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PubMed1995

Clinical pharmacology of antiepileptic drug use: "clinical pearls about the perils of patty".

This Clinical Pharmacology Problem Solving (CPPS) Unit is for use with fourth- or fifth-year pharmacy students and third- or fourth-year medical students during conferences held when they are taking either a rotation in Neurology or Clinical Pharmacology. It may also be used for house staff teaching of residents in Neurology, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Family Practice and fellows in Clinical Pharmacology. This material was prepared for a Teaching Clinic in Clinical Pharmacology taught by Claire M. Lathers, PhD, FCP, Hugh J. Burford, PhD, FCP, and Cedric M. Smith, MD, FCP, and sponsored by the American College of Clinical Pharmacology, September 19-20, 1992, Washington, DC. This workbook includes: (1) an introduction to the Clinical Pharmacology Problem Solving (CPPS) Unit; (2) the learning objectives of the clinical simulation; (3) a pretest; (4) four clinical episodes occurring over many years in the life of a patient; (5) answers to the pretest; (6) a posttest; (7) answers to the posttest.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Teaching independently living older adults about managing their medications.

This study explored how to increase older adults' knowledge of their prescribed medications. Twenty independently living clients of a university nursing center volunteered to participate. The research design was pretest, intervention, and posttest. Results of a paired t-test between pretest and posttest were significant at the .05 level. Nurses can use the results of this study to plan patient teaching for older adult clients.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A self-management program for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: relationship to dyspnea and self-efficacy.

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effects of a nurse-directed self-management program on dyspnea and self-efficacy levels in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The Health Belief Model and the Theory of Self-Efficacy provided the theoretical framework for the study. The sample included 10 COPD patients from rural North Carolina who attended a 6-week nurse-directed self-management program. Dyspnea and self-efficacy were measured before and after the program by using a vertical visual analogue scale for dyspnea and the COPD Self-Efficacy Scale. A single-group quasi-experimental design that incorporated a pretest and a posttest was used. Paired t tests were used to compare the pretest and the posttest levels of dyspnea and self-efficacy. The findings revealed no significant change in levels of dyspnea after the program. Levels of self-efficacy, however, were found to have increased at a statistically significant level (p < .001) following the program. This study indicates that using a group teaching method to teach self-management skills improved self-efficacy levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Methods for in vitro percutaneous absorption studies. VI: Preparation of the barrier layer.

The skin membrane for in vitro percutaneous absorption studies was prepared so that it was similar in thickness to the in vivo barrier layer. A dermatome section from the skin surface produced a layer of skin that included the epidermis and papillary dermis (location of capillary loops) but without most of the dermal tissue. Improved absorption measurements were then obtained with hydrophobic compounds with the use of a polyethylene glycol 20 oleyl ether (PEG-20 oleyl ether) receptor fluid. With the haired rat, preparing a skin section 300-micron thick (and pretesting for damage to the barrier with H3-water) resulted in a membrane that gave values in good agreement with in vivo results for 3-phenyl-2-propenyl 2-aminobenzoate (cinnamyl anthranilate) (1) and benzo(a)pyrene absorption. When sparsely haired fuzzy rat skin was used, a section of skin 200-micron thick could be prepared without the need for pretesting for damage. Good agreement was obtained between in vivo and in vitro values for 1-(3-ethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)etha none (acetyl ethyl tetramethyl tetralin) (2) and DDT with 0.5% PEG-20 oleyl ether in water as the receptor fluid. The skin of the fuzzy rat seemed more similar in permeability to human skin than did the skin of the hairless mouse when the absorption of six compounds was compared.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Mechanisms of force failure during repetitive maximal efforts in a human upper airway muscle.

The upper airway respiratory muscles play an important role in the regulation of airway resistance, but surprisingly little is known about their contractile properties and endurance performance. We developed a technique that allows measurement of force and the electromyogram (EMG) of human nasal dilator muscles (NDMs). Endurance performance was quantified by measuring NDM "flaring" force and EMG activity as healthy human subjects performed 10 s maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs), separated by 10 s rest, until the area under the force curve fell to 50% MVC (the time limit of the fatigue task, Tlim), which was reached in 34.2 +/- 3.1 contractions (685.0 +/- 62.3 s). EMG activity was unchanged except at Tlim, where it averaged 78.7 +/- 3.6% of pretest activity (P < 0.01). M-wave amplitude did not change, suggesting that neuromuscular propagation was not impaired. MVC force increased to 80% of the pretest level within 10 min of recovery but twitch force failed to recover, suggesting low-frequency fatigue. The data suggest that a failure of the nervous system to excite muscle could explain at most only a small fraction of the NDM force loss during an intermittent fatigue task, and then only at Tlim. Thus, the majority of the force failure during this task is due to impairment of mechanisms that reside within the muscle fibers.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Caffeine increases spinal excitability in humans.

