Prenatal oxycodone exposure impairs spatial learning and/or memory in rats.

Recent changes in demographic patterns of drug use have resulted in the increased non-medical use of prescription opiates. These users are younger and more likely to be female, which has the potential for increasing rates of in utero exposure. Therefore, we developed a rat model that simulates a prescription opiate-dependent woman who becomes pregnant.

Prenatal opiate exposure impairs radial arm maze performance and reduces levels of BDNF precursor following training.

Prenatal exposure to opiates, which is invariably followed by postnatal withdrawal, can affect cognitive performance. To further characterize these effects, we examined radial 8-arm maze performance and expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in male rats prenatally exposed to the opiate l-alpha-acetylmethadol (LAAM). Female rats received 1.