Learning impairment in the radial-arm maze following prolonged cannabis treatment in rats

Abstract

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.