"Neurobehavioral effects of neonatal opioid exposure in a mouse model of the OPRM1 polymorphism"
Talk by Dr. Shivon Robinson, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Williams College
Sharpless Auditorium at 1:30 pm
Abstract: Maternal opioid use is a growing public health concern in the United States. Infants exposed to opioids in utero are at risk of exhibiting neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). The biological mechanisms underlying short and long‐term consequences of in utero opioid exposure and NOWS are unknown. A potential genetic factor is a single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the mu‐opioid receptor gene (OPRM1 A118G). To further elucidate potential genetic and neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to the developmental and behavioral consequences of early life opioid exposure, we used mice possessing the the equivalent Oprm1 SNP (A112G) in a neonatal opioid exposure paradigm.