Related Experiment Videos
Effect of low dose ethanol on the EEG of alcohol-preferring and -nonpreferring rats
S Morzorati1, B Lamishaw, L Lumeng
1Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46223.
Abstract:
Low dose ethanol has been shown to differentially affect the behavior of alcohol-preferring (P) and -nonpreferring (NP) rats. The present study was undertaken to determine if this differential effect is reflected in the EEG of these two rat lines. Frontocortical and hippocampal EEG were recorded from P and NP rats after intragastric infusions of ethanol (0.5 g/kg) and vehicle. Spectra were created from sequential 8-second epochs and power was calculated for frequency bands 0-4, 4-8, 8-16 and 16-50 Hz. Band power data was then grouped according to the rat's behavior and compared for P and NP rats. During nonREM sleep, ethanol produced a persistent increase in power in the NP rats, while power in the P rats was initially decreased, then returned to baseline. This differential effect was seen at both recording sites. The results suggest the P rats were midly aroused by low dose ethanol, while the NP rats were mildly sedated.