Ethanol and aging effects on movement initiation can be dissociated from general behavioral impairment using a high-speed lever-release task in rats.

An animal model of human reaction time was used to assess the effects of ethanol on reactive capacity (RC) as a function of age. Three doses of ethanol (0.5, 1.0 & 1.5 g/kg of 20% v/v, i.p.) were confirmed by gas chromatographic analysis of blood samples taken immediately following every behavioral test. Fisher 344 rats were trained to use their forepaws to hold down a lever until the onset of a buzzer and light that signalled impending foot shock, which occurred within 200-1000 msec of the stimulus. All rats were shaped to release the lever faster than 200 msec, which permitted them to avoid all shock under saline treatment. In the first experiment, only young adult rats (3-4 mos) were tested. Ethanol caused a dose-dependent impairment of RC. In a second experiment, rats aged 4, 12 and 24 mos were tested. As in previous work, RC was reduced by age. Ethanol caused a dose-dependent impairment of response speed (as indicated by the average of the fastest five RTs) that was exaggerated in the 24 mo-old rats. Ethanol also appeared to amplify the trial-by-trial variability in RC that was typical of the old rats under saline conditions. Nevertheless, if given enough time (1000 msec) most rats (except for a few in the oldest group) were able to avoid shock under ethanol as reliably as under saline conditions, even at the highest dose. Thus, ethanol specifically slowed reaction time while sparing memory and motivational and motor capacities required for success in this task. Both extensive practice and pre-test warm up sessions modified the effects of ethanol; however they did not do so differentially across ages.