Prenatal alcohol exposure did not affect impulsivity in rats that performed delay or probability discounting tasks.

Abstract

Individuals who fall under the spectrum of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome have a higher prevalence of several cognitive disturbances, including a greater probability of being diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some of these effects, such as hyperactivity and attentional impairments, are already well established in the literature. The assessment of impulsive choice, however, has received little attention in human and animal studies. In the present study, we attempted to investigate the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on two tasks related to impulsive choice that have never been studied in this condition: delay and probability discounting. Method: Rats prenatally exposed to ethanol (liquid diets with 0%, 10%, or 35% ethanol-derived calories [EDC] or laboratory chow) were trained to respond for food in either delay (n = 21) or probability (n = 48) discounting tasks performed in computer-controlled operant conditioning chambers. Results: Prenatal treatment failed to differentiate the rates at which the rats chose the larger reinforcer associated with delay -in a task in which 35% EDC was not tested -or risk, although the results suggest that further tests are warranted.

Altered spatial learning and delay discounting in a rat model of human third trimester binge ethanol exposure

“…Although there is some overlap between these two forms of impulsivity (and they tend to be comorbid in human subjects), there is also evidence that they have dissociable neural substrates (Winstanley et al ., 2006), which could account for the differences in the effects of ethanol exposure. In addition, it should be noted that in contrast to the results presented here, a recently published study found no effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on delay discounting in rats (Pupe et al ., 2011). It is likely that the difference in the ethanol exposure regimens used (prenatal vs. postnatal) accounts for the different outcomes of the two studies, as the task design used by Pupe et al .…”

“…Impulsivity is commonly associated with prenatal ethanol exposure in humans (Connor et al ., 2000; Mihalick et al ., 2001; Fryer et al ., 2007), and there is some evidence from animal studies that developmental ethanol exposure can increase impulsive action [‘motoric’ impulsivity, or the inability to withhold a prepotent motor response (Olmstead et al ., 2009)]. To our knowledge, however, there has been little investigation of the effects of developmental ethanol exposure on impulsive choice (Pupe et al ., 2011). …”

Alcohol use in adolescence, impulsivity, and risk-taking behavior in Wistar rats.

“…The EPM results indicated that the rats tended to avoid the open arms (Walf & Frye, 2007). Our results support the reliability of both experimental protocols (Cardinal et al, 2000;Pupe et al, 2011;Walf & Frye, 2007). The difference in anxiety-like behavior between the group that received more alcohol and the control group in E1 indicate that alcohol had an anxiolytic-like effect, even after 12 days.…”

“…As expected, the delay discounting task generated a decreasing hyperbolic curve, in which the larger reward was most preferred only when it was associated with a short delay in pellet delivery. These data are very typical in this protocol (Cardinal et al, 2000;Pupe et al, 2011). The EPM results indicated that the rats tended to avoid the open arms (Walf & Frye, 2007).…”

Attention, locomotor activity and developmental milestones in rats prenatally exposed to ethanol

“…In the A35 group, two or three animals from each litter (5 l) were used. Some of the remaining animals were subjects in another experiment (Pupe et al, 2011). National and institutional guidelines for animal welfare were followed and all procedures were approved by the ethics committee of the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre.…”