Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026
08:45
Modeling Alcohol Consumption in Rodents Using Two-Bottle Choice Home Cage Drinking and Microstructural Analysis
Published on: November 8, 2024
Impact of Voluntary Alcohol Consumption on Corticostriatal Plasticity in Rats
Johanna A S Smeets1,2, Geert M J Ramakers2, Frank J Meye2
1Department of Population Health Sciences, Unit of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The European Journal of Neuroscience
|July 2, 2026
Summary
Long-term alcohol consumption alters brain pathways in rats, potentially contributing to alcohol use disorder (AUD). These changes in corticostriatal plasticity may underlie the loss of control seen in AUD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Addiction Research
- Neurobiology of Alcohol Use Disorder
Background:
- Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing condition marked by impaired control over alcohol intake.
- Loss of alcohol control is linked to habitual use (dorsolateral striatum - DLS) and weakened cognitive control (cortical areas).
- Previous studies identified rat subgroups exhibiting loss of alcohol control after intermittent consumption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of sustained voluntary alcohol intake on sensorimotor cortical inputs to the DLS.
- To compare effects in rats consuming low versus high amounts of alcohol.
- To elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying alcohol-induced behavioral changes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized optogenetics and patch-clamp electrophysiology in Lister Hooded rats.
- Examined functional changes in cortical projections to the DLS after 8 weeks of voluntary alcohol consumption.
- Assessed synaptic plasticity markers like AMPA/NMDA ratios and paired-pulse facilitation.
Main Results:
- Observed reduced AMPA/NMDA ratios in alcohol-consuming rats, indicating long-term depression.
- Found a reduced coefficient of variance in cortical inputs to the DLS.
- Detected increased paired-pulse facilitation selectively in high alcohol-drinking rats, suggesting presynaptic changes.
Conclusions:
- Voluntary alcohol consumption induces both postsynaptic and presynaptic alterations in sensorimotor cortical inputs to the DLS.
- These alcohol-induced changes in corticostriatal plasticity may play a role in the development of AUD.
- The findings provide insights into the neural mechanisms driving compulsive alcohol seeking behavior.
