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PubMedDate not supplied

Association of biochemical and subjective indicators of drinking habits with performance on different neurobehavioral tasks.

The present paper outlines the association of biochemical and subjective indicators of alcohol consumption. Due to its relevance as a potential confounding variable in occupational neurotoxicology, both sources of information about drinking habits were related to neurobehavioral test performance. A sample of 308 rotogravure printers and control subjects from a cross-sectional longitudinal study in various German printing plants was studied. Duration of employment was 4 months to 44 years (mean = 14.9, sd = 9.67). Mean age was 38.4 years (range 21 - 60). From venous blood samples three parameters considered to be sensitive for increased consumption of alcohol were used. They were carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), and mean cell volume (MCV). During the medical interview subjects with any chronic liver disease were identified and excluded from data analysis. Additionally, information about weekly consumption of alcohol was assessed and transformed to grams per day (g/d) values. Neurobehavioral testing included simple reaction time (SPES version), switching attention, symbol digit substitution, and digit span (EURONEST version). Additionally, a questionnaire of neurotoxic complaints was administrated. Other covariates, i.e. verbal ability, history of solvent exposure, and age were controlled. GGT and CDT were elevated in 10.5% and 6.6% of the population. 3.5% of the subjects reported daily consumption higher than 60 gram. There were positive correlations of CDT and GGT with the subjective indicator of drinking habits. The magnitude of these relationships were low, but the associations were significant. MCV was not correlated with subjective reports of drinking habits, but it showed convergent correlations with CDT and GGT. Comparison of these two parameters with performance on neurobehavioral tasks yielded only one negative association, i.e. between the memory-loaded tasks factor and GGT. CDT and subjective estimation of alcohol consumption were not related to any cognitive function tested in this study. Especially, the digits-backward task was negatively correlated with increased GGT.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Environmental factors, health-related habits, and serum selenium levels in cancer patients and healthy controls.

Previous studies conducted in Yugoslavia indicated that the concentration of selenium in soil, food items, and serum of the population is very low. The aim of the study was to investigate the possible relationship among environmental, health-related habits, nutrition, and selenium serum levels in cancer patients and the healthy population. The case-control study included a group of cancer patients and a matched group of healthy controls: 57 cancer patients and 41 healthy controls living in Stari Grad (an urban area of Belgrade), as well as 17 cancer patients and 13 healthy controls living in Barajevo (a rural community in the vicinity of Belgrade). The healthy controls were matched to cancer patients in sex and age; they were not blood related. The selenium serum levels were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Health-related habits and relevant dietary factors ("food frequency" method) that may influence the selenium serum levels were assessed by questionnaires. The differences in average values of selenium serum levels between the cancer patients and healthy controls were not significantly different, but both were below the lowest recorded in referential studies. A significant difference between the values obtained from urban and rural subgroups was noted. The most important factors that influenced the level of selenium included the residence place in the region with selenium deficiency (Barajevo), age, associated chronic diseases, and some dietary factors potentially related to the intake of selenium. The results obtained in this investigation pointed out that use of selenium supplementation in this area should be seriously considered.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Life-style habits and homocysteine levels in an elderly population.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Increased plasma total homocysteine (Hcy) is a known cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor, related to several components of the established CVD risk profile. Observational studies support the role of modifying life-style related risk factors such as diet, physical activity and alcohol consumption in CVD prevention. Regular physical activity protects against coronary artery disease, possibly through its role in controlling risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus and obesity, but also independently. The aim of our study was to test the hypothesis that there is an association between physical activity, life-style habits and plasma Hcy levels in an elderly population. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 423 males and females aged 69.0 +/- 6.7 years completed an interview and laboratory examinations. Our main outcome measure was plasma levels of Hcy. RESULTS: Mean Hcy values were 10.5 +/- 5.5 micromol/L (11.4 +/- 6.1 for males and 9.3 +/- 4.5 for females; p < 0.001). Smoking and BMI were not found to be associated with Hcy levels. Physically active subjects, as well as B vitamin supplement users, had significantly lower Hcy levels (p = 0.002 and p = 0.004, respectively). In a multiple linear regression model, the Hcy level was 10% higher amongst participants with a sedentary life-style, 17% higher amongst males, 1% higher for each one-year increment in age, and 10% higher amongst participants who used no B vitamin supplements. CONCLUSIONS: Any level of physical activity was found to be an independent life-style habit associated with a lower Hcy level in an elderly population. This study supports existing recommendations for elderly persons to maintain a physically active life-style.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Smoking and drinking habits in adolescence--links with psychiatric disturbance at the age of 8 years.

