Increased impulsivity in rats as a result of repeated cycles of alcohol intoxication and abstinence

Abstract

Impulsivity is a risk factor for alcoholism and long-term alcohol exposure may further impair impulse control in a manner that propels problematic alcohol use. The present study employed the rat 5-Choice Serial Reaction Time Task (5-CSRTT) to measure behavioral inhibition and attentional capacity during abstinence from repeated 5d cycles of alcohol liquid diet consumption. Task performance was not disrupted following the first cycle of alcohol exposure, however, evidence of impaired behavioral inhibition emerged following the third cycle of alcohol exposure. In comparison with controls, alcohol rats exhibited deficits in inhibitory control during cognitively challenging 5-CSRTT tests employing variable inter-trial intervals (varITI). This behavioral disruption was not present during early abstinence (3d) but was evident by 7d abstinence and persisted for at least 34d. Interestingly, renewed alcohol consumption ameliorated these disruptions in impulse control, though deficient behavioral inhibition re-emerged during subsequent abstinence. Indices of increased impulsivity were no longer present in tests conducted after 49 days of abstinence. Alcohol-related impairments in impulse control were not evident in sessions employing highly familiar task parameters regardless of abstinence period and control experiments confirmed that performance deficits during the challenge sessions were unlikely to result from alcohol-related disruption in the adaptation to repeated varITI testing. Together, the current findings demonstrate that chronic intermittent alcohol consumption results in decreased behavioral inhibition in rats that is temporally similar to clinical observations of disrupted impulsive control in abstinent alcoholics performing tasks of behavioral inhibition.

Compromised frontocerebellar circuitry contributes to nonplanning impulsivity in recovering alcoholics

“…Repeated cycles of alcohol intoxication and abstinence resulted in increased impulsivity (Irimia et al, 2013). On the other hand, high impulsivity has been found in families with alcoholism, suggesting a genetic link between alcoholism and impulsivity (Saunders et al, 2008; DeVito et al, 2013).…”

Rat animal models for screening medications to treat alcohol use disorders

“…Within these constructs, impulsive drinking is associated with binge drinking and intoxication, during which an individual putatively has some volitional control, and subsequently there is the maintenance of ethanol drinking (Gray and MacKillop, 2014; Hamilton et al, 2014; but see Irimia et al, 2013). Chronic usage leads to the development of tolerance to ethanol's effects (Kippin, 2014).…”

A Genetic Animal Model of Alcoholism for Screening Medications to Treat Addiction

“…The roles of positive-reinforcement vs negative-reinforcement can also be characterized in terms of impulsive vs compulsive alcohol drinking (Koob, Arends, & Le Moal, 2014; Koob, Buck, et al, 2014; Koob & Le Moal, 2006; Koob & Le Moal, 2008). Within this construct, impulsive drinking leads to, and is associated with, binge drinking and intoxication (e.g., Gray & MacKillop, 2014; Hamilton, Felton, Risco, Lejuez, MacPherson, 2014; but see Irimia et al, 2013). However after chronic usage, impulsive drinking, during which an individual will putatively have some volitional control, will be replaced by compulsive drinking to mitigate physical and behavioral withdrawal from alcohol.…”