Procedural factors that regulate the effects of social conditions on alcohol consumption in rats.

Abstract

Social conditions have been proposed to play a significant role in determining alcohol dependence, but no consensus has been reached regarding the circumstances under which social interaction influences alcohol intake. Studies with animal models that investigate the effects of social conditions on alcohol consumption have reported mixed results. In the present review, we intended to identify procedural variables that may explain differences among experiments. Separately, we analyzed features of isolation and group-housing conditions that might influence the effects of social conditions on alcohol consumption. For each condition, some variables were found to influence alcohol consumption. In isolation studies, variables such as age at isolation, age at alcohol intake, and length of isolation have been shown to alter alcohol intake. Studies that have focused on social interaction showed that such factors as group size, environmental enrichment, and the context of self-administration affect consumption in group-housed rats. The studies reviewed herein indicated that several elements of social conditions—and numerous interactions between them—influence drinking behavior. Systematic evaluations that isolate the effects of each variable are necessary to better understand the effects of the interplay between biological and environmental factors on alcohol consumption.