Factores de riesgo asociados con el consumo de alcohol en ratas Romanas de alta (RHA-I) y baja (RLA-I) evitación

Resumo

Addiction to psychoactive substances is a behavioral disorder that results from the interaction among genes, personality traits and stressing environmental experiences. Drug dependence is chronic, compulsive and uncontrollable, and includes tolerance, physical dependence, craving and relapse. The main goal of this Thesis was to analyze sorne risk factors underlying ethanol consumption in genetically selected animals (inbred Roman High- (RHA-1) and Roman Low- (RLA-1) Avoidance rats). These strains were used on the basis of their extreme differences in emotional reactivity, drug intake and novelty seeking. The study of novelty seeking behavioral trait was extended in Roman rats, by using both free and torced novelty election tasks. The responses registered in these tasks were correlated with ethanol voluntary consumption patterns. The results also suggested that the exposure to frustrating situations was a stressful experience that increased ethanol consumption in the more emotional RLA strain