Novelty preference has been extensively examined in the literature as a measure of individual differences and its influence in responsivity to drugs of abuse. We have established a paradigm that allows us to assess novelty preference in adolescent and adult animals using a single novel object in a circular open field. Using this paradigm, we have readily demonstrated adolescent rats display greater levels of novelty preference relative to adult rats (Stansfield and Kirstein, 2006). Interestingly, using this paradigm, we found chronic pretreatment (PND 30–50) with a moderate dose of ethanol during adolescence (1.0 g/kg/ip) significantly increased novelty seeking behaviors manifested as a greater frequency to approach a novel object in the center of the open field (Stansfield and Kirstein, 2007). Given that novelty preference and risk-taking behaviors have repeatedly been associated with an increased propensity to drug self-administration and greater drug intake (Bevins et al., 1997), these data support the hypothesis that adolescent rats chronically exposed to ethanol during adolescence may be at even greater risk to greater ethanol intake in adulthood.
