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Neuroleptic interference with the cocaine cue: internal stimulus control of behavior and psychosis.

The ability of cocaine to exert internal stimulus control of behavior was investigated by training rats to discriminate 10 mg/kg cocaine from saline in a discrete-trial, two-lever, food-reward procedure. Acquisition of response control by cocaine (1) succeeded in all animals tested, (2) proceeded rapidly, and (3) was associated with a high Commission Error: Omission Error ratio. These findings support the hypothesis that cocaine, a prototype of drugs inducing a psychotic condition in humans, can act as a powerful internal stimulus in rats. The cocaine cue was also responsive to the action of the dopamine-receptor-blocking agents spiperone (ED50: 0.06 mg/kg), haloperidol (0.24 mg/kg), and pimozide (1.90 mg/kg). d, l-Amphetamine (1.25 mg/kg) induced stimulus generalization with cocaine, and this generalization was blocked by dosages of the same neuroleptics comparable to those of cocaine antagonism. The results are discussed in terms of internal stimulus control of behavior and its relevance to the psychophysiology of schizophrenia.

Amphetamine

Long-term follow-up of weight status of subjects in a behavioral weight control program.

Few studies have examined the long-term effectiveness of behavioral weight control programs. Interpretation of the results from these studies has been limited due to small sample size, use of only one sex, and the number of evaluation parameters. A 2-year follow-up study was designed to assess the effectiveness of a behavioral weight control program on 123 obese male and 386 obese female subjects. Body weights were measured by dietitians at baseline and after an 8-week treatment program. Two-year follow-up weights were self-reported from a mailed questionnaire. The subjects' mean weight at baseline was 185.6 +/- 43.4 lb (no. = 509). Their mean percent over ideal body weight at baseline was 29.7%. Following an 8-week treatment period, mean weight was 176.4 +/- 41.3 lb (no. = 509), yielding a mean weight loss of 9.2 +/- 6.4 lb. Weight change after the 8-week treatment period ranged from a loss of 37 lb to a gain of 5 lb. The 2-year follow-up study showed that mean weight of the 498 subjects was 179.8 +/- 42.9 lb, yielding a mean weight loss of 5.8 +/- 15.5 lb. Weight change ranged from a loss of 71 lb to a gain of 47 lb. After 2 years, 325 subjects (65.3%) were still below their baseline weights, 182 subjects (36.6% of the entire study group) had maintained or enhanced the weight loss achieved during treatment, and 80 subjects (16.1%) weighed at least 10% less than their baseline weight.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

SEM and TEM studies on the osmotic behavior of control and leukemic lymphocytes and polymorphonuclears.

The osmotic behavior of control lymphocytes (CL) and polymorphonuclears (CPMN) was compared with that of cells from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML), using the method of gradual dialysis against distilled water. The results were evaluated with a fragiligraph, and by scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopy. The fragiligraphy curves showed that CLL cells are more resistant to osmotic pressure than the CL, whereas the curves for CPMN and CML cells showed an overlap. Surface alterations in CL appeared as early as 1 min of dialysis, while in CLL cells the membrane did not show major alterations even after 5 min of dialysis. CPMN also showed alterations earlier than CML cells, but this difference was not as prominent as in the case of lymphocytes and was observed for a maximum of 3 min of dialysis. The internal structure of the cells was altered earlier than the surface membrane and this was expressed mainly in the nucleus in both control and leukemic cells. Also in this respect, the internal structure of CL was altered earlier than that of CLL cells, whereas no major differences were observed between CPMN and CML cells.

Adult

HIV seropositive gay men: understanding adoption of safe sexual practices.

