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PubMed2004

Damage to the hippocampal formation does not disrupt representational flexibility as measured by a novelty transfer test.

Rats were trained on a set of visual discrimination problems (A+B-, C+D-, E+F-). The choice stimuli were then recombined to create novel combination tests (A+D-, C+F-, E+B-). Rats with damage to the hippocampus showed perfect transfer on these tests, always choosing A, C, and E, but were not able to learn the spatial location of the platform, indicating that damage to the hippocampus was functional. These results question the generality of H. Eichenbaum, P. Mathews, and N. J. Cohen's (1989) findings and the theoretical claim that choice behavior with novel combinations is based on inferential-like hippocampus-dependent processes (H. Eichenbaum, 1992). They are consistent with the view that simple associative processes guide choice behavior in animals with hippocampal damage that are confronted with novel combinations.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Improving adolescent health outcomes.

Adolescent morbidity and mortality are more often due to preventable causes and to risky behavioral choices than to "natural" causes, such as cardiovascular disease or cancer. The leading causes of death among adolescents in Western, industrialized nations are unintentional injuries, especially motor vehicle crashes, homicide, and suicide. The physical and cognitive development of adolescents also results in increased risky behavioral choices, and to high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, substance use and misuse, and inadequate nutrition. These lifestyle choices also have repercussions that last into adulthood. Brief counseling interventions by physicians or other clinicians have been shown to be effective in modifying health risk behaviors in adolescents. Adolescents also have indicated both a belief that physicians should counsel them on risk behaviors and a willingness to discuss risk behaviors if asked about them in a confidential manner. In this paper, we review the leading causes of adolescent morbidity and mortality in the United States and Western Europe, including injuries, violence, depression and suicide, substance use, sexual activity, and nutrition, physical activity, and eating disorders. In addition, we describe the effectiveness of physician counseling for reduction or prevention of specific risk behaviors and the importance of providing comprehensive, confidential care. Additionally, we describe the results of a recent study of implementation of Adolescent Preventive Service Guidelines in community and migrant health centers that increased risky behavior screening and counseling for adolescent patients seen for routine/well care visits.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Color learning and memory in honey bees are not affected by protein synthesis inhibition.

The role of protein synthesis was tested for memory formation after color learning in honey bees. Free flying bees were trained to a feeding place. Before the color conditioning started, foragers accustomed to flying to the feeding place received an injection of either cycloheximide in bee ringer or bee ringer alone into the brain. Afterward, the animals were trained appetitively to a specific colored target by three training trials. During the test situation, two targets with different colors and no reward were presented. The choice behavior toward the two targets was evaluated. The first test immediately followed the last trial, the second test 24 h later. A comparison between cycloheximide- and ringer-injected bees showed no significant difference in choice behavior in either test. Although the injection of cycloheximide causes the inhibition of protein synthesis (> 95%) for a period of 3 h, the memory for the learned color signal is not affected. These results corroborate those found for the olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex in bees (Wittstock, Kaatz, & Menzel, 1993, Menzel, Gaio, Gerberding, Nemrava, & Wittstock, 1993).

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Control of response selection by reinforcer value requires interaction of amygdala and orbital prefrontal cortex.

Goal-directed actions are guided by expected outcomes of those actions. Humans with bilateral damage to ventromedial prefrontal cortex, or the amygdala, are deficient in their ability to use information about positive and negative outcomes to guide their choice behavior. Similarly, rats and monkeys with orbital prefrontal or amygdala damage have been found to be impaired in their responses to changing values of outcomes. In the present study, we tested whether direct, functional interaction between the amygdala and the orbital prefrontal cortex is necessary for guiding behavior based on expected outcomes. Unlike control monkeys, rhesus monkeys with surgical disconnection of these two structures, achieved by crossed unilateral lesions of the amygdala in one hemisphere and orbital prefrontal cortex in the other, combined with forebrain commissurotomy, were unable to adjust their choice behavior after a change in the outcome (here, a reduction in the value of a particular reinforcer). The lesions did not affect motivation to work for a food reinforcer, or food preferences, per se. Hence, the amygdala and orbital prefrontal cortex act as part of an integrated neural system guiding decision-making and adaptive response selection.

