EFFECTS OF PRENATAL ALCOHOL EXPOSURE
Research in the NPAB lab focuses on the behavioral and neurobiological consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure. Exposure to alcohol during prenatal development can result in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), an umbrella term that includes the many behavioral, cognitive, and neurobiological effects associated with alcohol exposure. It is estimated that 2-5% of children in the United States of America have FASD (May et l., 2014). A major goal of our research program is to better understand the neural circuits involved in behavioral and cognitive deficits observed in to inform potential treatment strategies. Because the negative consequences of developmental alcohol exposure persist throughout life, but may not be identified until later in development, our research examines the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure across the lifespan. Our research includes studies on brain function, plasticity, and behavior in rodent models of FASD and in children with FASD. A major emphasis is placed on the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the functions of the prefrontal cortex and the relationship to alteration in social behavior and other behavioral and cognitive domains that critically depend on the prefrontal cortex. Our research is supported by grants AA015356, AA019462, P50-AA022534, and AA024983 from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) with our principal collaborator Dr. Daniel Savage. The laboratory's major investigations on prenatal alcohol effects are summarized below, along with links to freely available pdfs of our published papers. All links will direct your browser to ResearchGate where the PubMed Central or similar version of the manuscript is available.
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
FASD are associated with alterations in social behavior including interaction with others and conduct disorder. Our research investigates the effects of moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (e.g., .06-.08 Blood Alcohol Concentrations) on social behavior in the rat and the neurobiological bases of these effects.
FASD are associated with alterations in social behavior including interaction with others and conduct disorder. Our research investigates the effects of moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (e.g., .06-.08 Blood Alcohol Concentrations) on social behavior in the rat and the neurobiological bases of these effects.
Methods
The methodology employed for prenatal alcohol exposure in the rat and quantification of social behavior are described in Hamilton, Magcalas et al. (2014), Journal of Visualized Experiments (the associated video can be viewed for free in the PubMed article at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4396951/).
Major Findings
The methodology employed for prenatal alcohol exposure in the rat and quantification of social behavior are described in Hamilton, Magcalas et al. (2014), Journal of Visualized Experiments (the associated video can be viewed for free in the PubMed article at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4396951/).
Major Findings
- Moderate PAE increases social behaviors such as wresting with the partner (Hamilton et al., 2010; Hamilton, Barto et al., 2014; Rodriguez, Magcalas, et al., 2016).
- Sex differences : Alterations in social behavior following moderate PAE are larger in males (Hamilton et al., 2010; Rodriguez, Magcalas, et al., 2016).
- Aging : Alterations in social behavior following moderate PAE are largest in adult rats and decrease in magnitude with aging > 11-12 months (Hamilton, Barto et al., 2014).