The aim of this study was to determine the best predictors of safe sex practices among HIV seropositive gay men. A group of 96 homosexual men living with HIV completed a questionnaire that investigated theoretical constructs of the Ajzen's (1988) theory of planned behavior with respect to condom use for anal intercourse and sexual practices without anal intercourse. Other variables such as Triandis's (1977) construct of personal normative belief, psychological distress, and alcohol and drug use before sexual encounters were also investigated. Results indicated that the best predictor of intention to use condoms was perceived behavioral control. Personal normative belief was another important predictor of this intention. Although the best predictor of intention to have only sex without anal intercourse was perceived subjective norm, this intention was also significantly explained by perceived behavioral control. Moreover, perceived behavioral control was a significant predictor of having only sex without anal intercourse. Public health interventions among HIV seropositive gay men should aim mainly at increasing perception of behavioral control.

Adult

The buddy system: mediator--target locus of control and behavioral outcome.

The relative locus of control of mediator--target pairs was investigated within a contingency management program. As predicted, less improvement in target behaviors occurred for pairs in which the target scored lower in externality than the mediator. In addition, the greater externality of the mediator relative to the assigned target, the less improvement in target behavior (r=-.67). In contrast, improvement in target behavior bore no relationship with the locus of control scores of either mediators or targets correlated separately, nor with the differences between mediator--target locus of control scores within pairs in which the target scored equal to or higher in externality than the mediator.

Adolescent

Effect of subchronic and chronic exposure to 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) on the aggressive behavior induced by food competition in undernourished dominant and submissive pigeons (Columba livia).

The acute administration of 5-HTP was reported to block in undernourished dominant pigeons the aggressive attacks induced in a submissive partner by food competition. In the present study, undernourished pigeons with previously consolidated dominance were submitted to subchronic and chronic 5-HTP treatment. Adult males (n = 28) were kept at 80% of their body weight by a restricted diet. These were divided in pairs made of a previously ranked dominant subject (total time spent in aggression higher than 200 s/20 min) and a submissive one of similar body weight (time spent in aggression between 90 and 150 s/20 min). The same pairs were exposed to a daily 20 min interaction during each experiment in an observation chamber bearing a central feeder. The time spent in aggressive behavior, feeder control behavior and eating behavior was recorded. Intratest body weight gain was also recorded. In Experiment 1, 8 pairs of pigeons were exposed to a daily trial for 4 successive days (pretreatment-scores). The dominant subjects were then injected subcutaneously, 30 min. before trials, with 7.5 mg/kg 5-HTP from day 5 to day 8 (Treatment scores). The Recovery scores were obtained through a 4-trial post-treatment schedule. In Experiment 2 different pigeons were used. The pretreatment and recovery scores were obtained according to a 16-trial schedule (16 days). Both 4-day (subchronic) and 16-day (chronic) 5-HTP treatments attenuated aggression by the dominant subjects and reduced their intra-test body weight gain but did not decrease dominance for feeder control. The recovery scores of total aggression in subchronic experiments returned to pretreatment scores. In chronic experiments, instead, the recovery scores of aggression remained lower than pretreatment scores, whereas body-weight-gain scores came back to pretreatment values. This suggests that dominant subjects submitted to chronic 5-HTP might have learned to maintain dominance and feeder control in a virtual absence of aggressive behavior.

5-Hydroxytryptophan

Evolution of mechanisms controlling mating behavior.

The proximate mechanisms underlying mating behavior in naturally occurring species can be fundamentally different from those in more commonly studied laboratory and domesticated forms. In naturally occurring species, reproductive strategies are much more diverse, and mechanisms controlling behavior are correspondingly diverse. A variety of hormonal, environmental, and social cues can be used to activate mating behavior. Which cues are used by particular species depends on differences in environmental and physiological constraints imposed by particular reproductive strategies. Study of this diversity of mechanisms promises to identify specific selective forces that have shaped their evolution. This evolutionary perspective leads to widely applicable generalizations and provides a useful context within which to conceptualize differences between species, populations, and individuals.

Animals

Locus of control and behavior in treatment groups.