The Hoffman reflex (H reflex) has long been established as a measure of spinal excitability. Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed drugs in the world. Because it is known to increase excitatory neurotransmission, we hypothesized that caffeine would increase spinal excitability and thus alter the H reflex by increasing its amplitude. Seven subjects each attended the laboratory on 2 days. Caffeine (6 mg/kg) was administered on one day and a placebo was administered on the other. The tibial nerve was stimulated at incremental intensities to create an H-reflex recruitment curve prior to capsule administration (pretest) and 1 h later (posttest) on each day. The slope of H-reflex recruitment curve normalized to that of the M wave (H(slp)/M(slp)) was compared (pretest to posttest). Caffeine increased spinal excitability 43 +/- 17% (P < 0.05). Thus, caffeine may be used to safely increase spinal excitability in electrophysiological studies of the human neuromuscular system. Our results also suggest that caffeine intake should be controlled when the H reflex is used in diagnostic and experimental situations.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2003

Methods to document semantic equivalence of a translated scale.

To ensure the semantic equivalence of the Postpartum Depression Screening Scale (PDSS)-Spanish Version, multiple methods were used, including back-translation, the committee approach, pretest techniques, and alternate forms equivalence. The back-translation process involved eight translators who represented the four predominant Hispanic groups in the United States. In the committee approach the Hispanic translators convened together to discuss the results of the back-translations and to come to group consensus on problematic items. In pretesting the PDSS-Spanish Version was field-tested with five Hispanic mothers, and it was determined that it accurately captured the connotative meanings of the screening scale. Alternate forms equivalence of the two language versions of the PDSS was assessed with a sample of 30 bilingual Hispanic mothers. Alpha reliability estimates ranged from 0.94 to 0.99. Though lengthy, this systematic procedure was needed to guarantee the production of a fully equivalent linguistic version of the PDSS.

Cross-Cultural Comparison↗
PubMed1993

Psychosocial predictors of consumption of sweets following smoking cessation.

The use of a theoretical model to predict consumption of sweet-tasting high-calorie foods following smoking cessation was investigated. The model included eight predictors: habit, intention, attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy, perceived barriers, social support, and smoking cessation. One hundred and fourteen individuals completed pre- and post-questionnaires and made pre- and post-snack choices at smoking cessation programs. Pretest consumption of sweets (habit), pretest intention to avoid eating sweets, and posttest smoking status explained 42% of posttest consumption of sweets. Ex-smokers reported eating more sweets and chose more sweet snacks than did subjects who continued to smoke.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Capitalizing on the human-animal bond to teach ethics to youth.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a livestock ethics curriculum developed for high school students in agricultural education classes. The curriculum was developed in response to numerous unethical occurrences at major livestock shows in recent years. These have included drug violations, physical alteration of animals, and excessive involvement of professional livestock handlers. The curriculum was taught to 305 students enrolled in eight Indiana high school agriculture programs. Data were collected using a pretest and posttest. Eighty-six percent of participants improved their score from the pretest to the posttest. Participants increased their awareness and knowledge of the overall principles involved in making ethical choices when faced with decisions in youth livestock programs. Students improved their understanding of the consequences associated with making unethical choices when faced with decisions in the youth livestock program. Participants were more likely to make an ethical choice when faced with a scenario featuring an ethical dilemma. Participants who had previously been enrolled in 4-H, Future Farmers of America, or an animal project had higher scores than those who had not been previously enrolled, but the amount of change from pre- to posttest was similar for those with and without such prior exposure. Future research should examine whether mastery of this kind of ethics curriculum will lead to better ethical choices in real-life situations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Mate choice copying and conspecific cueing in Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica.

In four experiments, we examined the effects on the affiliative preferences of 'focal' female Japanese quail given the opportunity to watch a conspecific male interact with a 'model' female. Experiments were conducted in three, 10-min phases: (1) a pretest, during which a 'focal' female chose between two males; (2) an observation phase, when each focal female watched the male she had spent less time near during the pretest (her 'nonpreferred' male) interact with a 'model' quail; and (3) a post-test, during which each focal female again chose between her nonpreferred and preferred males. Focal females increased their preferences for nonpreferred males after seeing them together with a model female (but not a model male), even if the nonpreferred male and model female were separated by an opaque barrier that prevented them from interacting. A focal female's preference for the end of the enclosure containing her nonpreferred male was not increased when she either watched him court a concealed model female or watched a model female that was being courted by him. Taken together, the present results suggest that a simple tendency for females to approach areas where they have previously seen a male and female quail, in preference to locations where they have seen only a male quail, can explain some of the effect of watching a nonpreferred male mate on a female's tendency to affiliate with him. However, focal females also showed enhanced preferences for nonpreferred males they had seen mating after we both moved those males and controlled for effects of transposition. Thus, processes akin to both 'mate choice copying' and 'conspecific cueing' remain viable explanations for the increase in a focal female quail's tendency to affiliate with a male she watched mate with another female. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

Social effects on mate choices of male Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica.

