(+/–)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
Charles V. Vorhees, Tori L. Schaefer, Matthew R. Skelton, Curtis E. Grace, Nicole R Herring, Michael T. Williams
Developmental Neuroscience 2009 DOI: 10.1159/000207499 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rat pups |
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Dose | 0, 10, 15, 20, or 25 mg/kg ×4/day |
| Duration | Dosing on PD 1–5, 6–10, 11–15, or 16–20; testing in adulthood |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Water maze Elevated plus maze Anesthesia Pharmacology Developmental psychology |
| Citations | 40 |
| Key findings | MDMA treatment during preweaning periods impaired allocentric learning in the Morris water maze but did not affect egocentric learning, anxiety, or novel object recognition. |
Abstract
During postnatal days (PD) 11–20, (+/–)3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) treatment impairs egocentric and allocentric learning, and reduces spontaneous locomotor activity; however, it does not have these effects during PD 1–10. How the learning impairments relate to the stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP) is unknown. To test this association, the preweaning period was subdivided into 5-day periods from PD 1–20. Separate pups within each litter were injected subcutaneously with 0, 10, 15, 20, or 25 mg/kg MDMA ×4/day on PD 1–5, 6–10, 11–15, or 16–20, and tested as adults. The 3 highest MDMA dose groups showed reduced locomotor activity during the first 10 min (of 60 min), especially in the PD 1–5 and 6–10 dosing regimens. MDMA groups in all dosing regimens showed impaired allocentric learning in the Morris water maze (on acquisition and reversal, all MDMA groups were affected; on the small platform phase, the 2 high-dose groups were affected). No effects of MDMA were found on anxiety (elevated zero maze), novel object recognition, or egocentric learning (although a nonsignificant trend was observed). The Morris maze results did not support the idea that the SHRP is critical to the effects of MDMA on allocentric learning. However, since no effects on egocentric learning were found, but were apparent after PD 11–20 treatment, the results show that these 2 forms of learning have different exposure-duration sensitivities.
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 13
- Neurobehavioral outcomes of infants exposed to MDMA (Ecstasy) and other recreational drugs during pregnancy Neurotoxicology and Teratology March 5, 2012
- One-Year Outcomes of Prenatal Exposure to MDMA and Other Recreational Drugs Pediatrics August 21, 2012
- MDMA (3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) Analogues as Tools to Characterize MDMA-Like Effects: An Approach to Understand Entactogen Pharmacology Current Neuropharmacology August 1, 2013
- Behavioral profiles in rats distinguish among "ecstasy," methamphetamine and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine: Mixed effects for "ecstasy" analogues. Behavioral Neuroscience October 1, 2010
- Distinct periods of developmental sensitivity to the effects of 3,4-(±)-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on behaviour and monoamines in rats The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology June 28, 2011
and 8 more in the library
Cites 12
- Chronic tolerance to recreational MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) or Ecstasy Journal of Psychopharmacology 2005
- Age-dependent sensitivity of rats to the long-term effects of the serotonergic neurotoxicant (+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) correlates with the magnitude of the MDMA-induced thermal response. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics October 1, 1995
- 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Ecstasy)-Induced Learning and Memory Impairments Depend on the Age of Exposure during Early Development Journal of Neuroscience May 1, 2001
- 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 International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience August 1, 2004
- 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
and 7 more in the library