Alcohol-associated antecedent stimuli elicit alcohol seeking in non-dependent rats and may activate the insula.

ABSTRACT: Alcohol self-administration produces brain and behavior adaptations that facilitate a progressive loss of control over drinking and contribute to relapse. One possible adaptation is the ability of antecedent environmental stimuli that are consistently paired with alcohol to trigger alcohol-seeking behaviors. We previously modeled this adaptation in rats using a Pavlovian conditioning procedure in which illumination of a houselight preceded the presentation of a sipper tube that produced unsweetened alcohol when licked. However, in our previous work we did not demonstrate whether this adaptation represented a consequence of repeated exposure to alcohol or the houselight, or whether it was the consequence of associative learning and memory. Thus, in the present study, we tested the associati

SUBMITTER: Cofresi RU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6534119 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature