Maze after Exposure of Rats to Different Five-Day Intervals from Birth to Postnatal Day Twenty Developmental Neuroscience 2009
- Comparison of the developmental effects of 5-methoxy-N,N-diisopropyltryptamine (Foxy) to (+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy) in rats. Psychopharmacology June 1, 2009
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Cites 6
- A study of the neurotoxic effect of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) on 5‐HT neurones in the brains of mothers and neonates following administration of the drug during pregnancy British Journal of Pharmacology June 1, 1997
- 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Ecstasy)-Induced Learning and Memory Impairments Depend on the Age of Exposure during Early Development Journal of Neuroscience May 1, 2001
- Developmental 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) impairs sequential and spatial but not cued learning independent of growth, litter effects or injection stress Brain Research March 25, 2003
- Serotonergic Neurotoxicity of MDMA (Ecstasy) in the Developing Rat Brain Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences June 1, 2002
- Characteristics of pregnant women who use ecstasy (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine). Neurotoxicology and Teratology 2001
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