The Effects of Adolescent Housing Condition and Voluntary Exercise on Alcohol Intake and Stress Response in Male Long-Evans Rats

Author(s)

Caroline Lynch, University of Dayton

Advisor

Tracy Butler, Ph.D.

Department

Psychology

Publication Date

4-2018

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Abstract

Can regular exercise during adolescence, combined with living in a social environment, decrease the negative effects of chronic stress and lower alcohol intake later in life? The aim of this research is to answer this question using a rat model that introduces a novel behavioral intervention in the form of regular voluntary exercise in order to counteract the negative effects of chronic stress caused by socially isolated housing during adolescence. Chronic stress has been linked to the development of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in humans, and this study attempts to both model and hamper this phenomenon in rats using voluntary exercise. Gaining an understanding of how housing conditions and exercise can play a role in subsequent alcohol intake and stress hormone levels may be useful for the advent of new pharmacotherapies for individuals with an AUD.

Permission Statement

This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes

Keywords

Undergraduate research

Disciplines

Psychology

eCommons Citation

Lynch, Caroline, "The Effects of Adolescent Housing Condition and Voluntary Exercise on Alcohol Intake and Stress Response in Male Long-Evans Rats" (2018). Honors Theses. 170.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/uhp_theses/170