PMID: 11912070Mar 26, 2002Paper

Novelty seeking and harm avoidance in relation to alcohol drinking in intact rats and following axon-sparing lesions to the amygdala and ventral striatum

Alcohol and Alcoholism : International Journal of the Medical Council on Alcoholism
Asa K Johansson, Stefan Hansen

Abstract

Our previous research has pointed to a behavioural pattern in rats similar to the one seen in the prototypic Type 2 alcoholic, where male rats bearing basal forebrain excitotoxin axon-sparing lesions show an increased alcohol intake, lowered responsiveness to threat (harm avoidance) and an enhanced tendency to exploring novel surroundings (novelty seeking). The purpose of the present study was to: (1) examine whether excessive alcohol-consuming rats have a diminished response to potential danger and an enhanced tendency to explore novel surroundings; (2) investigate a possible relationship between the above-mentioned behavioural parameters and two of the emotional motor systems in the basal forebrain, i.e. the extended amygdala and the ventral striato-pallidal system. Thus, we compared the effect of ibotenic axon-sparing lesions (3.5 microg/0.35 microl) to the temporal part of the amygdala with lesions in the ventral striatum on alcohol intake, harm avoidance (stretched attend postures) and novelty seeking (nose pokes), before and after surgery. Our results suggest that: (1) intact animals high in novelty seeking drink more alcohol than rats low on this trait; (2) lesions of the amygdala decrease harm avoidance and fluid intake...Continue Reading

Citations

Feb 24, 2006·Behavioral Neuroscience·J RayN Waters
Sep 2, 2005·Developmental Psychobiology·Jeremy Ray, Stefan Hansen
Apr 16, 2004·Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research·Caroline BrunelleRobert O Pihl
Jul 24, 2010·Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health·Michael LivingstonRobin Room
Sep 22, 2020·Brain and Neuroscience Advances·Laurel S MorrisJames W Murrough

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