Conditioned place aversion to the "hangover" phase of acute ethanol administration in the rat

The purpose of this study was to examine ethanol's delayed effects (termed hangover) using conditioned place testing. Four groups of rats received a single pairing of a distinctive environment (tactile and visual) 10 h after injection with ethanol (0, 2, 3, 4 g/kg, i.p.) or saline in a counterbalanced design. Rats receiving 3 and 4 g/kg ethanol showed a conditioned place aversion to ethanol hangover. Conditioning 10 h after 0 or 2 g/kg ethanol did not produce a significant place preference or aversion. The results suggest that the hangover following an acute injection of high doses of ethanol (3-4 g/kg) produces a significant and dose-related conditioned place aversion in the rat. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.