The method employed in LR studies by Schuckit’s group to measure body sway involves attachment of the subject to a harness with pulleys, and reading body sway using magnetic sensors (Schuckit 1985). Body sway is converted to an index of low or high response by summing anterior/posterior and lateral sway. To achieve postural steadiness, an individual must simultaneously integrate: visual and proprioceptive sensory information; biomechanical stimuli generated by gravity; and cognitive processes affected by movement, intentions regarding movement, and spatial orientation, just to name a few factors (Horak 2006). Even considering only the biomechanical inputs, the method used to determine body sway LR to alcohol is relatively crude compared to force platforms or other devices [e.g. (Ledin, Odkvist 1991;Goebel et al. 1995;Letz et al. 1996)]. In order to model this effect in rodents more directly it would be important to know exactly which aspects of the complex phenomena resulting in body sway are affected by alcohol in order to target the specific brain systems mediating these aspects. Recent studies have demonstrated that static balance changes caused by acute alcohol are
