Impairment of timing behavior after prolonged alcohol consumption in rats.

Prolonged alcohol consumption (5 months) concomitant with adequate nutrition was found to impair the acquisition and performance of timing behavior. Alcohol was administered in the form of a liquid diet containing 35 percent ethanol-derived calories as the only source of fluid and calories. One control group received the identical liquid diet with isocaloric substitution of sucrose for ethanol, and another control group received laboratory chow and water without restriction. Thirty days after ethanol was discontinued in the diet, the alcohol-consuming rats were severely impaired in acquisition and performance of timing behavior as compared to controls.