Accommodation, Ocular↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Consumer empowerment behavior and hospital choice.

The association between empowerment behavior and a patient's choice of hospitals was examined. Enhancing empowerment behavior did not lead to greater satisfaction with the choice made. The demographic profiles of three patient groups are presented and key health care marketing strategies are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Amphetamine-haloperidol discrimination: effects of chronic drug treatment.

Rats responding for food reinforcement were trained in a 2-lever drug discrimination task. Groups of rats were trained to discriminate one of four doses of amphetamine (0.0, 0.1, 0.3, or 0.5 mg/kg) from haloperidol (0.02 mg/kg). Both the rate of acquisition and level of discrimination at asymptote were a function of amphetamine training dose. Following acquisition of this discrimination, choice behavior was assessed in the absence of drug during two test sessions. Twenty-four hours following the second drug-free test session, chronic drug treatment commenced. Half of the animals received 10 mg/kg amphetamine for 10 consecutive days while the other half received 1 mg/kg haloperidol during the same period. Choice behavior was assessed during three 2.5-minute unreinforced drug-free test sessions 24, 48, and 72 hours following the chronic drug regimen. Following chronic haloperidol, animals responded as though a small dose of amphetamine had been administered, while following chronic amphetamine, they responded as though a small dose of haloperidol had been administered. Collectively, these results suggest that animals trained to discriminate amphetamine from haloperidol respond on the basis of a continuum of dopaminergic function. Further, this continuum can be used to elucidate the net effect of pharmacologically-induced alterations in dopaminergic function, as well as the effect of nonpharmacological manipulations that may result in dopaminergic changes.

Amphetamine↗
PubMed1984

Effects of pre-training administration of scopolamine on learning and retention in the cockroach, P. americana.

The muscarinic cholinergic blocker, scopolamine, has no effect on acquisition or retention of the choice behavior of the cockroach, P. americana trained to turn right or left to avoid shock in a T-maze. Scopolamine does, however, prevent runway habituation during training, suggesting that such habituation may be dependent on central cholinergic synapses as there are no known peripheral cholinergic receptors in cockroaches. Previous work demonstrating that puromycin interferes with correct choice retention five hours after training taken together with our results demonstrating no effect of scopolamine on such retention, suggests that puromycin does not produce its amnesic effect on choice behavior by interferring with central cholinergic synaptic processes.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Habitual and value-guided purchase behavior.

Society increasingly requests that individuals adopt environmentally benign behavior. Information campaigns purported to change people's attitudes are often regarded as prerequisites to installing such changes. While such information may be a necessary step, it is not sufficient by itself. We argue that many everyday behaviors with environmental consequences are habitual, and that little attention is given to information directed toward changing these habitual behaviors. In other instances, behavior is guided by values in a more reflective process. However, other information besides environmental consequences may draw a person's attention and affect behavioral choice. Using surveys and experimental studies targeting consumer behavior, we studied under what conditions different kinds of information is likely to influence people with varying levels of environmental concern. Based on results from these studies, implications for behavioral change are discussed.

Choice Behavior↗
PubMed2007

Decoding the neural substrates of reward-related decision making with functional MRI.

Although previous studies have implicated a diverse set of brain regions in reward-related decision making, it is not yet known which of these regions contain information that directly reflects a decision. Here, we measured brain activity using functional MRI in a group of subjects while they performed a simple reward-based decision-making task: probabilistic reversal-learning. We recorded brain activity from nine distinct regions of interest previously implicated in decision making and separated out local spatially distributed signals in each region from global differences in signal. Using a multivariate analysis approach, we determined the extent to which global and local signals could be used to decode subjects' subsequent behavioral choice, based on their brain activity on the preceding trial. We found that subjects' decisions could be decoded to a high level of accuracy on the basis of both local and global signals even before they were required to make a choice, and even before they knew which physical action would be required. Furthermore, the combined signals from three specific brain areas (anterior cingulate cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, and ventral striatum) were found to provide all of the information sufficient to decode subjects' decisions out of all of the regions we studied. These findings implicate a specific network of regions in encoding information relevant to subsequent behavioral choice.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Measures of impulsivity in cigarette smokers and non-smokers.

