6th Edition of Neurology World Conference 2026

Abstract

The study of the opioid epidemic is often limited to acute health problems and neglects perinatally impacted offspring. Treating these offspring represents a new impending public health challenge that current healthcare systems do not know how to address. Literature suggests significant neurodevelopmental and behavioral deficits between offspring exposed to oxycodone (OXY) in utero (IUO) and post-natal (PNO) in early life and later adulthood. However, early adolescence represents a significant gap in our understanding of PNO- and IUO-offspring. We hypothesized that PNO- and IUO-offspring are primed to experience developmental deficits during adolescence. To test this hypothesis, our study employed an integrated systems approach evaluating phenotype, molecular, and behavioral impacts on PNO- and IUO-offspring. Phenotypic measurements of PNO- and IUO-offspring show OXYinduced significant reductions in head size, brain weight, and body composition. At the same time, our molecular studies found a lower transcription of inflammasome-specific genes in the prefrontal cortex of exposed offspring. Phenotypic and neurological deficits paired with our behavioral studies showing PNO- and IUO-offspring are primed for heightened anxiety-like behavior under social stress. In summary, our study, for the first time, has performed a comprehensive analysis of how perinatal OXY exposure impacts outcomes in both the PNO and IUO-offspring during early adolescence.