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PubMed2005

Impact of acute cadmium exposure on the trunk lateral line neuromasts and consequences on the "C-start" response behaviour of the sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.; Teleostei, Moronidae).

Behavioural responses of sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax were investigated after exposure to cadmium ions in laboratory-controlled conditions. The aim of this study was to discover whether environmental exposure to cadmium ions inactivates fish lateral line system neuromasts, and to determine the behavioural consequences of such a sensory blockage. For this, fish escape behaviour in response to an artificial water jet was recorded using a 25-frames s(-1) analog video camera before and after cadmium exposure. Experimental set up was tested with fish whose lateral line system was artificially inactivated by antibiotics (gentamicin and streptomycin). Histological analyses with scanning electron microscopy showed antibiotic treatment destroyed lateral line system neuromasts. In addition, these fish did not respond to stimulations provoked by the water jet after antibiotic treatment. Fish escape behaviour was then recorded before and after cadmium exposure at two different concentrations. When fish were exposed to the first concentration of cadmium tested (0.5 microg l(-1), which represents the maximal cadmium concentration encountered in contaminated estuaries), no alteration in neuromast tissue was observed. In addition, before cadmium exposure, fish responded positively in 98.41 +/- 4.95% of lateral line system stimulations (escape behaviour in response to the water jet). After cadmium exposure, no behavioural modification could be detected: the fish responded positively in 95.16 +/- 9.79% of stimulations (chi(2) = 2.464, p = 0.116). In contrast, the high cadmium concentration used (5 microg l(-1), which represents 10 times the concentration occurring in highly polluted estuarine areas) involved severe neuromast tissue damage. Just after such cadmium exposure, fish showed only 41.67 +/- 35.36% of positive responses to their lateral line system stimulations, while they responded positively in 95.93 +/- 9.10% of stimulations under control conditions (chi(2) = 24.562, p < 0.0001). Their lateral line system neuromasts seemed to regenerate about 1 month after cadmium exposure. Associated with this regeneration, from the 21st day after cadmium exposure, their escape behaviour had recovered and was not significantly different from that recorded under control conditions (86.74 +/- 20.82%, chi(2) = 2.876, p = 0.090). This study shows that although 5 microg l(-1) cadmium is able to damage lateral line system neuromasts and causes fish behavioural alterations, fish exposed to 0.5 microg l(-1) cadmium displayed neither tissue neuromast nor behavioural modification.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

The importance of 'memory' in statistical models for animal feeding behaviour.

We investigate models for animal feeding behaviour, with the aim of improving understanding of how animals organise their behaviour in the short term. We consider three classes of model: hidden Markov, latent Gaussian and semi-Markov. Each can predict the typical 'clustered' feeding behaviour that is generally observed, however they differ in the extent to which 'memory' of previous behaviour is allowed to affect future behaviour. The hidden Markov model has 'lack of memory', the current behavioural state being dependent on the previous state only. The latent Gaussian model assumes feeding/non-feeding periods to occur by the thresholding of an underlying continuous variable, thereby incorporating some 'short-term memory'. The semi-Markov model, by taking into account the duration of time spent in the previous state, can be said to incorporate 'longer-term memory'. We fit each of these models to a dataset of cow feeding behaviour. We find the semi-Markov model (longer-term memory) to have the best fit to the data and the hidden Markov model (lack of memory) the worst. We argue that in view of effects of satiety on short-term feeding behaviour of animal species in general, biologically suitable models should allow 'memory' to play a role. We conclude that our findings are equally relevant for the analysis of other types of short-term behaviour that are governed by satiety-like principles.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Effects of varied-stimulus exposure on overpredictions of pain and behavioural performance in low back pain patients.

