Few studies demonstrate decreased dendritic complexity resulting from developmental alcohol exposure in the mPFC. Granato and colleagues (Granato et al., 2003) administered ethanol through inhalation to PD2-PD6 neonatal rats, which resulted in a simplification of dendritic branching in mPFC layers II/III neurons, evidenced by a reduction in the number of dendritic end points and a significant decrease in the overall total length of basilar dendrites. Interestingly, an increased complexity in Layer V neurons was also seen in these animals, which could suggest a very specific time window in which ethanol exposure induces damage to specific neuronal regions.
