This application will help develop a multidisciplinary research program studying mechanisms, expressions and potential treatments for fetal alcohol effects in valid animal models of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Children with FAS or fetal alcohol effects can suffer from various disabilities including growth and mental retardation and hyperactivity and attention deficits. Two general working hypotheses were developed: 1. that fetal alcohol effects reflect abnormal responses to stress or """"""""anxiety""""""""; and 2. that thyroid dysfunction contributes to the teratogenic impact of alcohol on biobehavioral maturation. continuing biochemical analyses of CNS neurotransmitter status, the proposed biobehavioral research on """"""""anxiety"""""""" will be developed further to include studies of peripheral catecholamines and of corticosterone. Studies of thyroid-mediated effects of prenatal alcohol will be expanded to include neuroanatomical indices (e.g., cerebellar and hippocampal development) of thyroid dysfunction, and of perinatal thyroid hormone treatment. The long-term goals are to identify pharmacological treatments that may prevent or attenuate biobehavioral dysfunction associated with FAS and fetal alcohol effects in children.
| Hannigan, J H; Martier, S S; Naber, J M (1995) Independent associations among maternal alcohol consumption and infant thyroxine levels and pregnancy outcome. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 19:135-41 |
| Hannigan, J H; Abel, E L; Kruger, M L (1993) ""Population"" characteristics of birthweight in an animal model of alcohol-related developmental effects. Neurotoxicol Teratol 15:97-105 |
| Hannigan, J H; Berman, R F; Zajac, C S (1993) Environmental enrichment and the behavioral effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol in rats. Neurotoxicol Teratol 15:261-6 |