The main objective of the present study was to investigate the benefits of exposure to a variety of movements versus exposure to the same movements on overprediction of pain and behavioural performance on a final behavioural test in a sample of chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients. Eighty-four CLBP patients were requested to perform four behavioural tests. Patients were assigned to two experimental conditions. The final behavioural test was the same for all patients. The first three behavioural tests consisted of three different movements in condition 1 and of three times the same movement in condition 2. During each behavioural test, baseline pain, expected pain and experienced pain were recorded. Furthermore, the peak torque and the variability of the produced muscle strength during the final behavioural test were assessed. Replicating and extending previous research, we found that patients overpredicted pain during a threatening behavioural test. Furthermore, pain-related fear and pain catastrophizing showed to be unique predictors of the peak torque of the final behavioural test. No support was found for our hypothesis that varied exposure facilitates generalization of exposure effects. Possible reasons for the failure to find an advantageous effect of varied-stimulus exposure and ideas for future research are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Magnitude of change in cardiac health-enhancing behaviours 6 months following an acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: The adoption of health-enhancing behaviours is essential to reduce the likelihood of recurrent coronary events. AIMS: This study assessed the magnitude of health behaviour change 6 months following a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and examined differences between cardiac rehabilitation attendees and non-attendees. METHODS: One hundred and six first AMI patients (males n=76, Australian-born n=71) participated in a 6-month follow-up of a descriptive longitudinal survey. Data on non-smoking behaviour, weight normalisation, adequate physical activity, low dietary fat intake, medication adherence and cardiac rehabilitation attendance were collected. The magnitude of change in health-enhancing behaviours from baseline to follow-up was calculated. RESULTS: Whilst there was an overall increase in health-enhancing behaviours at the 6-month follow-up (P<0.001), nonsmoking behaviour, low dietary fat intake and medication adherence were more likely to be achieved than adequate physical activity and weight normalisation. Attendees at cardiac rehabilitation were more likely to report positive lifestyle change (P=0.001) and feeling healthier (P=0.040) than non-attendees. CONCLUSION: The wide variation in the adoption of health-enhancing behaviours at the 6-month follow-up suggested that participants were selective about which behaviours they changed. Cardiac rehabilitation personnel need to emphasise the importance of undertaking all health-enhancing behaviours in order to maximise their multiplicative benefits.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed2004

Time-dependent changes in alcohol-seeking behaviour during abstinence.

Exposure of alcohol addicts to alcohol-related environmental cues may elicit alcohol-seeking behaviour even after protracted abstinence. The purpose of the present study was to assess time-dependent changes in alcohol-seeking behaviour in rats trained to respond for alcohol. The rats were re-exposed to alcohol-associated stimuli after 1, 28 or 56 days of withdrawal. During the re-exposure session, the rats were first allowed to respond in extinction. Then, reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behaviour was evoked by a complex of discrete alcohol-associated cues (auditory and light cues combined with taste and smell of alcohol). Extinction behaviour depended on abstinence duration with maximal responding after 28-day abstinence. Reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behaviour evoked by the discrete cues was highest after 56-day abstinence. No correlations were found between individual alcohol intakes, extinction behaviour and cue-induced reinstatement. These results suggest that: (i) alcohol-seeking behaviour may become more intense after long-term imposed abstinence; (ii) alcohol self-administration, extinction behaviour, and reinstatement of alcohol-seeking behaviour may be regulated by separate neural mechanisms.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed2006

Determinants of physicians' patient-centred behaviour in the medical specialist encounter.

It has been suggested that patient-centred communication does not necessarily translate into a 'one-size fits all' approach, but rather that physicians should use a flexible style and adapt to the particular needs of their patients. This paper examines variability in physicians' patient-centred behaviour in medical specialist encounters, and determines whether patient, visit, and physician characteristics influence this variability. Participants were 30 residents and specialists in internal medicine at an academic teaching hospital in The Netherlands, and 323 patients having a (videotaped) outpatient follow-up appointment. Physicians and patients completed a questionnaire prior to the encounter. Consultations were coded using the Patient-centred Behaviour Coding Instrument (PBCI); physicians' patient-centred behaviour was determined by behaviours that facilitated rather than inhibited the patient's expression of his/her perspective. The results show that physicians differ in their communicative behaviour (i.e. inter-individual variability): some internists had a more 'patient-centred' communication style and others less so. At the same time, physicians show intra-individual variation; apparently they adjust their style according to the situation. Physicians displayed more facilitating behaviour when patients were older, reported more physical symptoms, when they rated patients' health condition as more severe and when the physician was a woman. Physicians also displayed more inhibiting behaviour when patients reported more physical symptoms and when the physician rated patients' health condition as more severe. Apparently, sicker patients were targets of both greater facilitation and greater inhibition. Variability in physicians' facilitating and inhibiting behaviour was explained by patient characteristics, i.e. patients' age and health condition, and-with the exception of physician gender-not by physician or visit characteristics. This indicates that physician patient-centred behaviour is related to the type of patient visiting, especially in relation to the seriousness of symptoms.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Anxiety and depression as correlates of self-reported behavioural inhibition in normal adolescents.

