Novel object recognition memory: measurement issues and effects of MDMA self-administration following short inter-trial intervals.
Susan Schenk, David N. Harper, Jennifer Do
Journal of Psychopharmacology August 2011 DOI: 10.1177/0269881110389213 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Intervention | MDMA self-administration |
| Dose | 165 mg/kg total |
| Duration | 13-41 days of self-administration; tests at 1 and 10 weeks post |
| Measures | novel object recognition (NOR) task |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Key findings | Rats that self-administered MDMA failed to demonstrate novel object recognition memory one week after the last session, but recovered after a 70-day drug-free period, indicating transient cognitive deficits. |
Abstract
The present study was undertaken to examine effects of self-administered MDMA on novel object exploration (NOR) memory. Self-administration was conducted during daily 2 h tests that continued until a total of 165 mg/kg was self-administered (range = 13-41 days for individual rats). Control rats were placed in the self-administration boxes during daily sessions but did not receive any drug. One or 10 weeks following the last self-administration session, memory was assessed using a standard NOR task. When exploration time was used as the dependent measure for the control rats, there was no consistent pattern of change as a function of inter-trial interval (ITI) and exploration times failed to reveal decay in the function relating exploration to ITI. When number of approaches was examined as a function of ITI, however, there was a preference for the novel object following the short ITIs (1-15 min) and the function relating preference to ITI decayed with longer ITIs. When tested 7 days following the last self-administration session, rats that self-administered MDMA failed to demonstrate NOR even following the shortest ITI of 1 min. The data support the idea that MDMA self-administration produces cognitive deficits and are consistent with the idea that attentional processes become disrupted. There was, however, recovery of NOR memory when rats were tested following an extended drug-free period of 70 days. Thus, the deficits are transient and recovery was apparent.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on MDMA, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in Psychiatry Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology October 10, 2018
- Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA): interindividual differences due to polymorphisms and drug–drug interactions Critical Reviews in Toxicology October 3, 2012
- Contribution of impulsivity and novelty-seeking to the acquisition and maintenance of MDMA self-administration Addiction Biology July 11, 2012
- Profile of MDMA Self-Administration from a Large Cohort of Rats: MDMA Develops a Profile of Dependence with Extended Testing Journal of Drug and Alcohol Research 2012
- Effects of repeated treatment with MDMA on working memory and behavioural flexibility in mice Addiction Biology January 19, 2012
and 5 more in the library
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- Drug seeking in response to a priming injection of MDMA in rats: relationship to initial sensitivity to self-administered MDMA and dorsal striatal dopamine The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology March 25, 2010
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