Repeated, intermittent delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol administration to rats impairs acquisition and performance of a test of visuospatial divided attention.
Christopher D. Verrico, J David Jentsch, Robert H Roth, Jane R. Taylor
Neuropsychopharmacology March 2004 DOI: 10.1038/sj.npp.1300316 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Controlled experimental animal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Interventions | Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Amphetamine |
| Dose | THC 10.0 mg/kg twice daily; amphetamine 0.5 mg/kg |
| Duration | 14 days of THC administration; follow-up 14 days after the final dose |
| Measures | lateralized reaction time task (self-paced version of the multiple-choice serial reaction time task) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Rats given subchronic THC (10.0 mg/kg twice daily for 14 days) showed impairments on a lateralized reaction time task that persisted 14 days after the final dose; an acute amphetamine challenge (0.5 mg/kg) transiently reversed the deficit. The authors conclude chronic THC induces an attentional deficit in rats similar to that in humans who abuse marijuana, and suggest monoaminergic deficits may contribute. |
Abstract
The residual neuropsychological effects of marijuana abuse in man indicate a dysfunction of the attentional/executive systems. Moreover, experimental investigations suggest that repeated, intermittent (subchronic) Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient of marijuana, alters neurotransmission in the frontal cortex of rats and humans, a key neural site mediating attention and executive functions. In the present studies, the acquisition and performance of a test of visuospatial attention (the lateralized reaction time task) after subchronic THC administration (10.0 mg/kg twice daily for 14 days) was examined. Rats previously administered THC showed impairments in this self-paced version of the classic multiple-choice serial reaction time task, which persisted 14 days after the final drug administration. Longer time points were not examined. These attentional impairments were transiently reversible with an acute amphetamine (0.5 mg/kg) challenge. These behavioral data demonstrate that chronic THC administration to rats induces an attentional deficit, similar to that observed in humans who abuse marijuana. Finally, amphetamine's ability to reverse the attentional impairments provides indirect evidence that monoaminergic deficits may be linked to the cognitive dysfunction.
Comparable studies
Other preclinical and animal studies on cannabis, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- The Effects of Cannabinoids on Executive Functions: Evidence from Cannabis and Synthetic Cannabinoids—A Systematic Review Brain Sciences February 27, 2018
- Repeated Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol exposure in adolescent monkeys: persistent effects selective for spatial working memory. American Journal of Psychiatry April 2014
- Delay- and dose-dependent effects of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol administration on spatial and object working memory tasks in adolescent rhesus monkeys. Neuropsychopharmacology May 2012
- Methods of the pharmacological imaging of the cannabinoid system (PhICS) study: towards understanding the role of the brain endocannabinoid system in human cognition. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research March 2011
- Long-term consequences of a single treatment of mice with an ultra-low dose of Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Behavioural Brain Research January 20, 2010
and 4 more in the library
Cites 3
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- Repeated exposure to Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol reduces prefrontal cortical dopamine metabolism in the rat April 10, 1998
- Acute effects of marijuana on cognition: relationships to chronic effects and smoking techniques. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior November 1992