The effects of moderate prenatal alcohol exposure on the organization of exploratory behavior by adult female rats

A large body of research has indicated that moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE - 60 mg/dl peak BAC) can produce impairments on cognitive processes, such as spatial learning and memory. The neurobiological basis of these impairments is poorly understood but is frequently linked to alterations in hippocampal functioning. Although the hippocampus has a central role in learning and memory, damage to the hippocampus can also produce impairments in locomotor and exploratory behaviors by rodents (reviewed in Thompson et al., 2018). Rodent exploratory behavior is organized around home bases, which serves as central points of attraction from which rats and mice organize their exploratory trips into the remaining environment. We are unaware of studies investigating the relationship between moderate prenatal alcohol exposure and exploratory behavior. Thus, in the present study, we tested adult female rats in two experiments where they were allowed to freely explore a circular open field for ~30min. Here, we report that, with respect to home base behavior, exploratory movements were largely intact in rats exposed to alcohol prenatally. Specifically, animals rapidly established home bases within 5min of the beginning of testing and the bases were established in one or two locations in the environment. They made exploratory trips away and back to the home base and made several stops at this location along with bouts of grooming behavior. The results are discussed with respect to theories of hippocampal function and the impact of moderate prenatal alcohol on spatial behavior