Co-administration of THC and MDMA ('ecstasy') synergistically disrupts memory in rats.
June M Young, Iain S. Mcgregor, Paul E Mallet
Neuropsychopharmacology August 2005 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300692 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Interventions | MDMA THC |
| Dose | 0.25 mg/kg THC and 1.25 mg/kg MDMA (low); 0.5 mg/kg THC and 2.5 mg/kg MDMA (medium); 1 mg/kg THC and 5 mg/kg MDMA (high) |
| Measures | double Y-maze task |
| Topics | Cannabis MDMA |
| Key findings | Co-administration of THC and MDMA synergistically disrupted working memory in rats. Low doses had no effect alone but impaired memory together; medium doses showed MDMA exacerbating THC-induced impairment; high doses caused major behavioral disruption. |
Abstract
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'Ecstasy') and cannabis are two of the most commonly used illicit drugs in the western world, and are often used in combination. Very little research has examined their effect on cognitive function or behavior when combined, The present study used a double Y-maze task to examine the acute effect of MDMA and delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, the principal psychoactive ingredient of cannabis) on mnemonic function in rats, at a range of doses representative of common human use. Experiment I (low doses) examined the effect of 0.25 mg/kg THC and 1.25 mg/kg MDMA alone and together. At these doses MDMA or THC given alone had no effect on working memory, but the co-administered drugs significantly disrupted working memory. Experiment 2 (medium doses) examined the effect of 0.5 mg/kg THC and 2.5 mg/kg MDMA given alone or together. At these doses THC, but not MDMA, impaired working memory. Although MDMA alone had no effect, it exacerbated the impairment due to THC when the drugs were co-administered. Experiment 3 (high doses) examined the effects of 1 mg/kg THC and 5 mg/kg MDMA alone and together. Both drugs significantly impaired memory when given alone, although the impairment due to MDMA was less than that caused by THC. When co-administered at these doses, the drugs caused a major disruption of behavior and this precluded ascribing a mnemonic cause to poor performance on the double Y-maze task Taken together, these experiments demonstrate a synergistic disruption of working memory by acute co-administration of THC and MDMA.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 14
- MDMA in humans: factors which affect the neuropsychobiological profiles of recreational ecstasy users, the integrative role of bioenergetic stress Journal of Psychopharmacology March 1, 2006
- Sex-Dependent Psychoneuroendocrine Effects of THC and MDMA in an Animal Model of Adolescent Drug Consumption PLoS One November 4, 2013
- Acute psychomotor, memory and subjective effects of MDMA and THC co-administration over time in healthy volunteers Journal of Psychopharmacology September 3, 2010
- Effects of repeated treatment with MDMA on working memory and behavioural flexibility in mice Addiction Biology January 19, 2012
- MDMA & Cannabis: A Mini-Review of Cognitive, Behavioral, and Neurobiological Effects of Co-Consumption Current Drug Abuse Reviews June 1, 2011
and 9 more in the library
Cites 20
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- Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry June 1, 2000
- The Psychological and Physiological Effects of MDMA on Normal Volunteers Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1986
- Cognitive performance in recreational users of MDMA or 'ecstasy': evidence for memory deficits Journal of Psychopharmacology 1998
- Acute, sub‐acute and long‐term subjective consequences of ‘ecstasy’ (MDMA) consumption in 430 regular users Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental October 1, 2003
and 15 more in the library