Learning impairment in the radial-arm maze following prolonged cannabis treatment in rats.
Chronic oral administration of cannabis extract to rats (daily delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol dose 20 mg/kg) was examined in three experiments for its residual effect on radial-arm maze learning following a 1-month drug-free period. Learning a simple eight-arm maze was significantly impaired in rats treated for either 6 months (Experiment I) or 3 months (Experiment II) with the drug. In Experiment III, animals that received the extract for 3 months exhibited significant learning deficits on a much more difficult 12-arm radial maze. The results demonstrate that the deleterious effects of cannabis on radial-arm maze learning are probably due to a tendency toward increased vigilance and perseveration, possibly combined with an impaired utilization of spatial cues.
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002188:Cannabis; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005508:Food Deprivation; D006801:Humans; D007441:Intubation, Gastrointestinal; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D010936:Plant Extracts; D013759:Dronabinol