Presentation of an ethanol-paired stimulus complex alters response patterns during extinction.
It has been hypothesized that environmental stimuli previously paired with ethanol consumption play a role in excessive ethanol intake. This study examined the ability of orally self-administered ethanol to establish a tone-light stimulus complex as a conditioned reinforcer (CSR). Male Long-Evans rats were trained to orally self-administer 10% ethanol (10E) using the sucrose-substitution procedure. During training, a tone-light stimulus complex was paired with ethanol presentation in a stimulus complex paired (SC-paired) group but not in a control group. Responding during extinction in the presence and absence of the stimulus complex was then examined. Following the initiation of ethanol self-administration, 10E maintained greater responding in the SC-paired group compared to the control group. When the stimulus complex was presented contingent on responding during extinction, the rate of extinction was slightly attenuated in the SC-paired group but not in the control group. The altered rate of extinction in the SC-paired group was characterized by: 1) a slight decrease in total session responding over successive days of extinction and 2) a transient attenuation of extinction burst response rate during the first extinction session. These data suggest the stimulus complex could function as a weak CS(R), but overall its ability to maintain lever pressing was minimal.
Slawecki
C J
CJ
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, The Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1083, USA.
Samson
H H
HH
Chappell
A
A
D000818:Animals; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012646:Self Administration