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A Method for Evaluating the Reinforcing Properties of Ethanol in Rats without Water Deprivation, Saccharin Fading or Extended Access Training
Published on: January 29, 2017
Acute ethanol does not always affect delay discounting in rats selected to prefer or avoid ethanol
Clare J Wilhelm1, Suzanne H Mitchell
1Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA. wilhelmc@ohsu.edu
Alcohol and Alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire)
|May 31, 2012
Summary
Alcohol preference in rats does not affect their response to alcohol in a delay discounting task. Acute ethanol exposure did not alter decision-making in either alcohol-preferring or non-preferring rats.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
- Genetics
Background:
- Alcohol use disorder is a complex condition influenced by genetic and environmental factors.
- Decision-making processes, such as delay discounting, are crucial in understanding alcohol-related behaviors.
- Genetic predispositions for alcohol preference or avoidance may impact behavioral responses to ethanol.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if genetic predisposition for alcohol preference influences the acute effects of ethanol on delay discounting.
- To compare the responses of alcohol-preferring and alcohol-avoiding rats to ethanol in a delay discounting task.
Main Methods:
- Utilized selectively bred rat lines: Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) and non-preferring (sNP), and Alko alcohol (AA) and non-alcohol (ANA) rats.
- Trained rats on an adjusting amount task to assess delay discounting.
- Administered acute ethanol (0, 0.25, 0.5 g/kg) to evaluate its effects on discounting behavior.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in baseline delay discounting were observed between the rat lines.
- Alcohol-preferring rat lines exhibited slower reaction times.
- Acute ethanol administration did not affect delay discounting in any of the studied rat lines.
Conclusions:
- In these specific rat lines, alcohol preference or avoidance does not alter the acute response to ethanol in delay discounting tasks.
- Future research should explore other genetic models to understand potential differential effects of alcohol on decision-making.
