Paul Thalmann

The increase in opioid use and misuse has led to a drastic rise in the number of infants exposed to opioids in utero. Prenatal opioid exposure leads to the risk of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS). Limited studies on the effects of NOWS have been conducted in humans and the lasting repercussions of NOWS are still unclear in youth. Animal models avoid limitations associated with human studies (e.g. polysubstance abuse, environmental instability, and challenges in performing longitudinal studies), and can be used to provide insight into the behavioral consequences of NOWS in youth. However, few animal studies have been conducted during the preweanling and adolescent periods, and existing studies have produced conflicting results. This study aims to fill this gap and address the effects of prenatal opioid (morphine) exposure on sensation-seeking, anxiety, and cognition in pre-weanling and adolescent rats. Results from ongoing studies indicate that prenatal morphine exposure resulted in hyperactivity during locomotor testing and cognitive deficits in the novel object recognition task in preweanling rats. Additionally, preliminary social recognition assessments revealed reduced sociability in adolescent rats. While studies are still in progress, this data indicates the presence of hyperactivity and deficits in learning and sociability in early-in-life rats exposed to opioids in utero. Further work with these and other animal models of NOWS can inform future treatment for the behavioral changes of NOWS observed in youth.