Irreversible changes in mature and aging animals following intrauterine drug exposure.

Neurobiological and functional changes in mature and aging rodents following intrauterine exposure to tobacco products, amphetamine and the barbiturates are reviewed. The types of behavior surveyed include activity, maze learning, steady state performance, and passive and active avoidance. Hormonal and neurochemical changes are discussed as well. Two opposing hypotheses to account for deficits following fetal drug exposure are presented and evidence for their validity is discussed. One theory states that functional change is nonspecific to the class of drug, whereas the opposing theory is that behavioral change is specific to a drug class.