Emerging clinical reports of neurological dysfunction in children born to cocaine abusers emphasize the need for a reliable animal model of the behavioral teratology of cocaine. This investigation will establish the parameters necessary for this model, including doses, control groups, periods of exposure and administration procedures. Maternal plasma and fetal levels of cocaine will be analyzed to contribute to the validity of this model. The behavioral consequences of prenatal exposure to cocaine will be assessed with a variety of behavioral measures known to be sensitive to behavioral teratogens. Arousal and exploration will be measured in open-field and hole-board paradigms; reactivity will be assessed in a startle apparatus, and learning evaluated in passive avoidance, 2-way active avoidance, and Sidman avoidance tasks. The effect of prenatal cocaine exposure on motor development will be analyzed using measures of coordination, gait and balance.
