Voluntary exercise influences behavioral development in rats exposed to alcohol during the neonatal brain growth spurt

Children exposed to alcohol prenatally may suffer from severe brain damage, expressed as a variety of behavioral problems, including hyperactivity and learning deficits. There is a critical need to identify effective treatments for fetal alcohol effects. Physical exercise enhances cognitive ability and increases neurogenesis in the hippocampus, a brain area important for learning and memory. Thus, the present study examined whether physical exercise might reduce the severity of alcohol-induced behavioral alterations. Sprague-Dawley rats were intubated with 5.25 g/kg/day ethanol during the third trimester equivalent (postnatal days [PDs] 4-9). Intubated sham control and nontreated controls were included. From PD 21 to PD 51, half of the subjects were given access to running wheels. On PD 52, subjects were tested on the Morris water maze, and on PD 60, open field activity levels were measured. Morris maze performance was significantly impaired among ethanol-exposed subjects; exercise significantly improved performance of all groups. Similarly, ethanol-exposed subjects were overactive in the open field, an effect attenuated with exercise. In sum, these data suggest that exercise may increase neuronal plasticity not only in controls, but also in subjects exposed to alcohol during development.