Attenuation of the disruptive effects of (+/-)3,4-methylene dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on delayed matching-to-sample performance in the rat.
David N. Harper, Maree Hunt, Susan Schenk
Behavioral Neuroscience January 1, 2006 DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.120.1.201 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAcute MDMA exposure disrupts memory performance in rats, possibly by increasing confusion between events from previous and current trials. In a delayed matching-to-sample task, lengthening the intertrial interval from 5 to 15 seconds reduced this disruption, suggesting that separating current-trial to-be-remembered events from previous-trial events can attenuate MDMA's memory-impairing effects.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Rats |
| Intervention | MDMA |
| Topics | MDMA |
| Keywords | Confusion Limiting Audiology Developmental psychology |
| Citations | 26 |
| Key finding | A 15-second intertrial interval ameliorated the disruptive effects of MDMA on trial performance compared to a 5-second interval. |
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that the disruptive effects of acute exposure to (+/-)3,4-methylene dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on memory performance may be the result of increased confusion between previous-trial and current-trial events. The current study tested this hypothesis by examining the effects of MDMA on performance of rats in a delayed matching-to-sample procedure when the length of the intertrial interval (ITI) was altered. Consistent with the possibility that limiting the conditions under which responses made on a previous trial would interfere with current-trial choice, a 15-s ITI ameliorated the disruptive effects caused by MDMA on trial performance when the ITI was 5 s. Therefore, the disruptive effects of MDMA on memory can be attenuated by methods that separate current-trial "to-be-remembered" events from previous-trial events.