T-MAZE AND FOOD REINFORCEMENT - AN INEXPENSIVE DRUG DISCRIMINATION PROCEDURE

The present study provides a detailed description of a novel drug disc rimination procedure employing a T-maze and food reinforcement. Three groups of rats (n = 5) were trained to run one of the two arms of the maze after the i.g. administration of either 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 g/kg etha nol (chosen as training drug) and the opposite arm after administratio n of water. Only correct trials were rewarded. All the rats learned th e discrimination task. Substitution tests with different doses of etha nol in all the three groups and with the non-competitive NMDA antagoni st, dizocilpine (MK-801), in the 2.0 g/kg ethanol-trained group provid ed a pharmacological validation of the paradigm. Advantages and disadv antages of this procedure are discussed.