Smoking and drinking habits were studied among 1098 14-15-year-old adolescents using a mailed questionnaire. The subjects were drawn from a representative population of 5813 randomly selected 8-year-old children previously studied in the National Epidemiological Child Psychiatry Study in Finland in 1989. The questionnaire included items on the adolescents' smoking habits and alcohol consumption. Regular smoking was more common among boys (and girls) who, in childhood, had been rated by their parents (Rutter Parent Questionnaire) (RA2) as disturbed, 14.6% (30.3%), than among the nondisturbed, 6.6% (8.4%). Similarly, more of the previously disturbed (according to the RA2) adolescent boys drank alcohol regularly, 19.7%, as compared to the nondisturbed boys, 9.3%. Among girls, regular alcohol consumption was more common among those who previously had behavioural or mixed type problems (according to the RA2), 70.7%, as compared to those who previously had emotional or no problems, 12.2%. More of the previously depressed girls smoked regularly, 45.1%, than those who had not been depressed, 7.9%. Behavioural and emotional problems in childhood seemed to predispose to smoking and drinking in adolescence. The parents were more sensitive than the teachers in recognising the long-lasting problems of their children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Biofeedback and cognitive coping in the treatment of pediatric habit cough.

Habit cough is a persistent "barking" cough that does not have a medical basis. The current study evaluated a biofeedback approach using skin temperature feedback with a family focus in the treatment of an 11-year-old girl diagnosed with habit cough. Treatment consisted of six, one hour sessions with the family for part of the session and then individually with the girl. Individual treatment involved skin-temperature biofeedback to teach relaxation during the coughing episodes. The girl was cough free at the end of the sixth session and remained cough free at the end of a one and two year follow-ups. The use of a single case baseline design demonstrated the reduction of coughing and increase in extracurricular activity. It is, noteworthy that the girl demonstrated a significant ability to increase skin temperature during treatment and when asked to try to control her cough.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Oral lesions caused by habits.

Oral lesions caused by habits can be of teeth only, of teeth and the soft tissues of the mouth or may be only of the soft tissues. Lesions of teeth are permanent and may remain even when there has been total destruction of soft tissues. Recognition of lesions due to habits such as betel chewing, snuff dipping, pipe smoking and certain sexual practices may help towards establishing the sex, the ethnic grouping or even the place of origin of a person or their remains. Certain dental and gingival changes may indicate a person's working circumstances and even the type of treatment received.

Areca↗
PubMed1995

Influence of individual factors and personal habits on the levels of biological indicators of exposure.

The progressive improvement of hygienic conditions in the workplace has increased the importance of obtaining detailed information on extra-occupational factors that might influence the levels of the biological indicators. This information is indispensable both when subjects belonging to the general population are selected for establishing 'reference values' and when subjects occupationally exposed to specific chemical substances are studied. In non-occupationally exposed subjects the biological indicator levels may be influenced by circumstances which enhance absorption of the substance in question. Examples of interference factors considered for biological indicators of main metals are: gender, age, smoking habits, alcohol consumption and dietary habits. In occupationally exposed subjects the levels of the biological indicators can be influenced by factors that interfere with the metabolism of the substances absorbed in the workplace. In particular, factors such as alcohol, drugs and tobacco appear to play an important role in modifying the biological indicator levels in the occupationally exposed. Ethanol can inhibit as well as induce the metabolism of solvents. Inhibition occurs after excessive ingestion of ethanol, whereas induction occurs in subjects who regularly consume alcohol. There are several examples of inhibition of the metabolism of solvents by alcohol in man, occurring at levels of exposure frequently encountered in the workplace, also within the 'occupational exposure limits', (OEL). Conversely, there are very few studies on the effects of induction, which presumably occur only when the exposure levels greatly exceed OEL. Among drugs, analgesics seem to play a particular role in interfering with the metabolism of solvents. Since cigarette smoking is frequently associated with alcohol ingestion at present it is difficult to extrapolate the isolated effect of smoking on the metabolism of solvents. In order to facilitate interpretation of the results of biological monitoring, we propose to prepare informative sheets for the main substances which will contain information on factors that can influence the levels of the indicators.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1995

Reading habits and line bisection: a developmental approach.

120 normal right-handed subjects, children and adults, with opposite reading habits (60 French, left-to-right readers, 60 Israeli, right-to-left readers) and 60 pre-school children (30 French and 30 Israeli), were submitted to a visuo-motor bisection task. Bisection is found to be dependent upon reading habits with a leftward deviation of the subjective middle for left-to-right readers, and a rightward bias for right-to-left readers. Even before formal reading learning, French and Israeli pre-school children differ significantly in bisecting a line. Results are discussed with respect to hemispheric activation theories and directional hypotheses.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Nonnutritive sucking habits in Brazilian children: effects on deciduous dentition and relationship with facial morphology.

