A Rat Model of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: A Series of Undergraduate Laboratory Exercises for Biopsychology Courses

Many undergraduate students are aware that consuming alcohol during pregnancy can result in many serious physical and behavioral deficits. Student interest in this clinical syndrome allows instructors to provide engaging laboratory exercises that relate topics covered in most biopsychology courses to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Through this series of experiments, students will use rodents to study the behavioral deficits that can be caused by developmental alcohol exposure, including impaired ultrasonic vocalizations, hyperactivity, balance, and spatial learning. Other possible exercises include analyzing blood alcohol concentrations (BACs), completing histological studies of anatomical effects, and/or discussing the societal implications of developmental alcohol exposure. The instructor has the flexibility to determine which of the exercises fit into the class schedule and budget since he or she may choose to complete all of the behavioral tests or only one of them. Students will also learn about the benefits and drawbacks of animal models for human disorders, important considerations in research design such as reliability and validity, while also gaining experience in statistical analyses and writing empirical research papers. The application of these important concepts to a human syndrome and the use of small, easy-to-handle rodent pups make these exercises an accessible, stimulating introduction to animal research for most undergraduate students.