In a previous study, Muris, Merckelbach, Wessel, and Van de Ven [Psychopathological correlates of self-reported behavioural inhibition in normal children. Behav. Res. Ther. 37 (1999) 575-584] found that children who defined themselves as high on behavioural inhibition displayed elevated levels of psychopathological symptoms compared to children who defined themselves as low or middle on behavioural inhibition. The present study further examined the relationship between self-reported behavioural inhibition and anxiety disorders and depression symptoms in a large sample of adolescents aged 12-18 years (N=968). Adolescents completed a measure of behavioural inhibition and questionnaires of anxiety and depression. Results indicated that adolescents who classified themselves as high on behavioural inhibition had higher scores of anxiety and depression than adolescents who classified themselves as low or middle on behavioural inhibition. Structural equations modelling was employed to test hypothetical models on the role of behavioural inhibition in childhood anxiety and depression. It was found that a pathway in which behavioural inhibition results in anxiety, which in turn leads to depression, provided the best fit for the data.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Contrasting phenotypes of C57BL/6JOlaHsd, 129S2/SvHsd and 129/SvEv mice in two exploration-based tests of anxiety-related behaviour.

Knockout mice are typically generated on a mixed genetic background and, as such, detailed behavioural characterisation of these background strains is essential to the valid interpretation of mutant phenotypes. In this context, recent research has revealed significant differences in anxiety-like behaviour among the most commonly used background strains (C57BL/6J and various 129 substrains), leading to the possibility that at least certain mutant phenotypes may not after all be due to the targeted mutation. However, these findings derive largely from behavioural test batteries in which there may well be an experiential confound, while the widely reported hypolocomotor profile of most 129 substrains may compromise the principal indices of anxiety-like behaviour. In the present study, we have compared the behavioural profiles of three commonly used background strains (C57BL/6JOlaHsd, 129/SvEv and 129S2/SvHsd) in two of the most popular animal models of anxiety-the elevated plus-maze (EPM) and light/dark exploration (LDE) tests. Naive animals were used for each procedure, ethological scoring methods were employed throughout, and the inbred phenotypes were also compared with that of an outbred strain (Swiss-Webster) widely employed in test validation and behavioural pharmacology. Our results show that, despite their hypolocomotor profile, both 129 substrains display higher levels of anxiety-like behaviour (conventional and/or ethological measures) relative to the C57BL/6JOlaHsd strain. Furthermore, all three inbred strains were less active in both tests when compared with the outbred Swiss-Webster strain. However, whereas C57BL/6JOlaHsd mice displayed lower levels of anxiety-like behaviour than their Swiss-Webster counterparts (both tests), 129S2/SvHsd (but not 129/SvEv) mice exhibited evidence of higher anxiety, particularly in the LDE test. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to both the behavioural and pharmacological phenotyping of mutant mice.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Palatability, food intake and the behavioural satiety sequence in male rats.

Food intake is influenced not only by nutritional status but also by diverse environmental factors. Indeed, a unique quality of food reward is its strong modulation by palatability cues, such as taste, with animals generally preferring diets that are sweet and avoiding those that are either bitter or sour. As appetite suppressants (including those currently in development) could alter food intake by modifying taste sensitivity and/or palatability, the aim of the present study was to characterise the influence of taste adulteration on the normal structure of feeding behaviour, i.e., the behavioural satiety sequence (BSS). Adult male rats were initially habituated both to the basic test diet (mash) and the test arena. Following stabilisation of basal intake, a continuous monitoring technique was used to profile behaviour in weekly 1-h sessions during which the animals were presented, in counterbalanced order, with the basic diet (control) or one of four taste-adulterated variants (0.015% quinine, 0.04% quinine, 0.2% saccharin, 0.3% saccharin). Food intake was strongly suppressed by the higher quinine concentration but was not significantly altered by any of the other additives. Behavioural analysis revealed that this anorectic-like response to 0.04% quinine-adulterated food was associated with a significant reduction in the peak feeding response, highly atypical intermittent food sampling/digging and the virtual absence of resting behaviour. Importantly, this pattern of behavioural change is readily distinguishable from those seen in response to other manipulations that reduce intake, including selective anorectics, sedatives and psychostimulants. Despite the lack of significant effect on food intake or the duration of feeding behaviour, dietary adulteration with 0.015% quinine (and, to a lesser degree, 0.3% saccharin) produced some effects on behavioural structure/time course consistent with a mild aversive response, i.e., bouts of midsession food sampling and a delay in the transition from eating to resting. Data are discussed in relation to the specific behavioural signature to quinine-induced anorexia and its potential utility in identifying appetite suppressants that may modify intake via changes in taste sensitivity and/or palatability.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Haloperidol and clozapine affect social behaviour in rats postnatally lesioned in the ventral hippocampus.

