ALCOHOL APPETITE--A NUTRIENT CONDITIONING ANALYSIS

这个项目将从营养调节的角度研究酒精的食欲。 酒精在强化多种行为方面的强大药理作用已被广泛研究。 人们对酒精作为一种营养素知之甚少，特别是关于其基于营养的强化作用。 最近的动物研究表明，营养素（碳水化合物，脂肪，蛋白质）有积极的（加强）positioningestive的后果，影响食物的选择和消费，通过调节口味的偏好和接受。这些偏好可能非常强烈且持久。动物也学会了喜欢与中等剂量酒精的摄食后作用有关的味道，尽管在更高剂量下可能会产生厌恶而不是偏好。 酒精作为一种兴奋剂的效力可能是因为它具有营养和药理增强作用。本项目的具体目标是：1）使用各种方案评估乙醇在调节风味偏好方面的有效性; 2）评估乙醇条件偏好中的口腔感觉条件刺激（风味）; 3）比较乙醇与其他营养素的摄食后强化作用。这项研究涉及精神生物学、药理学、营养学和胃肠道生理学等领域。 它将推进我们对酒精食欲的心理生物学的基本知识，并可能为控制人类的酒精消费提供实际好处。

This project will investigate the appetite for alcohol from a nutrient-conditioning perspective. The potent pharmacological actions of alcohol in reinforcing many forms of behavior have been extensively investigated. Less is known about alcohol as a nutrient, particularly about its nutritionally-based reinforcing actions. Recent animal studies demonstrate that nutrients (carbohydrate, fat, protein) have positive (reinforcing) positingestive consequences that influence food choice and consumption by conditioning flavor preferences and acceptance. These preferences can be remarkably strong and persistent. Animals also learn to prefer flavors associated with the postingestive actions of alcohol at moderate doses, although at higher doses aversions rather than preferences may develop. The potency of alcohol as a reinforcer may result because it has both nutritive and pharmacological reinforcing actions. The specific aims of this project are to 1) evaluate the effectiveness of ethanol in conditioning flavor preferences using a variety of protocols; 2) evaluate the orosensory conditioned stimulus (flavor) in ethanol-conditioned preferences; and 3) compare the postingestive reinforcing effects of ethanol with those of other nutrients. This research involves the fields of psychobiology, pharmacology, nutrition and gastrointestinal physiology. It will advance our basic knowledge of the psychobiology of alcohol appetite and may provide practical benefits for controlling alcohol consumption in humans.