FIGURE 7.

Prenatal ethanol exposure (PE) led to an increase in lapses of attention in both sexes when the trials were more difficult (i.e., when the hold time was >4 s). In contrast, the increase in lapses of attention was observed only in PE female rats but not in males when the trials were easier (i.e., when the hold time was <4 s). Lapses of attention were assessed by skewnesses of reaction time (RT) distributions (adjusted Fisher–Pearson standardized moment coefficient). The more the RT distribution curve is skewed positively (associated with excessive long RTs), the more lapses of attention occur in the test. In addition, a sex difference was observed in control rats. Specifically, the skewness of RT distribution was greater in control males than in control females when the hold time was <4 s. Data are presented as Mean ± SEM. *p < 0.05, control vs. PE of the same sex. ^#p < 0.05, male vs. female in controls.