Neonatal ibotenic acid lesion of the ventral hippocampus results in altered patterns of social behaviour. After puberty, lesioned animals spent less time in social interaction and the nonaggressive/aggressive behaviour ratio shifted towards increased aggressiveness. In this study, the effects on social behaviour of the neuroleptic drugs haloperidol (HAL) and clozapine (CLO) after acute and subchronic treatment were studied. Seven-day-old rats were lesioned and social behaviour was tested at the age of 13 weeks. Drug effects were tested after acute (HAL 0.025 mg/kg, CLO 1.0 mg/kg) and subchronic (10 injections, HAL 0.075 mg/kg, CLO 5.0 mg/kg) administration. For comparison, diazepam (DZP, 0.5 mg/kg) was used in the acute experiment. After acute administration, DZP had no effect on social behaviour in sham-lesioned rats, but nonaggressive behaviour increased significantly in lesioned animals. CLO and HAL did reduce the time sham-lesioned rats spent in social contact, and CLO also increased % nonaggressive behaviour in lesioned rats. Here, HAL had no effect. Subchronic administration did not alter social behaviour in sham-lesioned animals. However, CLO increased the time lesioned animals spent in social interaction, whereas HAL had an effect on nonaggressive behaviour. The results of this study indicate that the lesion model is sensitive to differentiated effects of classical neuroleptic drugs such as HAL and atypical neuroleptic drugs like CLO. It might be a useful tool in the search for potential neuroleptic drugs.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Effects of interactions between amphetamine and food deprivation on covariation of muricide, consummatory behaviour and activity.

Four experiments were conducted to study covariation of muricide, consummatory behaviour and general activity under conditions involving interactions between food deprivation and anorexia induced by low doses of d-amphetamine. Two basic experimental designs were used: (a) dosage of amphetamine was varied, with duration of deprivation constant at 22 hr; and (b) deprivation was varied, with a constant amphetamine dose of 1.0 mg/kg body weight. In general, effects of both types of manipulation on eating, drinking, general activity, and muricidal behaviour were consistent with earlier reports of effects when either deprivation or amphetamine-induced anorexia was varied separately. Rank order correlations supported the conclusions that relations between muricide, eating behaviour and general activity were both dose and time dependent. However, there also was evidence that such covariations existed for some, but not all, parameters of these behaviours, eg. differences in the median effective doses of amphetamine; differences in threshold doses; and differences in durations of deprivation required to counteract effects of amphetamine. A dissociation of muricide and eating behaviour was strikingly evident when all satiated animals injected with normal saline engaged in muricidal behaviour and when increasing deprivation had no significant influence on carcass consumption or muricidal behaviour of saline treated subjects. The present results are interpreted as essentially inconsistent with concepts in which covariation of muricide and consummatory behaviour is considered to depend: (a) upon a common set of physiological conditions, or (b) upon one being the antecedent of the other. However, results are consistent with a model in which each behaviour has its own basic physiological condition(s) which may be activated concomitantly.

Aggression↗
PubMed1998

The hypothalamus: cross-roads of endocrine and behavioural regulation in grooming and aggression.

Anatomical and functional studies show that the hypothalamus is at the junction of mechanisms involved in the exploratory appraisal phase of behaviour and mechanisms involved in the execution of specific consummatory acts. However, the hypothalamus is also a crucial link in endocrine regulation. In natural settings it has been shown that behavioural challenges produce large and fast increases in circulating hormones such as testosterone, prolactin, corticotropin and corticosterone. The behavioural function and neural mechanisms of such fast neuroendocrine changes are not well understood. We suggest that behaviourally specific hypothalamic mechanisms, at the cross-roads of behavioural and endocrine regulation, play a role in such neuroendocrine changes. Mild stimulation of the hypothalamic aggressive area, produces stress levels of circulating prolactin, corticotropin, and corticosterone. Surprisingly luteinizing hormone does not change. This increase in stress hormones is due to the stimulation itself, and not caused by the stress of fighting. Similar increases in corticosterone are observed during electrical stimulation of the hypothalamic self-grooming area. The corticosterone response during self-grooming-evoking stimulation is negatively correlated with the amount of self-grooming observed, suggesting that circulating corticosterone exerts a negative feedback control on grooming. Earlier literature, and preliminary data form our laboratory, show that circulating corticosterone exerts a fast positive feedback control over brain mechanisms involved in aggressive behaviour. Such findings suggest that the hormonal responses caused by the activity of behaviourally specific areas of the hypothalamus may be part of a regulation mechanism involved in facilitating or inhibiting the very behavioural responses that can be evoked from those areas. We suggest that studying such mechanisms may provide a new approach to behavioural dysfunctions associated with endocrine disorders and stress.

