Amelioration of fetal alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorders in rats: exploring pharmacological and environmental treatments

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorde rs (ARNDs) in children are characterized by life-long compromises in learni ng, memory, and adaptive responses. Until the advent of effective preventio n measures, it will remain necessary to seek ways to treat the life-long ne urobehavioral consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure. To date, there are no clinical remedies to recommend for either specific or global fetal alco hol effects. This article reviews our basic research in animal models that assesses the potential of global environmental manipulations or specific ps ychopharmacological treatments to ameliorate the neurobehavioral effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol. Postweaning environmental enrichment can imp rove behavioral performance and ameliorate or even eliminate deficits in pr enatal alcohol-exposed rats, although there is persistent impairment in neu ronal plasticity, as indicated by the failure of hippocampal pyramidal cell s to increase dendrite spine density. Behavioral and neural responses to CN S stimulants differ in rats exposed prenatally to alcohol, although it is n ot clear that these shifts in dose-response curves would predict benefit to children. Although the present results may sound a note of optimism for th e development of effective treatment strategies for children with FAS or AR NDs, it is important to consider that application of these findings in rode nts may not be straightforward We also need to know the critical features o f specific environments that influence brain development, and the limits of pharmacotherapy, as well as critical periods of exposure. Continued study of the beneficial, ameliorative effects of environmental enrichment, rehabi litative training, and of pharmacological therapies in animal models, will remain a valuable source of information for eventually devising treatments specific for children with FAS and ARNDs. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. Al l rights reserved.