Conditioned place aversion to the "hangover" phase of acute ethanol administration in the rat

The purpose of this study was to examine ethanol's delayed effects (termed hangover) using conditioned place testing. Four groups of rats received a s ingle pairing of a distinctive environment (tactile and visual) 10 h after injection with ethanol (0, 2, 3, 4 g/kg, i.p.) or saline in a counterbalanc ed design. Rats receiving 3 and 4 g/kg ethanol showed a conditioned place a version to ethanol hangover. Conditioning 10 h after 0 or 2 g/kg ethanol di d not produce a significant place preference or aversion. The results sugge st that the hangover following an acute injection of high doses of ethanol (3-4 g/kg) produces a significant and dose-related conditioned place aversi on in the rat. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.