Prenatal Stress Alters Single-trial Conditioned Place Preference in Adolescent Rats A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at George Mason University By

PRENATAL STRESS ALTERS SINGLE-TRIAL CONDITIONED PLACE PREFERENCE IN ADOLESCENT RATS Stephanie L. Karsner, M.A. George Mason University, 2011 Thesis Director: Dr. Robert F. Smith Early environmental and behavioral experiences can affect development during adolescence and even adulthood. Prenatal effects can result in lasting changes on the nervous system and behavior. Gestational stress has been shown to lead to an increased vulnerability to substance abuse and addiction disorders. Exposure to stress is associated with sensitive periods of vulnerability that also uniquely contributes to drug abuse vulnerability. Compulsive drug use can increase due to a highly reactive HPA-axis, which can be dysregulated by prenatal stress exposure (Andersen & Teicher, 2009). While the results of studies done with other drugs of abuse suggest that animals exposed to prenatal stress are more vulnerable to substance abuse, the effects of prenatal stress on nicotine exposure is unknown, particularly on initial nicotine experiences during adolescence. Indeed, research on the effects of prenatal stress on adolescent behavior and development is scarce. As adolescence is the most common age for initial nicotine use, and as adolescence is a sensitive period where reinforcing effects of nicotine are stronger