Prior cannabis vapor exposure impairs pattern separation in rodents of multiple ages but is rescued by citicoline administration.
Neuroscience May 25, 2026 Caitlyn C Costa, Aoife S Weiss, Caroline M Limbaker et al.
Vaporized THC or cannabis extract impairs spatial pattern separation—a specific type of memory—in male and female rats tested at adolescence, young adulthood, and middle adulthood. These deficits emerged during early abstinence from THC exposure and were rescued by citicoline injections, particularly when given during memory encoding or consolidation. Vehicle-exposed rats showed no impairment, and citicoline did not affect their performance. The deficits recovered during prolonged abstinence. The findings suggest citicoline may repair THC-induced cognitive deficits, though the mechanism remains unclear.