NIH R01 · 2024
Disruptions in the brain reward system through postnatal exposure to GABA agonists and anesthetics
Early developmental exposure to GABAergic drugs leads to lasting changes in brain reward systems and reward- related behaviors, possibly due to the protracted development of the brain GABA system which extends several years into postnatal development, presenting a long developmental vulnerability window. Exposed individuals are more vulnerable to mood and addiction disorders as adults. Over 1.5 million infants and toddlers go through procedures that require general anesthetics (GAs) each year. GAs achieve most of their therapeutic end-points through their interactions with GABAA receptors (GABAARs) and cause persistent changes in the expression and trafficking of GABAARs similar to those…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.