This study assessed the relationship between nonnutritive sucking habits, facial morphology, and malocclusion in 3 planes of space (transverse, vertical, and anteroposterior) in 330 Brazilian children (4 years of age) attending state schools in the city of Recife, Brazil. The data were collected by interviews with the children's mothers or minders and by clinical examinations carried out by a calibrated examiner (kappa = 1). The chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and multivariate analysis were used for statistical analysis. The prevalence of malocclusion in the sample was 49.7%, according to occlusal classification, and 28.5% of the children had 2 or 3 factors contributing to their malocclusion. Posterior crossbite was detected in 12.1%, anterior open bite in 36.4%, and increased overjet in 29.7%. A significant association was found between malocclusion and sucking habits (P <.001). Most of the children had a high facial skeletal pattern, although no association was found between facial morphology and malocclusion. The results draw attention to the magnitude of the problem in childhood and emphasize the need for longitudinal studies to support clinical practice guidelines for the target population.

Brazil↗
PubMed2005

Learning-dependent activation of Fra-1: involvement of ventral hippocampus and SNc/VTA complex in learning and habit formation.

Although the effect of overtraining on learning processes in rats has long been studied, only few studies have specifically assessed the differential involvement of brain areas in habit formation. We used the analysis of expression of the immediate early gene Fra-1 as a tool to differentiate the areas involved in training and overtraining. Behavioural experiments showed that instrumental performance (signalled and non-signalled instrumental tasks), but not pavlovian conditioned responses, were no longer under the control of the incentive value of the reward after overtraining. The number of Fra-1 expressing neurons was increased in SNc/VTA and ventral hippocampus after training in all groups independently of behavioural performance. After overtraining, the number of learning-induced Fra-1 immunoreactive neurons remained increased in the SNc/VTA. However, in CA1, it significantly decreased in the signalled instrumental group, whereas it further increased in the pavlovian group, with no modulation in non-signalled instrumental animals. The increase in the number of Fra-1 neurons observed after training in SNc/VTA and ventral hippocampus suggests that a general underlying incentive process regulates Fra-1. Moreover, the sustained increased expression of Fra-1 in the SNc/VTA after instrumental overtraining could reflect a possible role of dopaminergic neurons in habit formation.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Habit cough: assessment and management.

Habit cough is a condition that is often misdiagnosed as asthma. The cough is bizarre in nature, troublesome to those around the person coughing and clearly a waking phenomenon. Often, relatives will have considered the possibility of a habit cough by the time that they present to the respiratory or general paediatrician. In the majority of cases, simple explanation of the nature of likely stressors and reassurance form the basis of effective therapy. In young people with more entrenched symptoms, the provision of coping strategies and increasing the subjective sense of control is an intervention in itself and will improve the likelihood of a good outcome. In more extreme cases, the role of rehabilitation programmes involving negotiation with schools and community organisations may prove useful in remediation of the cough and normalisation of social and peer supports.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and smoking habits amongst schizophrenic patients.

The rate of smoking is especially high among patients with schizophrenia (SCH) and schizoaffective disorder (SCHAFF). Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) smoke less than the general population. OCD symptoms are more frequent among patients with SCH or SCHAFF than in the general population, but it is still unclear whether schizophrenia patients with OC symptoms suffer from SCH and comorbid OCD, or whether they represent a unique subgroup of SCH with presenting OC symptoms. In our study we hypothetised that the current smoking rate of schizophrenia patients with OC symptoms is lower than in schizophrenia patients without OC symptoms. We assessed OC symptoms with the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), general state with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and smoking habits with a questionnaire among 66 patients with SCH or SCHAFF. We formed two groups by dividing patients according to their Y-BOCS score. Group I consisted of patients with Y-BOCS scores under 16, while group II consisted of patients with Y-BOCS scores above 16, and we compared the current smoking rates of the two groups. We found that the rates did not differ significantly, so we came to the conclusion that OC symptoms are not in a tight relationship with smoking habits among patients with SCH/SCHAFF.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

A simplified habit reversal treatment for pica-related chewing.

In this study the frequency of chewing behavior in a 6-year-old male diagnosed with pica was reduced using a simplified habit reversal procedure. Data were collected on the frequency of chewing behavior, treatment acceptability, parent satisfaction, and social validity of the behavior change. This study represents the first known application of the habit reversal procedure to treat pica-related chewing in a normally intelligent child.

Behavior Therapy↗
PubMed2004

HABITS (hormonal replacement therapy after breast cancer--is it safe?), a randomised comparison: trial stopped.

