replicate and extend those of McFadyen-Leussis et al. (2004) and suggest pre- and postnatal methylphenidate exposure can have later anxiolytic effects. (Supported by NCTR Experiment 7318.) doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2012.05.043 NBTS P05 Substance use, externalizing behavior problems, and quality of family relations in prenatally cocaine-exposed adolescents Meeyoung Min, Sonia Minnes, Adelaide Lang, Miaoping Wu, Lynn Singer Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States The objective was to examine 1) the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) on social and legal problems associated with substance use and externalizing behavior problems of 15-year-old adolescents and 2) whether the effect of PCE is mediated by the quality of family relations (QOF). Adolescents (N=329; 165 PCE, 165 NCE), primarily African American and of low socioeconomic status, were followed prospectively to 15 years of age. Substance use problems were measured by the 17-item Substance Use/Abuse scale from the Problem Oriented Screen- ing Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT). Respondents reporting ≥1 problems associated with substance use were coded 1 (yes). Externaliz- ing behavior problems were assessed using the Youth Self-Report (YSR) and the 16-item Aggressive Behavior scale from the POSIT. QOF was assessed using the 11-item Family Relations scale from the POSIT. Hierarchical logistic and multiple regression analyses were used to assess the effects of PCE controlling for covariates including other prenatal drug exposures and to test mediation. Adolescents with PCE (n=47, 29%) were 2.4 times more likely (95% CI=1.2–4.8, p<.02) to report substance use related problems than adolescents without PCE (n=25, 12%) after controlling for covariates. Significant effects of PCE were also found on YSR Externalizing (β =.17, p<.007) and Rule- breaking Behavior (β =.15, p<.03) T scores and POSIT Aggressive Behavior (β =.12, p<.05). No cocaine effect was found in YSR Aggressive Behavior. PCE was also related to poorer QOF (β = .12, p<.04) at 15 years even after birth mother's psychological distress and HOME scores were controlled. QOF mediated the association between PCE and substance use problems and externalizing behavior problems. After taking into account the effect of QOF, the direct effect of PCE was reduced for a trend effect on substance use problems (OR=2.1, 95% CI=0.99–4.3, p<.06), YSR Rule-breaking Behavior T score (β = .12, p<.07), and POSIT Aggressive Behavior (β =.07, p<.20). The direct effect of PCE on YSR externalizing behavior problems remained significant (β =.13, p <.04), although the significance level was reduced. PCE is related to substance use and externalizing behavior problems in adolescence. QOF should be a key focus of intervention. doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2012.05.044 NBTS P06 Developmental methylphenidate exposure does not alter rodent righting reflex or slant board behaviors Kaitlyn Maier, Sherry Ferguson NCTR/FDA, Jefferson, AR, United States Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed neurobiological disorders. Previously, ADHD was believed to predominately affect children. However, it is now known that many adults, including women of reproductive age, also suffer from ADHD. The most commonly prescribed ADHD treatment is methylphenidate (MPH), a central nervous system stimulant. To date, the effects of prenatal MPH exposure have not been widely described in the scientific literature. Here, plug-positive Sprague– Dawley rats (n=19–21/treatment group) were orally treated with 0 (water), 6 (low), 18 (medium), or 42 (high) mg/kg/day MPH on vanilla wafers 3×/day on gestational days 6–21 (e.g., the low dose received 2 mg/kg at each of the 3 treatment times). On postnatal days (PNDs) 1–21, pups were orally treated 2×/day with the same daily dose as their dam had received. Righting reflex and slant board behavior (i.e., negative geotaxis) were assessed in all pups/litter prior to the first MPH treatment on PNDs 3–6 and PNDs 8–11, respectively. Litter was the statistical unit of analysis. Preweaning body weight was increased ≈6% by low MPH treatment (p<0.001) and decreased ≈1% by high MPH treatment in female offspring. Body weights of medium dose MPH female offspring were not significantly different from controls. Low and medium MPH treatment increased prewean- ing body weight of male offspring ≈7% and ≈3%, respectively (p<0.01). Body weights of high dose MPH male offspring were not significantly different from controls. On average, the latency to right was faster for males than females (p <0.03) and decreased with age in both sexes (p<0.001); however, there were no significant effects of MPH treatment. Similarly, latency to turn on the slant board decreased with age in both sexes (p<0.001). MPH treatment had no significant effects on slant board behavior. Currently, there are no adequate data on the effects of developmental MPH exposure to adequately determine its safety during pregnancy. These findings add to the body of literature that may aid decision makers in making such a determination. (Supported by NCTR Experiment 7318.) doi:10.1016/j.ntt.2012.05.045 NBTS P07 Developmental Bisphenol A exposure in mice does not impair performance on a spatial reversal learning task Melissa Ward, Jenna Nelms, Mellessa Miller, Abby Meyer, Guy Mittleman, Helen Sable University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States Previous research has demonstrated that estradiol can alter execu- tive function. Given that Bisphenol A (BPA) is a known estrogenic endocrine disruptor, the current study was done to determine if BPA would affect cognitive flexibility — an aspect of executive function. Female, CD-1 mice were exposed to 0, 2, 20, or 200 μg/kg/day BPA or to 5 μg/kg/day ethinyl estradiol (reference estrogen) beginning on gesta- tional day 11 until parturition. From postnatal day (PND) 1 to PND 21, the pups were orally dosed with the same dose as their respective dam. On approximately PND 65, one male and female from each litter were food deprived to 85–90% of their free-feeding weight. Between approxi- mately PND 80 and continuing until PND 140, the mice were tested on other executive function tasks. Mice then began behavioral testing on a spatial reversal learning task. During the first phase of original learning (OL), both the right and left levers were presented, and mice were required to press the same lever for each trial in order to obtain a food reinforcer at the end of each trial. There were 40 trials per session. Once the mouse achieved 90% correct across two consecutive days of testing, a reversal phase was implemented whereby the opposite lever was reinforced. A total of five spatial reversals were conducted. Each reversal also required 90% correct to advance to the next reversal. Results indicated that performance in the males was more variable than in the females. For both sexes, neither BPA nor EE2 exposure had an effect on the number of sessions it took to reach criterion within each phase or the number of incorrect responses that occurred within each phase. Overall, the results indicated that perinatal exposure to low doses of BPA in CD-1 NBTS 2012 Abstracts 382