Grant: Project Grant - PA: Sex and Gender in Health Research (Bridge funding)

With the relaxation of cannabis restrictions across North America, a growing proportion of young adults (19-30 yrs of age) are reporting the Simultaneous use of Alcohol and Cannabis. The use of legal/illicit drugs in this age group is common, with cannabis being the most commonly used drug by pregnant women, and there are indications are that this trend will continue to rise. This is particularly true during periods of crises, like the current Covid-19 pandemic, when substance abuse issues increase significantly. The combined use of alcohol and cannabis also increases the risk of unplanned pregnancies significantly , and the 19-30 year old age demographic coincides with the peak fertility period for females. Although the prevalence rates for alcohol and cannabis use are likely to rise, the effects of combined prenatal ethanol and cannabis exposure on the developing brain remain poorly understood. Given our extensive history in using animal models to examine sex differences in FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders), and the role of cannabinoids in synaptic plasticity, our research team is in a unique position to contribute significantly to the understanding of how alcohol and cannabis exposure, alone or in combination, can differentially affect brain development in both sexes. In particular, this proposal also offers a creative means to new vapor chamber administration protocols to assess how alcohol and cannabis exposure during pregnancy effects the structure and function of the developing hippocampus. This is a brain region known to be involved in learning and memory processes, and it is important to understand how prenatal exposure impacts brain development in a sex specific fashion. In addition, we will also look at decision making processes in these offspring as they enter the adolescent period, to better understand how exposure early in life affects addictive behaviors later in life.