Preface: Setting the stage for understanding alcohol effects in late aging: A special issue including both human and rodent studies

Deak, Terrence; Savage, Lisa M.

doi:10.1016/s0074-7742(19)30116-3

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Furthermore, research into sex-specific effects of alcohol on cognitive domains and neuropathologies is needed as a reduction in sex hormones with age likely diminishes their protective roles in the brain. The importance of studying these populations have already begun with a recent special issue compiling clinical and preclinical articles addressing alcohol associated pathologies in aged subjects [92].…”

Section: Behavioral and Functional Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex and Age Effects on Neurobehavioral Toxicity Induced by Binge Alcohol

Cortez

Rodgers

Kosten

et al. 2020

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Historically, most alcohol neurotoxicity studies were conducted in young adult males and focused on chronic intake. There has been a shift towards studying the effects of alcohol on the adolescent brain, due to alcohol consumption during this formative period disrupting the brain’s developmental trajectory. Because the most typical pattern of adolescent alcohol intake is heavy episodic (binge) drinking, there has also been a shift towards the study of binge alcohol-induced neurobehavioral toxicity. It has thus become apparent that binge alcohol damages the adolescent brain and there is increasing attention to sex-dependent effects. Significant knowledge gaps remain in our understanding of the effects of binge alcohol on the female brain, however. Moreover, it is unsettling that population-level studies indicate that the prevalence of binge drinking is increasing among American women, particularly those in older age groups. Therefore, although study of adolescents has made it apparent that binge alcohol disrupts ongoing brain maturational processes, we know almost nothing about how it impacts the aging brain, as studies of its effects on the aged brain are relatively scarce, and the study of sex-dependent effects is just beginning. Given the rapidly increasing population of older Americans, it is crucial that studies address age-dependent effects of binge alcohol, and given the increase in binge drinking in older women who are at higher risk for cognitive decline relative to men, studies must encompass both sexes. Because adolescence and older age are both characterized by age-typical brain changes, and because binge drinking is the most common pattern of alcohol intake in both age groups, the knowledge that we have amassed on binge alcohol effects on the adolescent brain can inform our study of its effects on the aging brain. In this review, we therefore cover the current state of knowledge of sex and age-dependent effects of binge alcohol, as well as statistical and methodological considerations for studies aimed at addressing them.

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Section: Behavioral and Functional Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex and Age Effects on Neurobehavioral Toxicity Induced by Binge Alcohol

Cortez

Rodgers

Kosten

et al. 2020

BPL

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“…Given that adolescence is a highly critical period of brain development, critical events such as stressors or drug exposure can have long-lasting consequences (Spear and Swartzwelder, 2014;Spear, 2016Spear, , 2018, which may impact successful aging (Deak and Savage, 2019). The septohippocampal circuit is especially vulnerable to the effects of AIE, as previous research has found a significant suppression in basal forebrain neurons expressing the cholinergic phenotype, as well as decreased levels of neurogenesis in the hippocampus (Nixon and Crews, 2004;Broadwater et al, 2014;Vetreno et al, 2014;.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adolescent Binge-Type Ethanol Exposure in Rats Mirrors Age-Related Cognitive Decline by Suppressing Cholinergic Tone and Hippocampal Neurogenesis

Reitz

Nunes

Savage

2021

Front. Behav. Neurosci.

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Heavy alcohol consumption followed by periods of abstinence (i.e., binge drinking) during adolescence is a concern for both acute and chronic health issues. Persistent brain damage after adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure in rodents, a model of binge drinking, includes reduced hippocampal neurogenesis and a loss of neurons in the basal forebrain that express the cholinergic phenotype. The circuit formed between those regions, the septohippocampal pathway, is critical for learning and memory. Furthermore, this circuit is also altered during the aging process. Thus, we examined whether pathology in septohippocampal circuit and impairments in spatial behaviors are amplified during aging following adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure. Female and male rats were exposed to intermittent intragastric gavage of water (control) or 20% ethanol (dose of 5 g/kg) for a 2 days on/off cycle from postnatal days 25–55. Either 2 (young adult) or 12–14 (middle-age) months post exposure, rats were tested on two spatial tasks: spontaneous alternation and novel object in place. Acetylcholine efflux was assessed in the hippocampus during both tasks. There was no adolescent ethanol-induced deficit on spontaneous alternation, but middle-aged male rats displayed lower alternation rates. Male rats exposed to ethanol during adolescence had blunted behavioral evoked acetylcholine during spontaneous alternation testing. All ethanol-exposed rats displayed suppression of the cholinergic neuronal phenotype. On the novel object in place task, regardless of sex, ethanol-exposed rats performed significantly worse than control-treated rats, and middle aged-rats, regardless of sex or ethanol exposure, were significantly impaired relative to young adult rats. These results indicate that male rats display earlier age-related cognitive impairment on a working memory task. Furthermore, male rats exposed to ethanol during adolescence have blunted behavior-evoked hippocampal acetylcholine efflux. In addition, middle-aged and ethanol-exposed rats, regardless of sex, are impaired at determining discrete spatial relationship between objects. This type of pattern separation impairment was associated with a loss of neurogenesis. Thus, binge-type adolescent ethanol exposure does affect the septohippocampal circuit, and can accelerate age-related cognitive impairment on select spatial tasks.

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