DEVELOPMENTAL ALCOHOL EXPOSURE INCREASES SOMATOSENSORY RESPONSES IN PRIMARY AUDITORY CORTEX

Abstract

There is compelling evidence suggesting that FASD subjects suffer from sensory stimulus overload and can be easily distracted by unexpected sensory stimuli while trying to focus. Subjects report being uncomfortable and distracted by sensory crowded environments and show hypersensitivity to touch, smell, sound, and light. Our lab have developed a ferret model of FASD in which animals receive 3.5g/Kg of alcohol every other day between P10-P30. Using this model we have shown that developmental alcohol exposure can disrupt organization, plasticity and sensory integration in visual cortical areas. While our lab has demonstrated that developmental alcohol exposure has a major impact in striate and extrastriate visual cortex areas, much less is known about the effects of alcohol in auditory processing regions. We propose that the sensory deficits caused by developmental alcohol exposure are not restricted to visual streams and that aberrant sensory responsiveness and disrupted integrative properties would also be seen in other sensory cortical areas. Here we will present some our preliminary data based on 3 FASD and 3 control animals tested during ferret adolescence. We Investigated auditory-tactile integration in the Lateral Rostral Suprasylvian Sulcus (LRSS) and A1/AAF cortical areas.