Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298-0709, USA.
Neuroscientist. 2011 Jun;17(3):274-87. doi: 10.1177/1073858410383336. Epub 2011 Mar 7.
The ingestion of alcohol during pregnancy can result in a group of neurobehavioral abnormalities collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). During the past decade, studies using animal models indicated that early alcohol exposure can dramatically affect neuronal plasticity, an essential property of the central nervous system responsible for the normal wiring of the brain and involved in processes such as learning and memory. The abnormalities in neuronal plasticity caused by alcohol can explain many of the neurobehavioral deficits observed in FASD. Conversely, improving neuronal plasticity may have important therapeutic benefits. In this review, the author discuss the mechanisms that lead to these abnormalities and comment on recent pharmacological approaches that have been showing promising results in improving neuronal plasticity in FASD.
孕妇饮酒会导致一组神经行为异常，统称为胎儿酒精谱系障碍（FASD）。在过去的十年中，使用动物模型的研究表明，早期酒精暴露会严重影响神经元可塑性，这是中枢神经系统的一个重要特性，负责大脑的正常连接，并参与学习和记忆等过程。酒精引起的神经元可塑性异常可以解释 FASD 中观察到的许多神经行为缺陷。相反，改善神经元可塑性可能具有重要的治疗益处。在这篇综述中，作者讨论了导致这些异常的机制，并评论了最近在改善 FASD 中神经元可塑性方面显示出有希望结果的药理学方法。