Studied the Rotter Locus of Control scale for effective prediction of behavior in small groups. Subjects were 205 male VA Hospital patients participating in self-directed groups who completed the AGCT, Psychological and Somatic Symptom Scales, and Rotter's I-E measure of locus of control. Group behavior was measured through sociometry and a Group Member Evaluation form. Three hypotheses were not supported: (a) Persons scoring high in the direction of internal control (internals) will be more likely to act to influence their social environment; (b) internals will be more active than externals in gathering and processing information in group discussions, and (c) internals will be more self-directed and less susceptible to being influenced by others. Two hypotheses were supported: (a) externals will express more somatic and psychological complaints than internals, and (b) externals will be perceived as behaving more defensively than internals. In contrast, intelligence was correlated with a large number of group process measures. Locus of control and intelligence measures predict different kinds of behavior in groups.

Adjustment Disorders

A microcomputer system for the control of behavioral experiments.

A self-contained microcomputer control system (MCS) is described for controlling and recording events from behavioral experiments using a low-cost microcomputer, the Rockwell AIM 65, and the BASIC language. Features of the system include a printer, alphanumeric display, 4K RAM, 8K BASIC on read only memory (ROM), a cassette interface, a power supply, and a control interface, all contained in a compact enclosure. The control interface allows for 16 inputs and 16 outputs, and includes a real-time clock and versatile machine language subroutines for controlling and recording real-time events. These features make BASIC a suitable user language for this application. The use of this microcomputer control system for operant research in behavioral pharmacology is described.

Animals

Family-based behavioral weight control in obese young children.

The effects of a family-based, behavioral weight control program on weight, linear growth, and nutrient intake among 17 obese children aged 1 to 6 were studied. The 1-year behavioral treatment involved three components: diet, exercise, and child management. Treatment meetings were held weekly for 10 weeks and then monthly for the remainder of the year. Relative body weight decreased significantly from 42.1% at baseline to 24.0% overweight at 1 year and 27.8% overweight at 2 years, while height increased normally over the 2 years of observation, suggesting that the children were obtaining adequate calories to maintain growth. The caloric and nutrient intakes of the children were analyzed from 3-day food records kept by the mothers during baseline and the tenth week of treatment. The mean caloric intake was 1,457 kcal prior to treatment and 1,025 kcal during treatment. Nutrient intake exceeded the Recommended Dietary Allowances at pretreatment for the nutrients investigated and continued to exceed the RDAs for all nutrients except calcium (96% of RDA) and iron (84% of RDA) during treatment. Improvements in nutrient density were shown for all nutrients. The results suggest that obesity can be treated successfully in young children without detrimental effects on growth or nutrient intake.

Behavior Therapy

Inspiratory neurons that are activated when inspiration is inhibited behaviorally.

Respiration can be automatic or controlled behaviorally. Behavioral control in the cat occurs, at least in part, through control of the brainstem respiratory neurons that constitute the automatic system. Thus, when inspiration is inhibited behaviorally, inspiratory neurons in the medulla are inactivated. Reported herein are data on inspiratory cells, located in both the dorsal and ventral respiratory groups, that were activated when other inspiratory cells there were inhibited behaviorally. During spontaneous breathing, their activity showed much variability unattributable to the respiratory cycle--indicating that they receive a considerable non-respiratory input. These cells might act as the interface through which behavioral inhibition of inspiration occurs.

Animals

Life change, disease, perception and heroin addiction.

This is a pilot study of heroin addicts using recently developed tests which measure life change, perception of life change and perception of disease. The data indicate that heroin addicts maintain very high levels of life change while having normal or augmented perception of the impact of life change and of the seriousness of their disease. It is postulated that treatment techniques aimed at increasing understanding and insight may be countertherapeutic for these patients in that it gives them additional methods of manipulating others and tends to perpetuate the addiction life reducing life change in a setting of tight behavioral control where behavioral substitutes to heroin use are offered.

Adult

Are pretrial commitments for forensic evaluation used to control nuisance behavior?

