The Preliminary Effects of Nicotine on Maladaptive Alcohol Drinking
Class
Article
College
Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services
Faculty Mentor
Amy Odum
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Impulsivity is the study of choosing a smaller-sooner choice over a more rational larger-choice. In behavior analysis, impulsivity is studied under the framework of delay discounting, which is how time delays to a reward devalue it. Delay discounting of reinforcers has been extensively studied in alcohol-dependent individuals and tobacco smokers. In most of these studies, the discounting has only been observed with one reinforcer at different time delays .Unfortunately, little research has been done so far looking into a more practical representation of discounting between commodities or cross-commodity discounting (for example, a choice between a drink of alcohol now or better family relations later). To more fully understand how discounting would work in a real life situation, we attempt to create an animal model of that environment for the subjects in the experiment, as we can manipulate extraneous and contextual variables in non-human subjects. We have conducted a 8 week alcohol acquisition phase and have recorded their drinking behaviors. We then implemented a series of cross-commodity trials in order to establish discounting between 2 different commodities, in this case, alcohol and food. After establishing a baseline, we attempted to manipulate these responses through the addition of nicotine.
Location
The South Atrium
Start Date
4-12-2018 3:00 PM
End Date
4-12-2018 4:15 PM
The Preliminary Effects of Nicotine on Maladaptive Alcohol Drinking
The South Atrium
Impulsivity is the study of choosing a smaller-sooner choice over a more rational larger-choice. In behavior analysis, impulsivity is studied under the framework of delay discounting, which is how time delays to a reward devalue it. Delay discounting of reinforcers has been extensively studied in alcohol-dependent individuals and tobacco smokers. In most of these studies, the discounting has only been observed with one reinforcer at different time delays .Unfortunately, little research has been done so far looking into a more practical representation of discounting between commodities or cross-commodity discounting (for example, a choice between a drink of alcohol now or better family relations later). To more fully understand how discounting would work in a real life situation, we attempt to create an animal model of that environment for the subjects in the experiment, as we can manipulate extraneous and contextual variables in non-human subjects. We have conducted a 8 week alcohol acquisition phase and have recorded their drinking behaviors. We then implemented a series of cross-commodity trials in order to establish discounting between 2 different commodities, in this case, alcohol and food. After establishing a baseline, we attempted to manipulate these responses through the addition of nicotine.