Abstract
Alcohol abuse during pregnancy may lead to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), characterized by structural brain abnormalities and compromised cognitive and behavioral functions. Ethanol interferes with every step of central nervous system development; the cognitive and behavioral abnormalities associated with prenatal alcohol exposure are therefore due to a combination of effects exerted by ethanol throughout gestation. This chapter describes the physical and neurobehavioral consequences of in utero alcohol exposure and the brain structures affected in humans. Animal models used in FASD research are also described. Finally, this chapter provides an overview of the main mechanisms implicated in the developmental effects of ethanol as well as of experimental treatments under investigation for the amelioration of the consequences of FASD.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Environmental Factors in Neurodevelopmental and Neurodegenerative Disorders |
| Publisher | Elsevier Inc. |
| Pages | 45-65 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780128004074 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780128002285 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 3 2015 |
Keywords
- Animal models
- Apoptosis
- Brain
- Epigenetics
- Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders
- Fetal development
- Glial cells
- Neurobehavioral deficits
- Neuronal plasticity
- Neurons
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)