Electrophysiological correlates of ethanol-induced sedation in differentially sensitive lines of mice.

Acute electrophysiological effects of ethanol were studied in two lines of mice that differ markedly in their response to the soporific effects of systemic alcohol administration. Cerebellar Purkinje neurons from the genetic line that had long sleep times were one to two orders of magnitude more sensitive to the depressant effects of locally administered ethanol than those from the line that had short sleep times. The data suggest that there are genetically determined specificities in the acute effects of ethanol on central neurons and that such specificities might be used to determine which regions of the cerebellum participate in differences in behavioral responses to this substance.