title: Learning impairment by Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol in adolescence is attributable to deficits in chunking.
abstract: Cannabis is the most popular illicit drug used by adolescents. Yet, there are only a few studies that have examined the effects of cannabis use on learning and memory during this sensitive and important neurodevelopmental stage. Male adolescent Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC, 6 mg/kg) daily for 27 days and concurrently trained in a spatial learning and memory task. The chronic effects of cannabis use were specifically examined by assessing animal behaviour during the 'postacute' period (17 h after drug exposure), when minimal acute drug burden is expected to be present. The postacute period is a good model for cannabis use patterns in human adolescents. In addition, we investigated whether the hierarchical organization of working memory (chunking) was impaired by THC-treatment. We show that THC exposure impairs adolescent learning when tested in the postacute period, and that THC impairs the ability of animals to use a chunking strategy.
authors: School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors: Ryan W J
authors: RW
authors: Steel
authors: John H
authors: JH
authors: Miller
authors: Dalice A
authors: DA
authors: Sim
authors: Darren John
authors: DJ
authors: Day
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D013759:Dronabinol