LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF PRE-NATAL OXYCODONE EXPOSURE IN MICE

Prescription drug abuse is a rapidly emerging epidemic. One serious consequence of this abuse is increased incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). NAS results from a pregnant mother abusing opiates during her gestation period. The short-term effects of in utero opiate exposure on newborns are well documented, but the long-term impacts are poorly known. Our project in the Miller Lab aimed to characterize the impacts of prenatal opiate exposure on the behavior of mice. Our data indicates that mice exposed to oxycodone in utero show abnormal, impulsive-like behavior and had a lower seizure threshold compared to control mice. We can now work towards identifying possible underlying brain structural abnormalities producing this phenotype, and we are now more prepared to deal with the lifelong impact of this exposure.