Electroencephalographic and behavioral observations in rats during chronic ethanol ingestion and after abstinence.
Increasing aqueous solutions of ethanol were given to rats, starting immediately after weaning, instead of drinking water. A 12% v/v concentration was reached on day 81 of age and maintained from then on. Animals drinking 12% ethanol had a median blood alcohol level of 333 mg/l. No major changes in their hippocampal or neocortical EEG patterns were observed at the age of 3 1/2 or 6--7 months while they were on the drug. Upon withdrawal, the younger group showed a decline of the mean frequency of hippocampal and neocortical large, irregular amplitude EEG activity; the older group showed instead a decline of the frequency of hippocampal theta. The performance of psuedoconditioned and of conditioned shuttle responses was unaltered after 3 1/2 to 6 months of ethanol consumption or after one week of abstinence from the drug.
D000367:Age Factors; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004569:Electroencephalography; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology*
D000431:Ethanol