Developmental 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) impairs sequential and spatial but not cued learning independent of growth, litter effects or injection stress
Brain Research March 25, 2003 Michael T. Williams, Laronda L. Morford, Sandra L. Wood et al. 66 citations
Rats given MDMA from postnatal days 11 to 20 showed lasting deficits in spatial learning and memory, even when growth restriction from the drug was matched by raising rats in larger litters. Males exposed to MDMA took longer and made more errors in the Cincinnati water maze than control males. In the Morris water maze, MDMA-treated rats of both sexes were impaired during initial learning. Only females showed deficits when the platform was first moved, but both sexes were impaired after a second move with a smaller platform. No differences appeared in swimming ability, cued navigation, or stress hormone responses. Growth retardation, injections, or litter size did not account for the learning impairments.