In the 1990s, two randomised clinical trials started in Scandinavia addressing whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is safe for women with previous breast cancer. We report the findings of the safety analysis in HABITS (hormonal replacement therapy after breast cancer--is it safe?), an open randomised clinical trial with allocation to either HRT or best treatment without hormones. The main endpoint was any new breast cancer event. All analyses were done according to intention-to-treat. Until September, 2003, 434 women were randomised; 345 had at least one follow-up report. After a median follow-up of 2.1 years, 26 women in the HRT group and seven in the non-HRT group had a new breast-cancer event. All women with an event in the HRT group and two of those in the non-HRT group were exposed to HRT and most women had their event when on treatment. We decided that these findings indicated an unacceptable risk for women exposed to HRT in the HABITS trial, and the trial was terminated on Dec 17, 2003.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2001

[Alcohol consumption among students of a health area. Habits and beliefs].

OBJECTIVES: 1. To describe the habits and conduct of school students (13-17 years old) around alcohol in the Cartagena Health Area. 2. To discover the factors underlying consumption. 3. To analyse beliefs and behaviour about consumption. DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive study. SETTING: Health area. PARTICIPANTS: 16,657 school students. Sample population (n = 1004). Large-group sampling (sampling unit: class-room), accuracy = 3%, CI = 95%, p = q = 50%, stratified by school and geographical area. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Anonymous, self-filled questionnaire (33 open and closed questions). SELECTION CRITERIA: attendance at class on the day of the questionnaire. VARIABLES: social, economic and cultural data on parents and students, course, type of family, alcohol consumption (starting age, access, individual habits, friends and family), beliefs about consumption, study profile of consumer. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: description of variables, chi-squared test, t test, logistical regression. 99.2% filled in the questionnaire. Students' average age was 15.84 (SD, 1.21). 89.96% lived with their parents. 83.4% had consumed alcohol on some occasion, with no relationship to current consumption (p > 0.05). Starting age was 13.77 (SD, 1.78), 48.5% in discos/bars and 19% at home (p > 0.05). 47.5% had got drunk on some occasion (p > 0.05). 88.2% customarily drank alcohol mixed with other drinks (p > 0.05). 51.8% drank at week-ends (2.4% every day) (p > 0.05). 63.3% thought it easy to acquire drinks: 48.9% in supermarkets, 26.4% at petrol stations (p = 0.038). 71% of consumers agreed that "alcohol is a drug" (p = 0.005). 13% believed "it does not cause dependency" (p = 0.00001). 23.3% thought that it is not true to say "the person who does sport is healthier and does not take alcohol". CONCLUSIONS: The pattern of consumption is similar to that found in other autonomous communities, although in greater quantity and without differences in kind. Mean age of consumer: 15 years old. They usually drink alcohol mixed with other soft drinks, normally at week-ends. They are very ignorant of the effects of consumption.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

NMDA receptor blockade and hippocampal neuronal loss impair fear conditioning and position habit reversal in C57Bl/6 mice.

The interpretation of learning and memory deficits in transgenic mice has largely involved theories of NMDA receptor and/or hippocampal function. However, there is little empirical data that describes what NMDA receptors or the hippocampus do in mice. This research assessed the effects of different doses of the NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, or different-sized hippocampal lesions on several behavioral parameters in adult male C57Bl/6 mice. In the first set of experiments, different doses of MK-801 (0.05-0.3mg/kg, s.c.) were assayed in fear conditioning, shock sensitivity, locomotion, anxiety, and position habit reversal tests. Contextual and cued fear conditioning, and position habit reversal were impaired in a dose-dependent manner. Locomotor activity was increased immediately after injection of the highest dose of MK-801. A second set of experiments determined the behavioral effects of a moderate and large excitotoxic hippocampal lesion. Both lesions impaired contextual conditioning, while the larger lesion interfered with cued conditioning. Reversal learning was significantly diminished by the large lesion, while the moderate lesion had a detrimental effect at a trend level (P<0.10). These results provide important reference data for studies involving genetic manipulations of NMDA receptor or hippocampal function in mice. Furthermore, they serve as a basis for a non-transgenic mouse model of the NMDA receptor or hippocampal dysfunction hypothesized to occur in human cognitive disorders.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Reading habits influence aesthetic preference.

The aim of the present study was to determine the extent to which aesthetic preference, previously attributed to cerebral dominance, may be determined by reading habits. One hundred and sixty two normal subjects were presented pairs of images, one being the mirror-image of the other, and were asked for their aesthetic preference. Half of the subjects were left-to-right readers (French subjects) and the other half were right-to-left readers (Israeli subjects). We found a significant effect of reading habits on aesthetic preference, with left-to-right readers showing a preference for stimuli with a rightward directionality while right-to-left readers preferred stimuli with a leftward directionality. These findings raise the question of an interaction between cultural factors and cerebral dominance.

Adult↗