GUSTATORY AND OLFACTORY CONTRIBUTIONS TO ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION IN RATS

To determine the relative contributions of taste and smell in the cons umption of alcohol by rats, the present experiment tested normal rats (n = 14) and rats with either gustatory cortex ablations (n = 10), olf actory bulbectomies (n = 11), or combination gustatory cortex and olfa ctory bulb ablations (n = 12). Rats were tested under mild fluid depri vation using a two-bottle testing procedure. Thirteen concentrations o f alcohol (0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, 7%, 8%, 9%, 10%, 11%, and 12% , v/v) were tested in ascending order. Results showed that at strong a lcohol concentrations (7% through 11%) rats with combined gustatory co rtex and olfactory bulb ablations consumed significantly more alcohol than normal control rats. Rats lacking gustatory cortex displayed a si milar increased level of consumption with strong alcohol concentration s. It is suggested that the high level of consumption of strong alcoho l concentrations by rats with central nervous system damage reflects a n associative deficit rather than an alteration in taste or odor perce ption.