AN ANIMAL MODEL OF PRENATAL ALCOHOL EFFECTS ON LEARNING AND ALCOHOL INTAKE

FABIO M.C.; MARCH SM; MACCHIONE F; SPEAR, N.E.; PAUTASSI RM

Bogota

Congreso; 17 ª Reunión Bienal de la Sociedad Internacional de Psicología Comparada; 2014

Sociedad Internacional de Psicología Comparada

Epidemiological and pre-clinical data indicate that prenatal ethanol exposure is a risk factor for heightened alcohol use and abuse later in life. Fetuses perceive the chemosensory properties of ethanol following maternal intoxication and can learn that these odor cues predict the rewarding effect of the drug, leading to heightened seeking and intake later in life. On the other hand, prenatal ethanol exposure could lead to heightened alcohol intake during adolescence which, in turn, is a developmental stage associated with heightened probability of alcohol use disorders later in life. An animal model of prenatal exposure to ethanol during late gestation will be presented. Alcohol intake data of adolescent rats exposed to moderate doses of ethanol (2.0 g/kg on DGs 17-20; PE group) in short and long-term assessments will be presented. Effects on neural deferential activation and implications on associative learning and extinction will be shown as a possible explanation on heightened ethanol intake observed in adolescent animals exposed to ethanol in utero.