Improved Social Interaction, Recognition and Working Memory with Cannabidiol Treatment in a Prenatal Infection (poly I:C) Rat Model

Abstract

Neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia are associated with cognitive impairment, including learning, memory and attention deficits. Antipsychotic drugs are limited in their efficacy to improve cognition; therefore, new therapeutic agents are required. Cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating component of cannabis, has anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and antipsychotic-like properties, however, its ability to improve the cognitive deficits of schizophrenia remains unclear. Using a prenatal infection model, we examined the effect of chronic CBD treatment on cognition and social interaction. Time-mated pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats (n=16) were administered poly I:C (POLY; 4 mg/kg) or saline (CONT) at gestation day 15. Male offspring (PN56) were injected twice daily with 10 mg/kg CBD (CONT+CBD, POLY+CBD; n=12/group) or vehicle (VEH; CONT+VEH, POLY+VEH; n=12/group) for 3 weeks. Body weight, food and water intake was measured weekly. The Novel Object Recognition and rewarded T-maze alternation tests assessed recognition and working memory, respectively, and the social interaction test assessed sociability. POLY+VEH offspring exhibited impaired recognition and working memory and reduced social interaction compared to CONT+VEH offspring (p<0.01). CBD treatment significantly improved recognition, working memory and social interaction deficits in the poly I:C model (p<0.01 vs POLY+VEH), did not affect total body weight gain, food or water intake, and had no effect in control animals (all p>0.05). In conclusion, chronic CBD administration can attenuate the social interaction and cognitive deficits induced by prenatal poly I:C infection. These novel findings present interesting implications for potential use of CBD in treating the cognitive deficits and social withdrawal of schizophrenia.

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is it good for negative symptoms …!!!

However, there has remains a dearth of studies focussed on determining whether CBD is able to treat the cognitive symptoms, which are closely linked to functional outcomes, and the negative symptoms, which precede the onset of the positive symptoms. This should be an important focus of future investigations

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It’s hard to say if cbd is an antipsychotic agent. I’m not sure about it yet, but I did get hyped when I first heard about it. Hmm?

I’d like to try it without taking Abilify, but I just don’t think it’ll do much. Maybe in the future I’ll know?

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What meds are u taking and how much? I am on 10mg of Abilify.

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@GentleSoul

I take 0.5mg abilify once a week to help with risperidone side effects. I’m on 37.5mg risperidone consta injection every 2 weeks.

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