Open-field emotional reactivity and alcohol intake in rats

The relationship between open-field emotional reactivity and alcohol intake was investigated. Randomly selected, high and low open-field defecation (OFD) groups from each of the MNR, MR and RCA genetic lines of rats were used. No functional relation between OFD as a measure of emotional reactivity and alcohol intake was found. Differences in alcohol intake among genetic lines were confirmed. It is concluded that emotional reactivity is a mediating process related independently to both OFD and alcohol intake.