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Understanding the Impacts of Neurodevelopmental Cannabinoid Exposure

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Neurobiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 3128

Special Issue Editor

Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada
Interests: drug addiction; schizophrenia; neurodevelopment; anxiety and mood disorders; post-traumatic stress disorder; psychopharmacology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cannabinoids represent the most widely consumed psychoactive compounds in the world. Emerging evidence points to the vulnerability of the developing brain to the effects of cannabinoid exposure. Particularly during prenatal and adolescent neurodevelopmental windows, exposure to cannabinoids has been shown to induce long-term pathophysiological effects, including behavioural, neuronal, and molecular phenotypes that may increase vulnerability to a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, mood and anxiety disorders, and addictions. In this Special Issue, will describe the variety of effects induced by exposure to cannabinoid compounds during critical periods of brain development.

Prof. Dr. Steven Laviolette
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • cannabinoids
  • neuropsychiatric disorders
  • schizophrenia
  • mood
  • anxiety disorders
  • addictions

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

29 pages, 1108 KiB  
Review
Effects of Cannabinoid Exposure during Neurodevelopment on Future Effects of Drugs of Abuse: A Preclinical Perspective
by Aaron Mark Farrelly and Styliani Vlachou
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22(18), 9989; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijms22189989 - 15 Sep 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2553
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system plays a central role in the earliest stages of embryonic, postnatal and adolescent neurodevelopment. Aberrant activity of this system at key developmental phases has been shown to affect neural development. The aim of this review is to synthesise and analyse [...] Read more.
The endocannabinoid system plays a central role in the earliest stages of embryonic, postnatal and adolescent neurodevelopment. Aberrant activity of this system at key developmental phases has been shown to affect neural development. The aim of this review is to synthesise and analyse preclinical insights within rodent populations, focusing on the effects that perinatal (embryonic, gestational and early postnatal developmental stages) and adolescent (postnatal day 21–60) cannabinoid exposure impose across time on the subsequent activity of various drugs of abuse. Results in rodents show that exposure to cannabinoids during the perinatal and adolescent period can lead to multifaceted behavioural and molecular changes. In the perinatal period, significant effects of Δ9-THC exposure on subsequent opiate and amphetamine reward-related behaviours were observed primarily in male rodents. These effects were not extended to include cocaine or alcohol. In adolescence, various cannabinoid agonists were used experimentally. This array of cannabinoids demonstrated consistent effects on opioids across sex. In contrast, no significant effects were observed regarding the future activity of amphetamines and cocaine. However, these studies focused primarily on male rodents. In conclusion, numerous gaps and limitations are apparent in the current body of research. The sparsity of studies analysing the perinatal period must be addressed. Future research within both periods must also focus on delineating sex-specific effects, moving away from a male-centric focus. Studies should also aim to utilise more clinically relevant cannabinoid treatments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Understanding the Impacts of Neurodevelopmental Cannabinoid Exposure)
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