Aggression↗
PubMed2002

Researching sexual and reproductive behaviour: a peer ethnographic approach.

In recent years, ethnographic research has challenged the notion within demography that fertility-related behaviour is the outcome of individualistic calculations of the costs and benefits of having children. Anthropology has further criticised the abstraction in demographic analysis of sexual behaviour and fertility decision-making from the socio-cultural and political context in which the individual or couple is located. Within demography itself, institutional and political-economic analyses have argued strongly that sexual and reproductive behaviour must be understood within locally specific social, cultural, economic and political contexts. Positivist and empiricist research methods, such as the sample survey and focus groups, which continue to dominate demographic inquiry and applied research into sexual and reproductive behaviour, have been shown to be limited in their ability to inform about the process of behaviour change and contexts within which different behaviours occur. The article introduces a new methodology for researching sexual and reproductive behaviour, called the peer ethnographic approach, which the authors have developed in an attempt to address some of the limitations of the methods which currently dominate research into sexual and reproductive behaviour. The peer ethnographic methodology is discussed in detail and the results of recent field-testing are reported, which show that, although the approach has limitations, it also has the potential to make a significant contribution to our understanding of sexual and reproductive behaviour.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Which aspects of general practitioners' behaviour determine patients' evaluations of care?

This qualitative study explored those behaviours of a general practitioner which were used by patients in their evaluations of 14 aspects of general practice care. Thirty patients were interviewed immediately after visiting their general practitioner. Interview transcripts were analyzed by two authors, who independently marked general practitioners' behaviours used by patients. Then, these text fragments were categorised into task or affective behaviours according to an existing taxonomy of doctor behaviour in consultations. The results showed that patients reported using task oriented behaviours when they evaluated task oriented aspects of general practice care. However, when they evaluated affective aspects they reported using both affective behaviours and task behaviours, although the latter to a lesser extent. The evaluations of "tell you all you wanted to know about your illness", "explain the purpose and the course of the treatment", "pay attention to your feelings" and "kind and attentive" are clearly linked to specific general practitioners' behaviour. Therefore, evaluations of these aspects can be interpreted straightforwardly. Evaluation of the aspects "GP understands you", "having faith in your GP" and "were you involved in decisions about your medical treatment?" were based on a large variety of physician behaviours which may lead to interpretation problems. Thus, this study gives some important considerations for a better understanding of patients' evaluations of general practice care.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Determinants of behavioural risk factors for burn injuries.

Systematically developed health education should be based on a thorough knowledge of the determinants of the behavioural risk factors. Compared to other health-related behaviours, safety behaviour has some specific characteristics, which complicate studying its determinants. First, there is a multitude of circumstances leading to injuries, which means that it is not possible to pinpoint one desired behaviour to be linked with the prevention of injuries. Secondly, people are often not familiar with (the advantages and disadvantages of) all the possible preventive measures. Thirdly, the usefulness of preventive measures may depend on housing situations. So far, no elegant way of coping with these problems in examining the determinants of safety behaviour seems to have been suggested in the literature. In this article an approach to the study of determinants of safety behaviour is presented. The general description of this approach is illustrated by a study on the determinants of the behavioural risk factors for burn injuries in young children, which was conducted among Dutch and Turkish parents of children aged 0-4 years. The results indicate, for instance, that parents who implemented the safety behaviour reported that safety behaviour had become habitual to them.

Accidents, Home↗
PubMed1999

Apomorphine-induced behavioural sensitization in rats: individual differences, role of dopamine and NMDA receptors.

