CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE-INDUCED CONDITIONED PLACE AND TASTE-AVERSION LEARNING IN RATS

The hedonic properties of chlordiazepoxide (CDP) were examined using t he place conditioning and the taste conditioning paradigms. Following four conditioning trials, CDP (5-20 mg/kg) produced a conditioned plac e aversion in an ''unbiased'' paradigm in which the chamber paired wit h CDP was counterbalanced among two equally preferred chambers. In a ' 'biased'' place-conditioning paradigm, CDP (5 and 20 mg/kg) prevented the dissipation of the natural aversion to the nonpreferred chamber. F inally, although CDP unconditionally potentiated sucrose consumption, it produced a sucrose aversion in the taste reactivity test and sucros e avoidance in the taste avoidance test when the taste conditionally p receded injections of CDP. The pattern of findings suggest that, when novel to rats. CDP is hedonically aversive. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.