title: What Can Rats Tell Us about Adolescent Cannabis Exposure? Insights from Preclinical Research.
abstract: Marijuana is the most widely used drug of abuse among adolescents. Adolescence is a vulnerable period for brain development, during which time various neurotransmitter systems such as the glutamatergic, GABAergic, dopaminergic, and endocannabinoid systems undergo extensive reorganization to support the maturation of the central nervous system (CNS). ▵-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana, acts as a partial agonist of CB1 cannabinoid receptors (CB1Rs). CB1Rs are abundant in the CNS and are central components of the neurodevelopmental changes that occur during adolescence. Thus, overactivation of CB1Rs by cannabinoid exposure during adolescence has the ability to dramatically alter brain maturation, leading to persistent and enduring changes in adult cerebral function. Increasing preclinical evidence lends support to clinical evidence suggesting that chronic adolescent marijuana exposure may be associated with a higher risk for neuropsychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia. In this review, we present a broad overview of current neurobiological evidence regarding the long-term consequences of adolescent cannabinoid exposure on adult neuropsychiatric-like disorders.
authors.affiliation: Addiction Research Group, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario jrenard@uwo.ca.
authors.forename: Justine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Renard
authors.affiliation: Addiction Research Group, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Department of Psychiatry, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario.
authors.forename: Walter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Rushlow
authors.affiliation: Addiction Research Group, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario Department of Psychiatry, The Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario.
authors.forename: Steven R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Laviolette
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002188:Cannabis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000150:complications*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats
keywords: adolescence; cannabinoids; cannabis; dopamine; hippocampus; prefrontal cortex; psychiatric disorders; rodents; schizophrenia; synaptic plasticity; ventral tegmental area