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Updated: Feb 24, 2026
The Use of Trace Eyeblink Classical Conditioning to Assess Hippocampal Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
Published on: August 5, 2017
The Use of Trace Eyeblink Classical Conditioning to Assess Hippocampal Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol
Tuan D Tran1, Aenia Amin2, Keith G Jones3
1Department of Psychology, East Carolina University; Multidisciplinary Studies Program in Neuroscience, East Carolina University; trant@ecu.edu.
Insights
This study used a rat model to show that early-life alcohol exposure causes long-term brain damage, specifically affecting associative learning in the hippocampus. Trace eyeblink classical conditioning revealed significant dysfunction in alcohol-exposed offspring.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Biology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) result from prenatal alcohol exposure during critical brain development periods.
- Neonatal rodent models mimic human third-trimester brain development, making them suitable for studying alcohol's effects.
- Hippocampal dysfunction is a common long-term consequence of early-life alcohol exposure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate long-term hippocampal dysfunction in a rat model of FASDs.
- To assess the utility of trace eyeblink classical conditioning (ECC) as a diagnostic tool for neural pathology in FASDs.
Main Methods:
- Neonatal rats received high-concentration ethyl alcohol (11.9% v/v) from postnatal days 4-9.
- At 90 days old, rats underwent surgical implantation of electrodes for electrophysiological recordings.
- Trace eyeblink classical conditioning (ECC) was employed over 6 sessions to evaluate associative learning differences.
Main Results:
- Alcohol-exposed rats exhibited significant long-term hippocampal dysfunction.
- Trace ECC successfully differentiated between alcohol-exposed and control groups, indicating impaired associative learning.
- The study demonstrated the sensitivity of ECC in detecting alcohol-induced neurotoxicity.
Conclusions:
- Early-life high-dose alcohol exposure leads to persistent hippocampal dysfunction and impaired associative learning in adult offspring.
- Trace eyeblink classical conditioning is a valuable tool for assessing neural pathology and diagnosing brain dysfunction in FASDs.
- This model provides insights into the neurobiological consequences of binge-drinking patterns during critical developmental windows.
Abstract:
Neonatal rats were administered a relatively high concentration of ethyl alcohol (11.9% v/v) during postnatal days 4-9, a time when the fetal brain undergoes rapid organizational change and is similar to accelerated brain changes that occur during the third trimester in humans. This model of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) produces severe brain damage, mimicking the amount and pattern of binge-drinking that occurs in some pregnant alcoholic mothers. We describe the use of trace eyeblink classical conditioning (ECC), a higher-order variant of associative learning, to assess long-term hippocampal dysfunction that is typically seen in alcohol-exposed adult offspring. At 90 days of age, rodents were surgically prepared with recording and stimulating electrodes, which measured electromyographic (EMG) blink activity from the left eyelid muscle and delivered mild shock posterior to the left eye, respectively. After a 5 day recovery period, they underwent 6 sessions of trace ECC to determine associative learning differences between alcohol-exposed and control rats. Trace ECC is one of many possible ECC procedures that can be easily modified using the same equipment and software, so that different neural systems can be assessed. ECC procedures in general, can be used as diagnostic tools for detecting neural pathology in different brain systems and different conditions that insult the brain.
