Graduation Term

2021

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Department of Psychology

Committee Chair

Byron A. Heidenreich

Abstract

Methamphetamine abuse is a major health concern that has been associated with adverseeffects such as behavioral disturbances, impaired memory, and cognitive deficits. Chronic use of methamphetamine has been found to cause persistent changes in dopamine receptors and DARPP-32 expression in the rat striatum. Because methamphetamine use has been associated with memory and cognitive impairments, chronic effects in memory-related regions should be thoroughly examined as well. The current study investigated the long-term effects of methamphetamine self-administration on D1 receptor and DARPP-32 expression on the subregions of nucleus accumbens, hippocampus, and perirhinal cortex via immunostaining. I expected to find decreased levels of D1 and DARPP-32 expression in subjects that self-administered methamphetamine compared to saccharin. The results for D1 receptors were inconclusive due to technical difficulties. DARPP-32 expression results did not show a significant effect of methamphetamine. The findings suggest that methamphetamine did not cause any persistent effects on DARPP-32 levels. However, the experiment had some important limitations that should be taken into consideration.

Access Type

Thesis-Open Access

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30707/ETD2021.20210719070603171486.90

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Psychology Commons

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