PROLONGED MEASUREMENTS OF DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND NONDRUG STATES

12 ALBINO RATS, GIVEN FOOD REWARDS IN DIFFERENT ILLUMINATION CONDITIONS AFTER INTRAPERITONEAL ALCOHOL (1.2 GM/KG) AND PLACEBO INJECTIONS, GRADUALLY LEARNED TO DISCRIMINATE BETWEEN THEIR DRUG AND NONDRUG STATES BY SELECTING AN ILLUMINATION CONDITION DURING 5-MIN UNREWARDED TESTS AT THE BEGINNING OF 30-MIN SESSIONS. USE OF THE SAME LEVER-PRESSING RESPONSE TO CONTROL BOTH ILLUMINATION CONDITIONS SHOWED THAT SS DID NOT LEARN SEPARATE, DISSOCIATED RESPONSES IN THE DRUG AND NONDRUG STATES. ADDITIONAL FINDINGS WERE (1) FASTER INITIAL RESPONSE SPEED IN ALCOHOL THAN PLACEBO TESTS, INDICATING A DISINHIBITORY EFFECT OF THE DRUG; AND (2) SLOWER RESPONSE SPEED IN SESSIONS WHEN THE REWARDED CONDITION WAS PRODUCED BY TURNING THE LIGHT ON RATHER THAN OFF, INDICATING AVERSION TO THE LIGHT. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved). © 1968 American Psychological Association.