The shift to dangerousness-oriented civil commitment criteria has led to speculation that mentally ill persons who do not meet those criteria are being hospitalized under criminal commitment statutes. Using data on patients' psychiatric symptoms at admission to a state hospital in Massachusetts, the authors retrospectively assessed whether patients charged with minor criminal offenses who were committed for evaluation of competence to stand trial would have met civil commitment criteria. The data suggest that most mentally ill patients who were criminally committed could have been civilly committed. However, a relatively greater proportion of persons with substance abuse, mental retardation, or other conditions who did not meet civil commitment criteria for mental illness were committed for pretrial evaluation.

Adult

Can short-range intentions predict physical activity participation.

This study examined the issue of proximity of intention in the physical activity domain by employing both short-range (2 and 3 days) and longer range (4 weeks) intentions in the prediction of participation in physical activity. Subjects were 42 undergraduate students who completed intention and physical activity assessments every class (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) for six weeks and also a single assessment four weeks apart. Analysis indicated that short-range intention is a better predictor of physical activity than is the longer range intention; however, even the short-range intention-physical activity correlations were only of modest magnitude. Interpretation of the results focused on the potential nonvolitional nature of physical activity and the possible role of perceived behavioral control and behavioral expectation.

Adult

Micropatterned substratum adhesiveness: a model for morphogenetic cues controlling cell behavior.

It is generally considered that tracks of cell adhesiveness are important in controlling cell migration during the development and regeneration of many tissues. In order to investigate this experimentally, a number of techniques have in the past been employed to make patterns of differential adhesiveness for in vitro studies. However, practical limitations on patterning resolution and the introduction of residual topography to the experimental substrata have restricted their usefulness. Here we describe a simplified photolithographic technique for patterning cell adhesiveness which allows a high degree of flexibility and precision. We have quantified, using adhesion and spreading characteristics of BHK cells, the differential adhesiveness that can be created on patterned surfaces, how this alters with the duration of exposure to serum proteins, and how this, in turn, relates to the persistence of cell patterning despite increases in cell density. We believe that this technique will prove extremely useful for the detailed in vitro examination of the mechanisms controlling cell behavior as it offers a degree of precision and ease of fabrication that has previously been unavailable.

Adhesiveness

Psychosocial correlates of physical activity among fifth and eighth graders.

BACKGROUND: Identification of the factors that influence children's participation in vigorous activity is essential to the development of effective intervention strategies aimed at the prevention of cardiovascular disease and obesity. METHODS: Correlates of intent to participate in vigorous activity were assessed among 310 fifth and eighth graders in Cambridge, Massachusetts, through the development and administration of a questionnaire based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, an extension of the Theory of Reasoned Action, which includes the domain of perceived behavioral control (how easy or difficult it is to engage in vigorous activity). Heights and weights were measured and questionnaires were completed during physical education classes. RESULTS: Perceived behavioral control and attitude predicted children's intent to participate. How much a child agreed s/he was good at doing vigorous activity predicted perceived behavioral control. In each grade, girls reported being less good at vigorous activity than did boys. Eighth-grade girls reported significantly fewer hours of vigorous activity than did eighth-grade boys. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that gender differences related to intent to participate in vigorous activity, perceived behavioral control, and sense of competency are evident in eighth grade and may begin in fifth grade. These gender differences in perception therefore precede the gender difference in participation in vigorous activity demonstrated among ninth graders in the 1990 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Promotion of activities children enjoy, and in which they feel a sense of competency, is likely to sustain participation in vigorous activity throughout adolescence and possibly reduce the prevalence of obesity.

Adolescent

Prepuberal social rearing conditions and sexual behavior in control and neonatally castrated male rats.

Male and female sexual behaviors were assessed in control and neonatally castrated male rats that had been housed with a female, a control male, or a neonatally castrated male from day 16 until adulthood. Prepuberal housing conditions had no differential effect on lordosis or ejaculatory potentials of neonatally castrated males tested as adults. A smaller percentage of control males raised with a neonatal castrate ejaculated than did animals housed with a female or a control male. However, a greater proportion of control males caged with a female showed lordosis than did those living with another control male or with a neonatal castrate. The data demonstrate the modulating effects which specific types of social stimulation experienced during early life have on sexual behaviors displayed in adulthood.

Androgens