Date of Award
Spring 2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology
Committee Chairperson
Kristen R. Breit, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Susan Gans, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Susan Naylor, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Eric Sweet, Ph.D.
Abstract
Alcohol and nicotine are the two most commonly consumed licit substances among pregnant individuals, and the potential consequences of prenatal exposure to each drug include a variety of neurological and behavioral alterations. These may include an increased likelihood of developing a substance use disorder (SUD) and/or cognitive impairments later in life. However, 30% of pregnant individuals who report consuming alcohol also report consuming nicotine, yet the potential consequences of combined prenatal exposure are not understood. Furthermore, 40% of pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned, meaning that drug exposure most commonly occurs during the first trimester. However, there is limited research investigating whether combined prenatal exposure to alcohol and nicotine may exacerbate behavioral alterations more than individual prenatal exposures, particularly with early pregnancy exposure alone. This study examined whether co-exposure to alcohol and nicotine via electronic cigarettes during the first trimester increases drug-seeking behaviors and/or impairs memory performance more than individual exposures using a rat model. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to alcohol, nicotine, the combination, or an e-cigarette vehicle from gestational days (GD) 5-11, mimicking the human first trimester. Following birth, adolescent offspring were examined for nicotine-seeking behaviors using a self-administration vapor paradigm. Offspring were also examined for memory performance using a novelty object recognition paradigm during both adolescence and adulthood. Results indicated that neither prenatal alcohol and/or nicotine via e-cigarettes altered drug-seeking behaviors, although females exhibited more drug-seeking behaviors compared to males. Additionally, combined prenatal exposure did not alter memory performance in either adolescence or adulthood.
Recommended Citation
Campanella, Zoe, "The Effects of Prenatal Alcohol and Nicotine Exposure on Later-Life Drug-Seeking Behavior and Memory Performance" (2025). West Chester University Master’s Theses. 343.
https://digitalcommons.wcupa.edu/all_theses/343