Cannabis smoke and oral Δ9THC enhance working memory in aged but not young adult subjects
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) September 29, 2024 Sabrina Zequeira, Emely A. Gazarov, Alara A. Güvenli et al. preprint
Acute cannabis smoke enhanced working memory accuracy in aged male rats but impaired it in aged females, with no effects in young adults of either sex. The same smoke had minimal effects on a hippocampus-dependent memory task regardless of age or sex. Chronic oral Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9THC) enhanced working memory in aged rats of both sexes while not affecting young adults, and did not affect spatial learning or memory in either age group. Minimal age differences in Δ9THC pharmacokinetics were observed. Cannabis and Δ9THC can attenuate working memory impairments that emerge in aging without exacerbating age-associated hippocampus-dependent cognitive decline.