Endocannabinoids and addiction memory: Relevance to methamphetamine/morphine abuse

Abstract

Aim

This review aims to summarise the role of endocannabinoid system (ECS), incluing cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous lipid ligands in the modulation of methamphetamine (METH)/morphine-induced memory impairments.

Methods

Here, we utilized the results from researches which have investigated regulatory role of ECS (including cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists) on METH/morphine-induced memory impairments.

Results

Among the neurotransmitters, glutamate and dopamine seem to play a critical role in association with the ECS to heal the drug-induced memory damages. Also, the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex are three important brain regions that participate in both drug addiction and memory task processes, and endocannabinoid neurotransmission have been investigated.

Conclusion

ECS can be regarded as a treatment for the side effects of METH and morphine, and their memory-impairing effects.

Keywords:

• Endocannabinoid system
• addiction memory
• methamphetamine
• morphine
• memory impairment
• glutamate
• dopamine

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences for cooperating with this review report.

Statement of interest

None to declare.

Additional information

Funding

This review article was supported by the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF) grant No. 99007925; and National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 32071028. The authors also acknowledge support from 2017 CAS-TWAS President's Fellowship for international Ph.D. students, awarded jointly by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and The World Academy of Sciences.