In four experiments, we examined effects on affiliative preferences of 'focal' male Japanese quail of seeing a conspecific female interact with another male. Each experiment was conducted in three 10-min phases: (1) a pretest during which a focal male chose between two females; (2) an observation phase, when each focal male watched the female he had spent more time near during the pretest (his 'preferred' female) interact with another male (referred to as a 'model' male); and (3) a post-test, during which each focal male again chose between his nonpreferred and preferred females. Focal males decreased their preferences for preferred females after seeing them together with a model male, even when preferred females and model males were separated by a transparent barrier that prevented them from mating, but allowed them to court. A focal male's preference for his preferred female did not decrease when the female mated with a model male out of sight of the focal male. These first results could reflect a tendency for males simply to avoid areas where they saw conspecifics courting. However, focal males also showed reduced preferences for preferred females they had seen mate when the locations of preferred and nonpreferred females were reversed between observation and post-test phases of the experiment and the effects of transposition were controlled for. We concluded that male quail tend to avoid areas that recently contained courting pairs, as well as particular females, seen courting. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Bromocriptine administration lowers serum prolactin and disrupts parental responsiveness in common marmosets (Callithrix j. jacchus).

The influence of prolactin on parental responsiveness was investigated in eight unpaired, parentally inexperienced common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus; 6 female, 2 male). The marmosets were prescreened with infants (1-10 days of age) and required to exhibit short latency retrieval and infant carrying in at least three consecutive pretests as criterion for inclusion in this study. The marmosets were then administered the dopamine agonist bromocriptine (0.5 mg/0.5ml vehicle subcutaneously) and the vehicle alone (0.5 ml 10% ethanol solution) twice daily for 3 consecutive days in random order. Bromocriptine treatment reduced circulating prolactin to nondetectable levels. Bromocriptine treatment eliminated infant retrieval in four of the eight marmosets and was associated with significantly increased retrieval latencies and significantly reduced carrying durations in the four monkeys that continued to retrieve following bromocriptine treatment. When given the vehicle alone, the marmosets retrieved infants significantly faster than during pretests, suggesting a handling effect of the injection series. Bromocriptine treatments were associated with significantly increased movement during the tests. The results of this study indicate that prolactin and/or its regulatory neurotransmitters are involved in the control of the spontaneous display of parental responsiveness in common marmosets.

Aging↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Quit Today! A targeted communications campaign to increase use of the cancer information service by African American smokers.

BACKGROUND: African Americans have traditionally made little use of the Cancer Information Service (CIS), an information and education program of the National Cancer Institute, for smoking cessation assistance. This study evaluated whether a targeted communications campaign utilizing strategically placed radio and television advertisements in combination with community outreach could lead more adult African American smokers to call the CIS for smoking cessation information and materials. METHODS: Fourteen communities, served by four CIS regional offices, were carefully matched on demographic variables and then randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. Six radio advertisements targeting African American smokers to call the CIS for help in quitting smoking were developed and pretested for three different black-oriented formats. One television spot also was produced and pretested. The audio portion of the television ad was utilized as a seventh radio spot for the general programming formats. These advertisements were placed on selected radio and television stations reaching predominantly African American adult audiences. Also, copies of a videotape designed to motivate African American smokers to quit and to call the CIS for help in quitting were widely disseminated through community-based organizations in each experimental market. The aim was to increase the number and proportion of quitting-related calls to the CIS from African Americans within experimental communities. RESULTS: The call volume from African American smokers was significantly higher in the experimental communities than in the control communities (P < 0.008). The call rate from African American men was higher than typically observed. Overall, African Americans in the experimental communities reported radio more often than television as the way they heard about the CIS. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that paid targeted advertising, using radio as a primary channel, is an effective method of reaching an underserved population at risk. Future research directions are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Nutrition education improves metabolic outcomes among older adults with diabetes mellitus: results from a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Few diabetes education programs have been designed specifically for older adults. This study evaluated the impact of a nutrition intervention on the blood glucose and lipoprotein levels of adults > or =65 years of age without functional limitations but with type 2 diabetes for > or =1 year. METHODS: Ninety-eight people were randomized to the experimental or control group. A pretest-posttest control group design was used to evaluate the intervention. Ninety-two people (94%) completed the study. The 10-week intervention incorporated principles from information processing, learning theory, and Social Cognitive Theory to meet the needs of older adults. Analysis of covariance compared outcomes between groups. The paired t test compared results within groups. RESULTS: Participants exceeded the guidelines for optimal glycemic control at pretest. The experimental group had greater improvements in fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.05) and glycated hemoglobin (P < 0.01) than the control group. Significantly more participants in the experimental group than control group met the treatment goals for total cholesterol at posttest (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with diabetes need additional education to achieve metabolic control. Nutrition education can improve metabolic control among this cohort. Improved metabolic outcomes reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

The influence of Cerebrolysin and E021 on spatial navigation of 24-month-old rats.

