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Competition between ethanol-induced reward and aversion in place conditioning
Christopher L Cunningham1, Rachel Smith, Carrie McMullin
1Department of Behavioral Neurosciences L470, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239-3098, USA. cunningh@ohsu.edu
Learning & Behavior
|October 28, 2003
Summary
Ethanol
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Place conditioning studies reveal ethanol's dual effects.
- Ethanol can produce conditioned preference or aversion based on timing.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate ethanol's place conditioning under ambiguous timing conditions.
- Examine the primacy effect in ethanol conditioning.
Main Methods:
- Mice received ethanol injections during or around a conditioned stimulus (CS).
- Evaluated place preference or aversion following ethanol exposure.
- Two experimental designs were used: midway through the CS and both before and after the CS.
Main Results:
- Ethanol administered midway through the CS resulted in conditioned aversion.
- Ethanol administered both before and after the CS resulted in conditioned preference.
- These findings indicate a primacy effect, where the initial contingency dictates the outcome.
Conclusions:
- Ethanol elicits both rewarding and aversive effects.
- Results support conditioning theories where unconditioned stimuli (USs) have multiple components.