The Laboratory for Learning & Memory

Selected Publications

Toledano RS, Akirav I. Cannabidiol prevents cognitive and social deficits in a male rat model of Alzheimer's disease through CB1 activation and inflammation modulation. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2025 Aug 26. doi: 10.1038/s41386-025-02213-0. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40859005.

Sabbag T, Kritman M, Akirav I. Cannabidiol Effects on Depressive-like Behavior and Neuroinflammation in Female Rats Exposed to High-Fat Diet and Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress. Cells. 2025 Jun 19;14(12):938. doi: 10.3390/cells14120938. PMID: 40558565; PMCID: PMC12191401.

Portugalov A, Peled G, Zorin S, Akirav I. Cannabidiol Modulates Neuroinflammatory Markers in a PTSD Model Conducted on Female Rats. Biomolecules. 2024 Oct 30;14(11):1384. doi: 10.3390/biom14111384. PMID: 39595561; PMCID: PMC11591736.

Avgana H, Toledano RS, Akirav I. Examining the Role of Oxytocinergic Signaling and Neuroinflammatory Markers in the Therapeutic Effects of MDMA in a Rat Model for PTSD. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2024 Jun 27;17(7):846. doi: 10.3390/ph17070846.

Saad N, Raviv D, Mizrachi Zer-Aviv T, Akirav I. Cannabidiol Modulates Emotional Function and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Expression in Middle-Aged Female Rats Exposed to Social Isolation. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Oct 23;24(20):15492. doi: 10.3390/ijms242015492. PMID: 37895171; PMCID: PMC10607116.

Bright, U.; Akirav, I. Cannabidiol Modulates Alterations in PFC microRNAs in a Rat Model of Depression. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24, 2052. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032052

Portugalov, Anna et al. “FAAH Inhibition Restores Early Life Stress-Induced Alterations in PFC microRNAs Associated with Depressive-Like Behavior in Male and Female Rats.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 23,24 16101. 17 Dec. 2022, doi:10.3390/ijms232416101

Bright U, Akirav I. Modulation of Endocannabinoid System Components in Depression: Pre-Clinical and Clinical Evidence. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 May 15;23(10):5526. doi: 10.3390/ijms23105526. PMID: 35628337; PMCID: PMC9146799.

Mizrachi Zer-Aviv, T., Islami, L., Hamilton, P. J., Parise, E. M., Nestler, E. J., Sbarski, B., & Akirav, I. (2022). Enhancing Endocannabinoid Signaling via β-Catenin in the Nucleus Accumbens Attenuates PTSD-and Depression-like Behavior of Male Rats. Biomedicines, 10(8), 1789.‏‏

Bauminger, H., Zaidan, H., Akirav, I., & Gaisler-Salomon, I. (2022). Anandamide Hydrolysis Inhibition Reverses the Long-Term Behavioral and Gene Expression Alterations Induced by MK-801 in Male Rats: Differential CB1 and CB2 Receptor-Mediated Effects. Schizophrenia bulletin.‏‏

Sabran‐Cohen, T., Bright, U., Mizrachi Zer‐Aviv, T., & Akirav, I. (2021). Rapamycin prevents the long‐term impairing effects of adolescence Δ‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol on memory and plasticity in male rats. European Journal of Neuroscience, 54(6), 6104-6122.‏

Portugalov A, Akirav I. Do Adolescent Exposure to Cannabinoids and Early Adverse Experience Interact to Increase the Risk of Psychiatric Disorders: Evidence from Rodent Models. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jan 13;22(2):730. doi: 10.3390/ijms22020730.PMID: 33450928

Alteba, S., Zer-Aviv, T. M., Tenenhaus, A., David, G. B., Adelman, J., Hillard, C. J., ... & Akirav, I. (2020). Antidepressant-like effects of URB597 and JZL184 in male and female rats exposed to early life stress. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 39, 70-86.‏

Alteba S, Portugalov A, Hillard CJ, Akirav I. Inhibition of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase (FAAH) During Adolescence and Exposure to Early Life Stress may Exacerbate Depression-like Behaviors in Male and Female Rats. Neuroscience. 2020 Dec 25;455:89-106. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.12.022. Online ahead of print.PMID: 33359656

Sbarski B, Akirav I. Cannabinoids as therapeutics for PTSD. Pharmacol Ther. 2020 Apr 17:107551.

Maymon N, Mizrachi Zer-Aviv T, Sabban EL, Akirav I. Neuropeptide Y and cannabinoids interaction in the amygdala after exposure to shock and reminders model of PTSD. Neuropharmacology. 2020 Jan 1;162

Sbarski B, Akirav I. Chronic exposure to cannabinoids before an emotional trauma may have negative effects on emotional function. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2018 Aug;28(8):955-969.

Segev A, Korem N, Mizrachi Zer-Aviv T, Abush H, Lange R, Sauber G, Hillard CJ, Akirav I.Role of endocannabinoids in the hippocampus and amygdala in emotional memory and plasticity. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018 Sep;43(10):2017-2027.

Burstein O, Shoshan N, Doron R, Akirav I.Cannabinoids prevent depressive-like symptoms and alterations in BDNF expression in a rat model of PTSD. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2018 Jun 8;84(Pt A):129-139.

Sabban EL, Serova LI, Newman E, Aisenberg N, Akirav I. Changes in Gene Expression in the Locus Coeruleus-Amygdala Circuitry in Inhibitory Avoidance PTSD Model. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2018 Jan;38(1):273-280.