In the present study the behavioural effects of Cerebrolysin (Cere), a peptidergic nootropic drug, and E021, the concentrated peptide fraction of Cere, were investigated in 24-month-old rats. Rats passing a pretest to exclude motor- and eye-deficits were treated with either drugs or saline as control (2.5 ml/kg, intraperitoneally i.p.) for 19 days. Animals were tested in a standard Morris water maze on day 16 after pretest for 4 consecutive days (test days 1-4), eight trials per day. No significant differences of escape latency between males and females were found, therefore, results were pooled. Both Cere and E021 treated rats showed significant lower escape latencies than saline treated controls on all four test days (p < 0.01). More pronounced effects of both drugs were found for female rats. Female rats showed no significant differences in motor activity whereas drug treated males swam quicker on test day 1 (Cere p < 0.01: E021 p < 0.05) and day 2 (Cere p < 0.01). In the present experiments it was demonstrated that i.p. administration of both Cere and E021 improves the spatial learning and memory of 24 month-old male and female rats.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1991

Midbrain central gray GABAA receptor activation enhances, and blockade reduces, sexual behavior in the female rat.

The inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA, has been implicated in the control of lordosis behavior. Previous studies indicate that modulation of GABAA transmission can have dual effects on lordosis, being facilitative in the ventromedial hypothalamus and inhibitory in the preoptic area. The midbrain central gray (MCG) is also known to be an important neural site for regulating lordosis as well as defensive and escape behaviors, and plays an integral role in the control of nociception. Because of the multitude of behaviors regulated at the level of the MCG, we utilized a two-chamber testing apparatus that allowed simultaneous measurement of the females' proceptive (hopping and darting), receptive and rejection behaviors, as well as an index of nociception and general motor activity. We found that microinfusion of the GABAA antagonist, bicuculline, into the MCG of steroid-primed female rats resulted in a significant decrease in lordosis and proceptive behaviors at 5 min post-infusion. There was full recovery to pretest levels by 60 min. Furthermore, microinfusion of the GABAA agonist, muscimol, to estrogen-treated females that displayed low levels of receptivity and high levels of rejection behavior during a pretest, resulted in a significant increase in lordosis responding and a decrease in rejection behaviors. Neither drug significantly affected time spent in the vicinity of the male, motor activity or vocalizations. It is concluded that the decrease in lordosis resulting from blockade of GABA transmission is not solely due to the induction of antagonistic behaviors since there was no increase in rejections after bicuculline administration. The current findings are consistent with the interpretation that GABA facilitates lordosis in the MCG via disinhibition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Effect of physostigmine on memory consolidation and retrieval processes in intact and nucleus basalis-lesioned rats.

The efficacy of physostigmine on memory enhancement in rats trained on a passive avoidance task was investigated. In experiment 1, the effect of posttraining injections of physostigmine (0.03 mg/kg) in subjects tested at either short (1.25 h or 72 h) or long (3 weeks or 5 weeks) retention intervals was explored. Results indicated drug-induced enhancement of memory at only the two short intervals. Experiment 2 examined the mnemonic consequences of pretest administration of physostigmine. Administration of physostigmine (0.015 mg/kg and 0.03 mg/kg) shortly prior to testing led to a significant potentiation of memory retrieval. The aim of experiment 3 was to determine whether or not an intact cholinergic system is necessary for pretest physostigmine to enhance memory retrieval. Results from this experiment indicated that physostigmine (0.03 mg/kg) was effective in enhancing memory in rats prepared with ibotenic acid-induced lesions of the nucleus basalis of Meynert. Together, these data provide further empirical support for the importance of the cholinergic system in memory processes.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed1987

Do smoking prevention programs really work? Attrition and the internal and external validity of an evaluation of a refusal skills training program.

This study investigated the effects of a smoking prevention program that emphasized refusal skills training on 1730 adolescents in three high schools and six middle schools. Classes within these schools were randomly assigned to treatment or no-treatment conditions to avoid confounding schools with treatment condition. The effects of attrition on the internal and external validity of the study were examined. Although the results indicated an apparent effect of the program at the 1-year follow-up in deterring continued smoking among those who were smoking at pretest, this result may have been due to a higher rate of attrition among high-rate smokers in the treatment condition than in the control condition. Attrition also affected external validity. Across both conditions, subjects who were smoking at pretest and who were at risk to smoke were more likely to be missing at follow-up. The program did have an effect on the refusal skills of participants and the validity of this effect was not jeopardized by differential attrition.

Adolescent↗