Children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) exhibit cognitive, neuropsychological and behavioral problems, and numerous secondary disabilities including depression and anxiety disorders. Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is common in depression/anxiety, reflected primarily in increased HPA tone or activity. Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) increases HPA tone and results in HPA dysregulation throughout life, paralleling many of the HPA changes in depression/anxiety. We review data demonstrating altered HPA function and increased depression/anxiety in FASD. In the context of the stress-diathesis model, we discuss the hypothesis that fetal programming of the HPA axis by PAE alters neuroadaptive mechanisms that mediate the stress response, thus sensitizing the organism to stressors encountered later in life, and mediating, at least partly, the increased vulnerability to depression/anxiety disorders. Furthermore, we present evidence demonstrating sex-specific alterations in both hormonal and behavioral responsiveness to tasks measuring depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors in PAE offspring. Overall, the research suggests that the stress-diathesis model provides a powerful approach for elucidating mechanisms underlying the increased vulnerability to mental illness among individuals with FASD, and developing appropriate treatments for these individuals. Dr. Seymour Levine's seminal work on the long-term consequences of early life experiences formed a framework for the development of the research described in this review.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2009.06.004 | DOI Listing |
Alcohol
December 2024
Howard University College of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Washington, DC 20059, United States. Electronic address:
Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) during pregnancy can increase the prevalence of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCSs) in developing rats. However, it is unclear whether phenobarbital (PB) can suppress these PAE-related seizures. To explore this knowledge gap, we investigated the effects of acute PB treatment on NMDA-induced seizures in postpartum rats, prenatally exposed to alcohol on gestational day 18 (GD18), at two developmental stages: day 7 (P7), the equivalent of pre-term neonates, and day 15 (P15), the equivalent of full-term neonates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Infect Dis
December 2024
Department of Medical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Edo State University, Uzairue, Edo State, Nigeria.
Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major health challenge in Nigeria, with high prevalence rates among pregnant women. The prevalence of overt and occult hepatitis B infection (HBI and HBI) among pregnant women was investigated to understand the burden and associated risk factors in this population.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 pregnant women.
Alcohol Clin Exp Res (Hoboken)
December 2024
Department of Psychology, Center for Behavioral Teratology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA.
Background: Fine motor skill deficits have been reported for children with histories of prenatal alcohol exposure, but little is known whether impaired motor skill extends to the regulation of precision grip control.
Methods: Children with (n = 15) and without (n = 17) histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure used their dominant hand to grasp, lift, and hold in space a small-instrumented object with a mass of 19 g. Object mass was also experimentally increased by separately adding two aluminum cubes with mass of 200 and 400 g.
Neuropharmacology
December 2024
Department of Psychology, Center for Development and Behavioral Neuroscience, Binghamton University, Binghamton NY 13902, United States; Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton NY 13902, United States. Electronic address:
Individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are at a higher risk for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD). Using a rat model of moderate PAE (mPAE) on gestational day 12 (G12; ∼2 trimesters in humans), a critical period for amygdala development, we have shown disruptions in medial central amygdala (CeM) function, an important brain region associated with the development of AUD. In addition to this, acute ethanol (EtOH) increases GABA transmission in the CeM of rodents in a sex-dependent manner, a mechanism that potentially contributes to alcohol misuse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Psychiatry
December 2024
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.
Introduction: Rates of prenatal cannabis use (PCU) have increased in recent years. Despite evidence of developmental health consequences to offspring and birthing person, there has been a reduction in the perception of PCU-related harms. Due to the stigma and risk of legal consequences associated with disclosing PCU, individuals are often cautious to seek information from their healthcare providers.
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