Apomorphine-induced behavioural sensitization was studied in male Wistar rats. The acute administration of apomorphine (0.5 mg/kg s.c.), a dopamine agonist, did not affect the locomotor activity of rats, but it caused stereotyped behaviour characterized by repeated gnawing, licking and sniffing. A significant increase in the locomotor activity became evident after repeated treatments with apomorphine (0.5 mg/kg twice daily for 14 days). However, there were marked individual differences in the sensitization of rats to apomorphine. One third of animals did not react with increased locomotor activity even after the 2-week administration of apomorphine, whereas the other one third needed only a few injections to display increased behavioural response to apomorphine. The behavioural response of the remaining one third of rats was between weak and strong responders. Simultaneously, the stereotyped behaviour occurred earlier and its intensity tended to be lower after repeated treatment with apomorphine. Nevertheless, the established changes of stereotyped behaviour did not correlate with the increase of locomotor activity. The administration of amphetamine (2.5 mg/kg, s.c.), an indirect dopamine agonist, but not a non-competitive NMDA antagonist dizocilpine (0.25 mg/kg i.p.), tended to cause a similar response profile with apomorphine in sensitized rats. The ED50 values of the dopamine antagonists blocking apomorphine-induced increase in the locomotor activity were the following: 0.09 mg/kg for raclopride (dopamine D2 antagonist), 0.023 mg/kg for SCH 23390 (dopamine D1 antagonist), 6.42 mg/kg for clozapine (dopamine D4 antagonist). This supports the involvement of D1 and D1 receptors in the expression of apomorphine-induced behavioural sensitization. The concomitant administration of dizocilpine (0.5 mg/kg), SCH 23390 (0.05 mg/kg), raclopride (0.1 mg/kg) and clozapine (20 mg/kg) with apomorphine (0.5 mg/kg twice daily for 2 weeks) antagonized the development of behavioural sensitization to apomorphine. Accordingly, at least three different molecular targets, namely dopamine D1 and D2, and NMDA receptors, are involved in the development of apomorphine-induced behavioural sensitization.

Amphetamine↗
PubMed2003

The significance of medico-legal findings for behavioural analysis in unsolved homicide cases.

In recent years, behavioural analysis in unsolved homicide cases is playing a more and more important role in the field of police work in Germany. The method of behavioural analysis was developed in the USA and first carried out in Germany at the end of the 80s by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). Since 1998 each Federal State has set up behavioural analysis units. In Germany, behavioural analysis is defined as complex information processing system for the purpose of enabling an overall view of a case and of supporting the case work in ongoing investigations. The procedure of behavioural analysis is based on empirically and scientifically proven knowledge, on case information (e.g. crime scene characteristics, medico-legal findings) and on methods of combining the existing knowledge on statements relevant to the case. To assess the role of legal medicine in the process of behavioural analysis, a retrospective examination of more than 40 case analyses in unsolved homicide cases was performed. It turned out that medico-legal findings played a major role in the process of case analysis because the results were of central importance for the case reconstruction and further deductions (e.g. offender aims, organized/disorganized components, escalation). In a vast majority of cases though, the autopsy reports did not provide sufficiently detailed information, explanations and/or interpretations of injuries, wound patterns and sequence of events. Various examples are presented to elucidate the significance of medico-legal findings for the process of behavioural analysis. As a basic principle, the role of the forensic scientist as independent, unbiased, unprejudiced expert for the court should not be influenced by speculative interpretations within the process of behavioural analysis. This can be established by a very precise and comprehensive autopsy protocol on the one hand and - separately - an interpretation by another experienced specialist who works for the behavioural analysis unit but not for the court.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Behavioural phenotypes associated with specific genetic disorders: evidence from a population-based study of people with Prader-Willi syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder resulting in obesity, short stature, cryptorchidism, learning disabilities (mental retardation) and severe neonatal hypotonia. Associated with the syndrome are a number of behaviours that are sufficiently distinctive that the syndrome is considered to have a specific 'behavioural phenotype'. METHODS: Through multiple sources we attempted to identify all people with PWS living in one region in the U K. This cohort was augmented by people with PWS from other regions, and a contrast group of people with learning disabilities of varied aetiologies. The main carers were interviewed, using structured and semi-structured interview schedules, to establish the presence and severity of specific behaviours, and PWS diagnostic criteria. The intellectual functioning and attainments of all were determined. Blood samples were obtained for genetic diagnosis from all consenting participants. RESULTS: Although excessive eating was recognized as a potentially severe problem in those with PWS, it was almost universally controlled by food restriction, and therefore not seen as a 'problem behaviour'. Those with PWS differed from a learning disabled group of other aetiologies in the prevalence rates of skin picking, temper tantrums, compulsive behaviours and mood fluctuations, and also in the profile of their adaptive behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms the distinct behavioural phenotype of PWS. Specific behaviours occurred significantly more frequently in PWS, compared with an age and BMI matched learning disabled comparison group. A factor analysis of the behaviours involved resulted in three factors that we hypothesized to be independent, and to arise from different mechanisms.

Adaptation, Psychological↗