How pregnant e-cigarette use may affect children's brains and addiction risk
Effects of maternal e-cigarette aerosol exposure on nicotine's addiction-related behavioral and neurobiological effects in offspring
['FUNDING_R01'] · HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE · NIH-11300199
This project looks at whether mothers' e-cigarette use during pregnancy changes their children's behavior and brain circuits linked to addiction.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11300199 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you are a pregnant person, this research aims to understand potential risks to your future child's brain and behavior by using animal models that mimic prenatal e-cigarette exposure. Scientists will expose pregnant animals to e-cigarette aerosols containing nicotine and other chemicals, then follow the offspring as they grow to see changes in activity, impulsive or addiction-like behaviors, and learning. The team will also examine changes in brain circuits and gene activity that control reward and reinforcement using laboratory molecular tests. Results are intended to help explain how prenatal exposure could increase risk for conditions like ADHD or later substance use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project uses animal models and is not enrolling human participants, so patients cannot join.
Not a fit: Pregnant people and their children cannot directly enroll or receive experimental interventions from this animal-only study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could clarify risks of e-cigarette use in pregnancy and guide safer public-health advice or future prevention strategies for children.
How similar studies have performed: Previous rodent studies have reported adverse behavioral and genetic effects after prenatal e-cigarette exposure, but important details about mechanisms and long-term risks remain unclear.
Where this research is happening
MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES
- HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE — MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: LESAGE, MARK G — HENNEPIN HEALTHCARE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- Study coordinator: LESAGE, MARK G
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.