Evaluation of behavioral disinhibition in P/NP and HAD1/LAD1 rats

1. Two lines of rats specifically bred for alcohol preference were exposed to two different behavioral tasks that required behavioral inhibition to su ccessfully solve. 2. Learning and performance of a step-down passive avoidance task and a dif ferential reinforcement of low-rate responding task were studied in P/NP an d HAD1/LAD1 rats. 3. While the P rats had difficulty in learning both tasks, HAD1, LAD1 and N P rats performed at control levels. 4. These data suggest that P rats, but not HAD1 rats, may have problems lea rning tasks that require inhibition of ongoing or previously learned behavi ors.