Alcohol acceleration of cognitive impairment in preclinical models

Alcohol exposure is known to produce mild cognitive impairment, though its effects inhibitory effects on neurotrophic factors and through the induction of neuroinflammation. Little is known on whether alcohol can accelerate cognitive impairment in the context of a genetic background of Alzheimer’s disease. In this presentation we will show how early exposure to alcohol along adolescence accelerates cognitive impairment in a mouse model of Amyloid-ß (Aß) deposition. This effects is associated with biomarkers of endocannabinoid signaling dysregulation, namely profound alterations in cannabinoid CB2 receptors and in the enzymes for endocannabinoid Production and degradation (DAGLa and MAGL). The importance of these biomarkers in the context of alcohol-induced cognitive impairment is discussed.