The excitatory component of ethanol in mice: a chronic study.

The effects of chronic administration of initially depressant, ineffective and excitatory doses of ethanol on the locomotor activity of mice was studied. The results showed that (1) an excitatory effect of ethanol is observed after tolerance develops to its depressant action; (2) the effect induced by an initially excitatory dose of ethanol became more pronounced with chronic exposure to the drug; and (3) tolerance to the excitatory effect was not reached after 60 days of ethanol treatment.