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Neuroscientist. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 April 26.
NIH-PA Author Manuscript
Published in final edited form as:
Neuroscientist. 2011 June ; 17(3): 274–287. doi:10.1177/1073858410383336.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Abnormal Neuronal
Plasticity
Alexandre E. Medina1
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of
Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
Abstract
NIH-PA Author Manuscript
The ingestion of alcohol during pregnancy can result in a group of neurobehavioral abnormalities collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). During the past decade, studies using animal models indicated that early alcohol exposure can …show more content…
Alcohol exposure during the brain growth spurt affects synaptogenesis and may lead to persistent deficits on neuronal plasticity.
NIH-PA Author Manuscript
Neuronal plasticity is the brain’s capacity to be shaped by experience by making and breaking connections. This ability is essential during development, when circuits are refined by selective pruning, as well as throughout our lives, in common processes such as learning and memory (Katz and Shatz 1996; White and Fitzpatrick 2007). There is growing evidence that neuronal plasticity is persistently impaired in animal models of FASD (see Table 1).
These impairments have been demonstrated by several labs and in different plasticity paradigms such as long-term potentiation and depression (Izumi and others 2005;
Richardson and others 2002; Servais and others 2007; Sutherland and others 1997), learning and memory tests (Clements and others 2005; Girard and others 2000; Hamilton and others
2003; Marino and others 2004), barrel cortex plasticity (Rema and Ebner 1999), ocular dominance plasticity (Medina and others 2003; Medina and Ramoa 2005), and …show more content…
Conversely, pre- or perinatal choline supplementation can improve spatial learning and facilitate LTP in animal models (Li and others 2004; Tees and
Mohammadi 1999). This effect may be explained by an enhancement of NMDA receptormediated population excitatory postsynaptic potentials (pEPSPs) in the hippocampus, which would lower the threshold for LTP (Montoya and Swartzwelder 2000). Moreover, it has been recently demonstrated that choline supplementation is correlated with an increase in
ERK (MAPK) and CREB phosphorylation (Mellott and others 2004). However, the specific molecular mechanisms for the effects of choline supplementation in improvement of neuronal plasticity remain poorly understood.
The use of choline supplementation has been very successful in improving plasticity in
FASD animal models. In addition to acting as a plasticity enhancer, another rationale for the use of choline supplementation is to counteract the deleterious effects of alcohol on the cholinergic system (Kelly and others 1989; Schambra and others 1990). In a series
Author Manuscript
Neuroscientist. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 April 26.
NIH-PA Author Manuscript
Published in final edited form as:
Neuroscientist. 2011 June ; 17(3): 274–287. doi:10.1177/1073858410383336.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and Abnormal Neuronal
Plasticity
Alexandre E. Medina1
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of
Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
Abstract
NIH-PA Author Manuscript
The ingestion of alcohol during pregnancy can result in a group of neurobehavioral abnormalities collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). During the past decade, studies using animal models indicated that early alcohol exposure can …show more content…
Alcohol exposure during the brain growth spurt affects synaptogenesis and may lead to persistent deficits on neuronal plasticity.
NIH-PA Author Manuscript
Neuronal plasticity is the brain’s capacity to be shaped by experience by making and breaking connections. This ability is essential during development, when circuits are refined by selective pruning, as well as throughout our lives, in common processes such as learning and memory (Katz and Shatz 1996; White and Fitzpatrick 2007). There is growing evidence that neuronal plasticity is persistently impaired in animal models of FASD (see Table 1).
These impairments have been demonstrated by several labs and in different plasticity paradigms such as long-term potentiation and depression (Izumi and others 2005;
Richardson and others 2002; Servais and others 2007; Sutherland and others 1997), learning and memory tests (Clements and others 2005; Girard and others 2000; Hamilton and others
2003; Marino and others 2004), barrel cortex plasticity (Rema and Ebner 1999), ocular dominance plasticity (Medina and others 2003; Medina and Ramoa 2005), and …show more content…
Conversely, pre- or perinatal choline supplementation can improve spatial learning and facilitate LTP in animal models (Li and others 2004; Tees and
Mohammadi 1999). This effect may be explained by an enhancement of NMDA receptormediated population excitatory postsynaptic potentials (pEPSPs) in the hippocampus, which would lower the threshold for LTP (Montoya and Swartzwelder 2000). Moreover, it has been recently demonstrated that choline supplementation is correlated with an increase in
ERK (MAPK) and CREB phosphorylation (Mellott and others 2004). However, the specific molecular mechanisms for the effects of choline supplementation in improvement of neuronal plasticity remain poorly understood.
The use of choline supplementation has been very successful in improving plasticity in
FASD animal models. In addition to acting as a plasticity enhancer, another rationale for the use of choline supplementation is to counteract the deleterious effects of alcohol on the cholinergic system (Kelly and others 1989; Schambra and others 1990). In a series