Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Dec 21;3(1):1-38.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci3010001.

Long-term consequences of developmental alcohol exposure on brain structure and function: therapeutic benefits of physical activity

Anna Y Klintsova  1 , Gillian F Hamilton  2 , Karen E Boschen  3
Affiliations

Long-term consequences of developmental alcohol exposure on brain structure and function: therapeutic benefits of physical activity

Anna Y Klintsova et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Developmental alcohol exposure both early in life and during adolescence can have a devastating impact on normal brain structure and functioning, leading to behavioral and cognitive impairments that persist throughout the lifespan. This review discusses human work as well as animal models used to investigate the effect of alcohol exposure at various time points during development, as well as specific behavioral and neuroanatomical deficits caused by alcohol exposure. Further, cellular and molecular mediators contributing to these alcohol-induced changes are examined, such as neurotrophic factors and apoptotic markers. Next, this review seeks to support the use of aerobic exercise as a potential therapeutic intervention for alcohol-related impairments. To date, few interventions, behavioral or pharmacological, have been proven effective in mitigating some alcohol-related deficits. Exercise is a simple therapy that can be used across species and also across socioeconomic status. It has a profoundly positive influence on many measures of learning and neuroplasticity; in particular, those measures damaged by alcohol exposure. This review discusses current evidence that exercise may mitigate damage caused by developmental alcohol exposure and is a promising therapeutic target for future research and intervention strategies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Brain growth spurt in humans and rodents.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Cotman C.W., Berchtold N.C. Exercise: A behavioral intervention to enhance brain health and plasticity. Trends Neurosci. 2002;25:295–301. doi: 10.1016/S0166-2236(02)02143-4. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Vivar C., Potter M.C., Praag H. All about running: Synaptic plasticity, growth factors and adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Curr. Top. Behav. Neurosci. 2012 doi: 10.1007/7854_2012_1220. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Booth M.L., Okely A.D., Chey T., Bauman A.E., Macaskill P. Epidemiology of physical activity participation among new south wales school students. Aust. N. Z. J. Public Health. 2002;26:371–374. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-842X.2002.tb00189.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hillman C.H., Erickson K.I., Kramer A.F. Be smart, exercise your heart: Exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 2008;9:58–65. - PubMed
    1. Hillman C.H., Snook E.M., Jerome G.J. Acute cardiovascular exercise and executive control function. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 2003;48:307–314. doi: 10.1016/S0167-8760(03)00080-1. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources