Parental Exposure to Drugs Linked to Compulsive Behavior in Next Generation

In a recent study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, researchers at The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that exposing adolescent rats to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) — the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana — can lead to molecular and behavioral alterations in the next generation of offspring, even though they were not directly exposed to the drug. Few studies have yet to address the adverse effects of parental drug use on future generations. In this study, researchers found that the male offspring of rats who were previously administered 1.5 milligrams of THC, showed stronger motivation to self-administer heroin during their adulthood, causing molecular changes in their glutamatergic system — the most important excitatory system in the brain. Damage in the glutamate pathway has been linked to disturbances in goal-directed behavior and habit formation. To read more about this study, click here.