To examine whether GABAAR α4 subunit knockdown in the NAc shell affects motor activity and coordination, we measured locomotor activity in an open field and on a rotarod in rats infused with Ad-NSS and Ad-shα4. We did not observe significant differences in the mean distance traveled during the open-field test (Fig. 6a). A repeated-measures ANOVA found no effect of test day (baseline versus day 18; F(1,18) = 1.28, P = 0.59) or virus treatment (F(1,18) = 0.122, P = 0.73), and there was no significant treatment by time interaction (F(1,18) = 2.17, P = 0.16). In addition, the latency to fall from the rotarod was not altered (Fig. 6b). A repeated-measures ANOVA found no effect of time (F(1,18) = 0.15, P = 0.70) or virus treatment (F(1,18) = 2.00, P = 0.15) and no treatment by time interaction (F(1,18) = 0.217, P = 0.64). These results suggest that the decrease in the reinforcing effects of ethanol in Ad-shα4 rats is not due to a general alteration in motor activity/coordination.