RATIONALE: Drug users are thought to be more "impulsive" than non-users. OBJECTIVES: This study examined whether regular smokers are more impulsive than never smokers using personality and behavioral measures of impulsivity. METHODS: Twenty regular smokers (>/=15 cigarettes/day) and 20 never smokers were recruited. Participants completed five personality questionnaires to assess impulsivity: Adjective Checklist, Barratt's Impulsivity Scale, the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire, and the Sensation-Seeking Scale. Participants also performed three behavioral choice tasks designed to assess impulsivity. In the delay task, participants chose between small, immediate and large, delayed monetary rewards. Impulsivity was defined as a relative preference for the small, immediate alternative. In the probability task, participants chose between small, certain and large, uncertain monetary rewards. Impulsivity was defined as a relative preference for the large but more risky alternative. In the work task, participants chose between small monetary rewards obtained by performing a negligible amount of work and a larger amount of money requiring more work. Impulsivity was defined as a relative preference for the smaller, easier alternative. RESULTS: On the personality questionnaires, smokers had statistically higher impulsivity scores on most scales. On the behavioral choice tasks, smokers chose small, immediate money over large, delayed money more frequently, signifying greater levels of impulsivity. There were no differences between the groups' choices on the other tasks. Correlations between questionnaire and task data were small, as were correlations between data from each task. CONCLUSIONS: Together, these results indicate that the smokers were more impulsive than never smokers.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Effect of lead exposure on spatial learning and running speed in the short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica (Didelphidae).

Studies were conducted to assess the spatial learning ability in adult males of the short-tailed opossum, Monodelphis domestica using a T-maze, complex maze and elevated radial 8-arm maze. This is the first study of maze learning in opossums. In the T-maze, the performance of these animals improved over an 8-day training period. Eighty percent of the subjects initially trained to turn to the right for food reinforcement reached criterion (80% correct responses) by day 3 and all reached criterion by day 4. Reversal training (subjects then trained to turn to the left) was more difficult and required 8 days for all subjects to reach criterion. In the complex maze, 89% of the animals achieved the criterion level of performance (3 consecutive trials with 5 or fewer errors) on the eighth day of training and all reached criterion by day 10. The relative importance of intramaze vs. extramaze cues in directing choice behavior was investigated in the radial arm maze. A discrimination procedure was used which selectively rewarded subjects for following only one set of cues. Animals in the intramaze group obtained a food pellet from a cup at the end of each arm. In the extramaze group, the food cups were placed on a small platform just beyond the end of each arm. All subjects were initially trained to visit each arm with the maze in a fixed position (controls) and did so within 15 test sessions. Following these initial trials, the maze was rotated to a different position after each choice. For subjects in the intramaze group, the food moved in conjunction with the rotation of the arms thereby increasing the relevance of intramaze cues. In the extramaze group, extramaze cues became more important because the food remained on the platforms in the same position in the room. Animals in the extramaze group performed significantly better than chance whereas the intramaze subjects did not. This indicates that intramaze cues are not as important as extramaze cues for accurate choice behavior in this marsupial. In addition, animals injected with tetraethyllead showed a significant impairment in running speed and T-maze learning ability as compared to saline-injected controls.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Reproductive isolation between divergent races of pea aphids on two hosts. II. Selection against migrants and hybrids in the parental environments.

