Impact of prenatal alcohol exposure in midlife: an assessment of the retina in the vervet monkey

Prenatal exposure to alcohol (PAE) does not necessarily lead to dysmorphic changes, and individuals can develop secondary challenges affecting both behavior and cognition as late as midlife. Although fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) pose a risk to the eye, little is known if PAE, similar to FASD without dysmorphology, can also lead to non-physical manifestations in the visual system in middle-aged individuals. We investigated PAE in a cohort of 22 vervet monkeys and 27 controls and assessed retinal function and oximetry at several ages across midlife. Our study with electroretinography (ERG) determined that PAE leads to altered scotopic responses in the inner retina in aging individuals. We propose that, additionally to other cognitive and behavioral testing, ERG could provide additional and efficient clinical support in diagnosing this understudied group in the non-dysmorphic spectrum of FASD.