Avoidance training in both alcohol and non-drug states increases the resistance-to-extinction of an avoidance response in rats

Abstract

Three groups of rats were given avoidance training followed by extinction. One group received one acquisition session immediately followed by extinction. A second group received two acquisition sessions while in the non-drug state, followed by extinction. A third group received two acquisition sessions, one while under the effects of alcohol and the second under no-drug conditions, followed by extinction. The group trained under two drug states made significantly more responses than the other two groups, while the group which received two training sessions while undrugged also made more responses than the group which received a single session. The results indicated that an avoidance response trained under more than one drug state is more resistant to extinction than a response learned only in one drug state.