Sympatric races of pea aphids on alfalfa and red clover are highly ecologically specialized and significantly reproductively isolated. Much of the restriction of gene flow between the specialized populations is due to habitat choice behavior of the winged colonizers (Via 1999). Here, we document additional pre- and postmating reproductive isolation through selection against migrants and hybrids in the parental environments. First, a group of randomly chosen genotypes from each race that were experimentally migrated between hosts had very low survival and reproduction on the alternate host relative to genotypes originating from that host (natives). Such selection against cross-host migrants forms a premating barrier to gene flow because it is likely to reduce migrant frequencies before the sexual forms are induced in the fall. Our reciprocal transplant experiment also shows that natural selection acts directly on individual migrants between the crops to favor host choice behavior: genotypes from each host suffered large losses of fitness when forced to migrate to the alternate host plant relative to the fitness they would have enjoyed had they been able to choose their native host. In a companion field study, sequential sampling throughout the summer in newly colonized fields of both alfalfa and clover revealed a decrease in the frequency of host-specific marker alleles characteristic of the alternate crop. These field data further support the hypothesis that selection disfavors migrants that cross between crops. Second, when two sets of F1 hybrids between the races were reciprocally tested on alfalfa and clover, both sets had significantly lower average fitness than the specialized parent in each of the two environments. This demographic selection against hybrids in the parental environments is a source of postmating reproductive isolation between the specialized races. Finally, significant genetic variation in fitness traits was seen among F1 hybrid genotypes from both crosses between alfalfa and clover specialists. Although this variation suggests that a generalized pea aphid could evolve, such generalists are not seen in field collections of these populations.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

A placebo controlled clinical trial of buprenorphine as a treatment for opioid dependence.

Large-scale placebo controlled clinical trials assessing the efficacy of medications for the treatment of drug dependence have generally been limited to alcohol, cocaine and nicotine dependent populations. The purpose of the present study was to assess the early (1-2 week) clinical effectiveness of buprenorphine versus placebo in an opioid dependent population. The study used a parallel-group design with a behavioral choice component to compare buprenorphine (a mu-opioid partial agonist) to placebo for the treatment of opioid dependence. Opioid dependent volunteer patients participated in a 14-day study to assess the effectiveness and patient acceptance of this new pharmacotherapy for the treatment of opioid dependence. Patients were randomly assigned to placebo (n = 60) or 2 mg (n = 60) or 8 mg (n = 30) daily sublingual buprenorphine. All doses were administered double-blind. On days 6-13 all patients could request a dose change, knowing that their new dose would be randomly chosen from the remaining 2 alternatives. Compared to placebo, patients given buprenorphine (independent of dose) showed greater time on initial dose, requested fewer dose changes, used less illicit opioids (assessed by urinalysis), and rated dose adequacy higher. These results demonstrate that a placebo controlled study with a behavioral choice component is an effective means of assessing the potential efficacy and acceptability of new pharmacotherapies for opioid dependence.

Administration, Sublingual↗
PubMed2003

Dynamical concurrent schedules.

Previous work on the matching law has predominantly focused on the molar effects of the contingency by examining only one reinforcer ratio for extended periods. Responses are distributed as a function of reinforcer ratios under these static conditions. But the outcome under a dynamic condition in which reinforcer ratios change continuously has not been determined. The present study implemented concurrent variable-interval schedules that changed continuously across a fixed 5-min trial. The schedules were reciprocally interlocked. The variable interval for one key changed continuously from a variable-interval 15-s to a variable-interval 480-s, while the schedule for the other key changed from a variable-interval 480-s to a variable-interval 15-s. This dynamical concurrent schedule shifted behavior in the direction of matching response ratios to reinforcer ratios. Sensitivities derived from the generalized matching law were approximately 0.62, the mean absolute bias was approximately 0.11, and r2s were approximately 0.86. It was concluded that choice behavior can come to adapt to reinforcer ratios that change continuously over a relatively short time and that this change does not require extensive experience with a fixed reinforcer ratio. The results were seen as supportive of the view that all behavior constitutes choice.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Impact of aging on eating behaviors, food choices, nutrition, and health status.

