The present research program will examine the taste reactivity of rats to alcohol solutions. Taste reactivity refers specifically to the stereotyped mouth and tongue movements that tastants elicit when infused into the mouth. Individual rats will be implanted with intraoral fistulae through which taste solutions can be infused. As the tastant is applied to the oral cavity, videotape records will be made and scored for the presence to tongue movements, masticatory activity, and overall body movement of the rat. Previous studies have shown that rats exhibit two basic responses to infused tastants: ingestive responses and aversive responses. These responses can be elicited by sucrose solutions and quinine solutions, respectively. The experiments proposed will determine what type of reactivity response alcohol solutions elicit in rats. Preliminary behavioral tests with rats indicate that alcohol has a sweet-bitter taste; rats trained to avoid an alcohol solution generalize the aversion to a sucrose-quinine compound solution. It is hypothesized that the rat's reactivity to alcohol will consist of both ingestive and aversive components which will alternate as the solution stimulates the tongue. Concentration- response functions will be determined to see if the characteristics of the alcohol response is concentration dependent. Further tests will examine whether different pretesting experiences (familiarization, addiction, mild food deprivation, and alcohol- illness conditioning) alter reactivity to alcohol and, if so, precisely how these alterations are demonstrated. The primary rationale for the research program is that little is known about the taste of alcohol. This area of research is important because it is known that the decision whether to ingest or reject a food is ultimately dependent upon the chemical properties of the substance, i.e. the taste. Further, alterations in alcohol consumptions, such as that seen in alcohol addiction, may be accompanied by alterations in taste reactivity, a potentially important result which could affect subsequent treatment programs.
| Kiefer, S W; Bice, P J; Badia-Elder, N (1994) Alterations in taste reactivity to alcohol in rats given continuous alcohol access followed by abstinence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 18:555-9 |
| Bice, P J; Kiefer, S W; Elder, N B (1992) Evaluating the palatability of alcohol for rats with measures of taste reactivity, consumption, and lick rate. Alcohol 9:381-7 |
| Kiefer, S W; Bice, P J; Orr, M R et al. (1990) Similarity of taste reactivity responses to alcohol and sucrose mixtures in rats. Alcohol 7:115-20 |
| Bice, P J; Kiefer, S W (1990) Taste reactivity in alcohol preferring and nonpreferring rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 14:721-7 |
| Kiefer, S W; Dopp, J M (1989) Taste reactivity to alcohol in rats. Behav Neurosci 103:1318-26 |
