The Role Of D Cycloserine ( Dcs ) On The Extinction Of...

In a study by Vengeliene, Kiefer, and Spanagel (2008), the role of d-cycloserine (DCS) on the extinction of conditioned alcohol-seeking behavior is investigated. In a dual-lever operant chamber, Wistar rats were trained using operant conditioning to press a lever to self-administer ethanol, while the opposite lever released water. Olfactory stimuli in the form of orange flavour extract and anise extract was added to aid the rats in discriminating between ethanol and water availability respectively. In addition to predictive olfactory stimuli, response-contingent cues were presented after each lever press. Through classical conditioning, ethanol is repeatedly paired with a conditioned auditory stimulus, similarly water self-administration results in the presentation of a light stimulus. The subjects were then divided into two groups, one group was injected with a vehicle and the other was injected with 5mg/kg DCS 60 minutes prior to each extinction session. During the twelve consecuti ve daily extinction sessions, both levers were extended with olfactory stimuli present and lever responses resulted in their associated cues, but no ethanol or water was released. One day after the last extinction session, the animals were primed with a dose of ethanol, and their ethanol responding was tested with its associated olfactory stimuli and response-contingent cue to study relapse-like behavior. This animal study found that the extinction of alcohol-seeking behavior, i.e. lever