Response suppression on a mixed schedule of reinforcement during alcohol withdrawal

Two groups of rats were maintained on a mixed fixed-ratio, fixed-interval schedule of food reinforcement until performance was stable. The animals were intubated daily with ascending doses of alcohol or water 30 min before each session, starting with 4.0 g/kg and increasing to the final dose of 8.0 g/kg. The results show that withdrawal from alcohol suppresses responding in all components of a mixed schedule and this suppression lasts approximately 14 hours. These results support previous reports which suggest that the duration of the behavioral aberrations produced by alcohol withdrawal are most severe 6 to 14 hours post-withdrawal.