Background: When rats with prior experience drinking ethanol solutions are
deprived of ethanol for various lime periods, a transitory increase in alco
hol consumption is observed when ethanol solutions are again made available
. This has been termed the alcohol deprivation effect (ADE). The ADE has be
en observed in limited-access operant procedures in which small dippers of
ethanol are presented following completion of a lever press requirement. Ho
wever, it has not been determined if the effect occurs in an operant model
of ethanol self-administration that separates the ethanol-seeking respondin
g from the consummatory drinking (the sipper procedure).
Methods: Rats were initiated to drink ethanol from a sipper tube using the
sucrose-substitution procedure. Once initiated, the rats had to make 30 lev
er presses to gain access to a sipper-tube containing the ethanol solution
for 20 min. The effects of 2-3 days, 7 days, and 14 days of ethanol depriva
tion were examined on ethanol consumption and extinction responding (seekin
g response).
Results: There were no effects of deprivation on intake at any deprivation
period examined. Contrary to expectations, the alcohol-seeking response as
measured by extinction responding was decreased after 7 and 14 days of depr
ivation.
Conclusions: The data from this study and others using the limited access o
perant procedures suggest that the ADE may be more related to consummatory
control (i.e., loss of control) and not to ethanol-seeking behaviors (i.e.,
craving).