Effect of ethanol on excitatory and inhibitory processes in the visual cortex of rabbits undergoing learning

• Published in: Zurnal vyss̆ej nervnoj dejatelnosti imeni I P Pavlova Vol. 38; no. 2; p. 275
• Main Authors: Shul'gina, G I, Nikiforov, I V, Saakian, S A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russia (Federation) 01-03-1988
• Subjects: Animals; Conditioning, Classical - drug effects; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Ethanol - pharmacology; Evoked Potentials, Visual - drug effects; Learning - drug effects; Neural Inhibition - drug effects; Neurons - drug effects; Psychomotor Performance - drug effects; Rabbits; Reinforcement (Psychology); Synaptic Transmission - drug effects; Time Factors; Visual Cortex - drug effects
• ISSN: 0044-4677

Subcutaneous ethanol injection to waking rabbits in a dose of 2-6 g/kg causes discoordination of movements, a decline in motor reactions to inhibitory and reinforced light flashes, and appearance of equalizing and paradoxical relations in the number of reactions to these stimuli. Under the influence of ethanol, activating and disinhibitory action of the pain reinforcement on neurones of the visual area temporarily weakens, while the disinhibitory influence of light flashes (CS) is preserved. Judging from the dynamics of phasic reactions to the inhibitory light flashes, the ethanol in a dose of 2-6 g/kg does not influence the inhibitory hyperpolarization processes in the cerebral cortex of rabbits. Tonic inhibition of the cortical unit activity temporarily intensifies after the ethanol injection.