Abstract

SAN MARTIN, Consuelo et al. Reacquisition of Associative Tolerance to Ethanol: The Effect of Massive Extinction. Av. Psicol. Latinoam. [online]. 2018, vol.36, n.2, pp.419-429. ISSN 1794-4724.  https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/apl/a.5727.

The repeated intake of certain drugs produces tolerance, that is, a decrease in its effects and therefore the need to take larger doses. From the Pavlovian conditioning paradigm, the present research examined in two experiments the effect of the use of massive amounts of extinction trials in reacquisition of tolerance to ethanol. Experiment 1 assessed acquisition, extinction and reacquisition of tolerance to ethanol in rats after nine trials of extinction. Experiment 2 assessed the effect of 84 trials of extinction in reacquisition of tolerance to ethanol. Both experiments assessed tolerance to ethanol measuring the subject's ataxic response in a tilting plane. Results from Experiment 1 showed that tolerance to ethanol was acquired, extinguished and reacquired. Results from Experiment 2 showed that massive extinction decreased reacquisition. Together, results from this research suggest that massive exposition to stimuli associated with the consumption of ethanol could be effective in reducing tolerance and relapse.

Keywords : tolerance; ethanol; massive extinction; reacquisition.

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