# Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, CRF and Adolescent Anxiety

> **NIH NIH F31** · STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY,BINGHAMTON · 2020 · $18,289

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Clinical assessments of expectant mothers have revealed that ~30% of women consume alcohol during
pregnancy. It is thus unsurprising that disorders which correspond to prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) are among
the most common of preventable illnesses in the United States. Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent
behavioral impairments arising from PAE and can be observed as early as childhood, however investigations of
underlying biological contributions are largely absent from established research. This gap in knowledge limits
our understanding of how alcohol alters developing anxiety circuits and subsequently prevents targeted
treatment of PAE-induced anxiety symptoms. Utilizing rodent models, our lab has characterized a paradigm of
moderate PAE which significantly alters GABAergic neurotransmission in the medial nucleus of the central
amygdala (CeM), a brain region associated with the regulation of anxiety-like behavior. Furthermore,
corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor 1 (CRFR1) function is blunted within the CeM of adolescent, male
offspring following PAE. Interestingly, preliminary data suggest that there is an increased sensitivity of CRFR1,
as well as a directional switch in CRFR1-regulated GABA transmission in adolescents relative to what has been
reported in adults. Together, these data contribute to our overarching hypothesis that the CRF system within the
CeM contributes to an inappropriate stress response in ethanol-naïve adolescents compared to adults, and
increases anxiety-like behavior in PAE adolescents. To investigate these claims, we will first determine age
differences in the CRF system within the CeM of adolescent and adult rats using whole cell electrophysiology,
in situ hybridization and behavioral pharmacology. Secondly, we will assess moderate PAE-induced changes in
CRF and CRFR1 within adolescent rats, that show increased anxiety-like behavior following PAE. Within this
aim, comparisons of PAE and control (air-exposed) offspring will include investigations of CeM neurophysiology,
mRNA levels for CRF and CRFR1, and behavioral response following CRFR1 activation. Successful completion
of the proposed research will provide a comprehensive investigation of specific physiological impairments
underlying PAE-induced anxiety, and will inform existing literature on variables, such as age and prenatal
exposure, which may influence the sensitivity and function of the CRF system. Through the incorporation of
multiple novel techniques for investigation, and under the guidance of experts in the alcohol and behavioral
neuroscience field, this project will additionally provide the framework for a superior training experience in
research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10023141
- **Project number:** 5F31AA028166-02
- **Recipient organization:** STATE UNIVERSITY OF NY,BINGHAMTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Siara Rouzer
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $18,289
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-13 → 2021-03-22

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10023141

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10023141, Prenatal Alcohol Exposure, CRF and Adolescent Anxiety (5F31AA028166-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10023141. Licensed CC0.

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