Fidelman ,Mizrachi Zer-Aviv T,Lange , Hillard CJ, Akirav I. (2018).Chronic treatment with URB597 ameliorates post-stress symptoms in a rat model of PTSD. European Neuropsychopharmacology .2018 May;28(5):630-642.

Shoshan N, Akirav I. (2017). The effects of cannabinoid receptors activation and glucocorticoid receptors deactivation in the amygdala and hippocampus on consolidat extinction in a rat model for PTSD. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 144:248-258.

Shoshan N, Segev A, Abush H, Mizrachi Zer-Aviv T, Akirav I .(2017) Cannabinoids prevent the differential long-term effects of exposure to severe stress on hippocampal- and amygdala-dependent memory and plasticity. Hippocampus . 10.1002/hipo.22755.

Aisenberg N, Serova L, Sabban EL, Akirav I .(2017)The effects of enhancing endocannabinoid signaling and blocking corticotrophin releasing factor receptor in the amygdala and hippocampus on the consolidation of a stressful event. Neuropsychopharmacol.2017.06.006.

Levin N, Kritman M, Maroun M, Akirav I. (2017) Differential roles of the infralimbic and prelimbic areas of the prefrontal cortex in reconsolidation of a traumatic memory.Eur Neuropsychopharmacol.2017.06.007.

Korem N, Lange R, Hillard CJ, Akirav I.(2017) Role of beta-catenin and endocannabinoids in the nucleus accumbens in extinction in rats exposed to shock and reminders.Neuroscience.2017.06.015.

Zubedat S, Akirav I.(2017) The involvement of cannabinoids and mTOR in the reconsolidation of an emotional memory in the hippocampal-amygdala-insular circuit.Eur Neuropsychopharmacol.2017.01.011.

Mizrachi Zer-Aviv T, Segev A, Akirav I.(2016)Cannabinoids and post-traumatic stress disorder: clinical and preclinical evidence for treatment and prevention.Behav Pharmacol.27(7):561-9.

Alteba S, Korem N, Akirav I.(2016) Cannabinoids reverse the effects of early stress on neurocognitive performance in adulthood. Learn Mem. 23(7):349-58.

Zer-Aviv TM, Akirav I.(2016) Sex differences in hippocampal response to endocannabinoids after exposure to severe stress. Hippocampus. 26(7):947-57.

Korem N, Zer-Aviv TM, Ganon-Elazar E, Abush H, Akirav I.(2016)Targeting the endocannabinoid system to treat anxiety-related disorders. .J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 27(3):193-202.

Korem N, Akirav I. (2014). Cannabinoids prevent the effects of a footshock followed by situational reminders on emotional processing. Neuropsychopharmacology.npp.2014.132.

Segev A, Akirav I. (2015). Cannabinoids and Glucocorticoids in the Basolateral Amygdala Modulate Hippocampal-Accumbens Plasticity after Stress. Neuropsychopharmacology.npp.2015.238.

Korem N, Zer-Aviv TM, Ganon-Elazar E, Abush H, Akirav I. (2015). Targeting the endocannabinoid system to treat anxiety-related disorders. J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. jbcpp-2015-0058.

Segev A, Rubin AS, Abush H, Richter-Levin G, Akirav I. (2013). Cannabinoid Receptor Activation Prevents the Effects of Chronic Mild Stress on Emotional Learning and LTP in a Rat Model of Depression.npp.2013.292.

Akirav I. (2013). Cannabinoids and glucocorticoids modulate emotional memory after stress. .neubiorev.2013.08.002.

Abush H, Akirav I. (2013). Cannabinoids ameliorate impairments induced by chronic stress to synaptic plasticity and short-term memory. Neuropsychopharmacology.

Ganon-Elazar E, Akirav I. (2013).Cannabinoids and traumatic stress modulation of contextual fear extinction and GR expression in the amygdala-hippocampal-prefrontal circuit. Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Ganon-Elazar E, Akirav I. (2012). Cannabinoids prevent the development of behavioral and endocrine alterations in a rat model of intense stress. Neuropsychopharmacology. Epub 2011 Sep 14.

Abush H, Akirav I. (2012). Short- and long-term cognitive effects of chronic cannabinoids administration in late-adolescence rats. PLoS One. 2012;7(2).

Ramot A, Akirav I. (2012). Cannabinoid receptors activation and glucocorticoid receptors deactivation in the amygdala prevent the stress-induced enhancement of a negative learning experience. Neurobiol Learn Mem.

Segev A, Ramot A, Akirav I. (2012). Stress Hormones Receptors in the Amygdala Mediate the Effects of Stress on the Consolidation, but Not the Retrieval, of a Non Aversive Spatial Task. PLoS One,

Akirav I. (2011). Role of the endocannabinoid system in anxiety and stress-related disorders. Anxiety Disorder Book 2.

Akirav I. (2011). The role of cannabinoids in modulating emotional and non-emotional memory processes in the hippocampus. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 5:34.

Segev A, Akirav I. (2011) Differential effects of cannabinoid receptor agonist on social discrimination and contextual fear in amygdala and hippocampus. Learn Mem. 18:254-9.

Abush H, Akirav I. (2010). Cannabinoids modulate hippocampal memory and plasticity. Hippocampus. 20:1126-38.

Ganon-Elazar E, Akirav I. (2009). Cannabinoid receptor activation in the basolateral amygdala blocks the effects of stress on the conditioning and extinction of inhibitory avoidance. J Neurosci. 29:11078-88.

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