People eat less and make different food choices as they get older. It is unclear what impact these dietary changes may have on health status. However, lower food intake among the elderly has been associated with lower intakes of calcium, iron, zinc, B vitamins and vitamin E. Low energy intakes or low nutrient density of the diet may increase the risk of diet-related illnesses and so pose a health problem. Several factors may influence this observed decline in energy intake. Older adults tend to consume less energy-dense sweets and fast foods, and consume more energy-dilute grains, vegetables and fruits. Daily volume of foods and beverages also declines as a function of age. Physiological changes associated with age, including slower gastric emptying, altered hormonal responses, decreased basal metabolic rate, and altered taste and smell may also contribute to lowered energy intake. Other factors such as marital status, income, education, socioeconomic status, diet-related attitudes and beliefs, and convenience likely play a role as well. Many age-related nutritional problems may be remedied to some extent by providing nutrient-dense meals through home delivery or meal congregate programs. Management of medical and dental problems and the provision of vitamin and mineral supplements may also be effective. More studies that integrate nutrition research, public health intervention, and outcomes research are needed to determine the impact of diet on nutrition, health, and overall quality of life.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Effects of food and mates on time budget in Aplysia fasciata: integration of feeding, reproduction, and locomotion.

This study examines the time budgeted to different behaviors in Aplysia fasciata under three conditions: (1) animals have constant access to food and mates: (2) there is access to food, but not to mates; (3) neither food nor mates are present. The data suggest a number of rules underlying behavioral integration: (1) Feeding, reproductive behaviors, and activity seem to be natural categories for behavioral choice. Feeding and reproductive behaviors are controlled in tandem by a common arousal mechanism, while time left over after animals feed and reproduce is distributed in a fixed ratio between locomotion (crawling and swimming) and inactivity (immobility and movement in place). (2) Relative distribution between different forms of locomotion and inactivity is modified by changes in motivational state. More time is spent swimming than crawling when feeding and/or mating is prevented, while more time is spent moving in place than immobile when the arousal level is increased. (3) Feedback control of feeding and reproduction is asymmetric. Satiation of feeding inhibits the common arousal. In the absence of food, time spent on reproductive behaviors increases due to disinhibition of the common arousal. By contrast, positive feedback arising from sexual behavior excites the common arousal. When mating is prevented by removing potential mates, time spent feeding decreases. (4) Generally, animals choose between performing the three main categories of behavior. Although Aplysia simultaneously can feed and mate, or locomote and mate, they do so infrequently. By contrast, different types of reproductive behaviors (male mating, female mating, egg-laying) are commonly performed simultaneously.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Contraceptive choices for behaviorally disordered women.

Women with psychologic disturbances of depression, anxiety, or thought disorganization pose a special management problem when providing a safe and effective means of contraception. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that many mentally disturbed women also abuse drugs. Therefore, providing contraception to the many types of behaviorally disturbed women requires the full range of contraceptive options and protection from sexually transmitted diseases. When compliance can be assured, oral contraceptives are the preferred method. When compliance is questionable, progestin implants or injections may be tried. However, progestin-only preparations are associated with several side effects, including worsening of mood in depressive patients.

Contraception↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Interactions between neurons in the amygdala and hypothalamus during conditioned reflex behavior involving choice of reinforcement quality in cats.

The organization of distributed amygdalo-hypothalamic and local amygdalar and hypothalamic neural networks was studied in three cats, trained to perform a food-related operant conditioned reflex to light by the "active choice" of reinforcement quality method; pressing the pedal with a short latent period provided the cats with a bread/meat mixture, while pressing with a long latent period yielded meat. Animals showed sharp differences in their individual abilities to choose one or the other reinforcement. Two cats preferred long-latency pedal-pressing to obtain meat, and were considered to be "self-controlled," while the third cat, which preferred short-latency pedal-pressing to obtain the less valuable reinforcement (the bread/meat mixture) was described as "impulsive." Chronically implanted semimicroelectrodes were used to record multineuron activity in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala and the lateral nucleus of the hypothalamus. Interactions between the discharge trains of neighboring and distant neurons were assessed by cross-correlation analysis. Interneuron functional connections were found to predominate significantly in the local neural networks of the basolateral amygdala and distributed amygdalar-hypothalamic networks in the "impulsive" animal as compared with the "self-controlled" animals, suggesting a role for these types of connection in forming the individual characteristics of higher nervous activity. The identical incidences of interneuron interactions in the lateral nucleus of the hypothalamus in cats with different individual preferences suggest that local networks in this formation are not involved in analyzing reinforcement quality.

Amygdala↗