Examples of trial-encoding neurons are plotted in Figure 3A1–A3. There was marked heterogeneity in trial-encoding. The neurons in Figure 3A1,A3 encoded trial stimuli with increases in firing rate, whereas the neuron in Figure 3A2 did so with decreases in firing rate. The neurons in Figure 3A1,A3 displayed differences from one another in the encoding of the sipper retracting. Additionally, the neurons in Figure 3A2,A3 encoded both visual (light) and auditory stimuli (sipper entry), compared to the neurons in Figure 3A1, which primarily encoded visual (DS) stimuli. Collectively, the neurons recorded from Wistar rats exhibited stronger trial-encoding than P rats during alcohol sessions (FDR-corrected rank-sum tests; p < 0.05; Fig. 3B), whereas no differences were observed in trial-encoding during water sessions (FDR-corrected rank-sum tests; p < 0.05; Fig. 3C).
