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At least 793 records · Page 44Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Low environmental temperature modulates gustatory nerve activity and behavioral responses to NaCl in rats.

We studied the effects of cold ambient temperature on chorda tympani nerve responses to taste stimuli such as sucrose, NaCl, quinine HCl (QHCl), and HCl in rats. The electrophysiological recordings of the whole chorda tympani nerves from control (22 degrees C) and cold-exposed (4 degrees C) rats revealed that the responses to sucrose, HCl, and QHCl were unaffected by cold exposure. In contrast, the nerve responses to NaCl were enhanced time dependently, reaching a maximum 7-14 days after cold exposure. Responses to sodium acetate were likewise elevated as they were to NaCl, whereas those to KCl were unchanged after cold exposure. In addition, the residual NaCl responses after lingual application of the sodium-channel blocker amiloride in cold-exposed rats were similar to those in control animals. It is thus most likely that cold exposure potentiates the chorda tympani nerve responses to Na(+), but not to Cl(-). Behavioral studies with the two-bottle preference test showed that the cold-exposed rats refused to drink NaCl solutions at 0.05 and 0.1 M, the concentrations being preferred by control animals. These results suggest that the ambient temperature influences taste cell function, and that the enhanced NaCl response of the chorda tympani nerve is related to the avoidance of NaCl intake under cold environment.

Amiloride↗
PubMed2001

Influence of oral and gastric NaCl preloads on NaCl intake and gastric emptying of sodium-deficient rats.

Evidence is mixed as to whether oral metering contributes to the satiation of NaCl intake. To examine this in detail, we measured NaCl intake of sodium-deficient rats given preloads of NaCl that were sham ingested, normally ingested, or intubated into the stomach. Intake of 500 mM NaCl was reduced by prior ingestion, but not by sham ingestion, of an NaCl preload. NaCl intubation reduced NaCl intake if the test began 15 min, but not 60 min, after the preload. Gastric emptying of NaCl was initially more rapid after intubated than after ingested NaCl. Plasma aldosterone concentrations dropped more rapidly after ingested than after intubated NaCl and also dropped after sham ingestion of NaCl, raising the possibility of a cephalic-phase influence on aldosterone levels. These findings suggest that oral factors do not directly control the amount of NaCl consumed by sodium-deprived rats. Differences between the physiological effects of voluntary ingestion and intubation may be responsible for the results of several early studies purported as evidence for oral metering of sodium consumption.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2002

Fornix transection impairs conditional visuomotor learning in tasks involving nonspatially differentiated responses.

Rhesus monkeys learned a series of conditional visuomotor associations involving two-dimensional "objects" that instructed one of three responses: tapping a touch screen, steady contact with the screen for a brief period, or steady contact for a longer period. Relative to controls, fornix-transected monkeys were impaired in the acquisition of new associations and in the retention of preoperatively learned ones. These findings challenge the view that the hippocampal system participates in associative learning only when spatial information is relevant to either the stimulus or the response.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Spatiotemporal tuning of directional neurons in mammalian and avian pretectum: a comparison of physiological properties.

Responses were recorded from 72 neurons in the wallaby's nucleus of the optic tract (NOT) during stimulation with drifting sinusoidal gratings at a range of temporal and spatial frequencies (TF and SF). Most cells (70/72) were TF tuned, but two were velocity tuned. The neurons are placed into two descriptive groups: fast and slow cells, which prefer SF/TFs of 0.06-0.6 cpd/0.4-20 Hz and 0.13-1 cpd/<1 Hz, respectively. The peak spatiotemporal tunings of the neurons are compared for motion in preferred and anti-preferred directions with little variation observed in most cases. The spatiotemporal properties of wallaby NOT are compared with those of pigeon lentiformis mesencephali: the avian homologue of NOT. The neurons in the pigeon and wallaby nuclei segregate into fast and slow cells that operate in similar spatiotemporal domains. The fast and slow cells segregate largely on the basis of TF in wallabies and SF in pigeons, but their respective velocity tuning properties are very similar. In both species, the mean velocity tuning for fast and slow cells is approximately 50 degrees/s and 1 degrees/s, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Influence of various drugs on the voluntary intake of nicotine by rats.

The effects of the dopaminergic agonists (L-dopa, pergolide) and antagonists (haloperidol, clozapin) and a cholinergic agonist (tacrine) and antagonist (mecamylamine) on the voluntary intake of nicotine were investigated with the 2-bottle paradigm with the test drugs being dissolved directly in the drinking fluid of the animals. This method was found to be a reliable procedure to quickly screen compounds with specific sites of action in the brain for their effects on the voluntary intake of nicotine or perhaps other substances of abuse as well. L-dopa, pergolide and haloperidol did not affect the intake of nicotine, whereas tacrine increased it slightly and clozapine and mecamylamine markedly. These results indicate that blockade of nicotinic and dopaminergic D4 receptors partially reduce the desired effect of nicotine by forcing the animals to consume more of this substance.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2006

Inheritance of olfactory preferences I. Pheromone-mediated behavioral responses of Heliothis subflexa x Heliothis virescens hybrid male moths.

Shifts in male preference for qualitatively different pheromone blends appear to have played a fundamental role in the divergence of olfactory communication and evolution of moth species. As an initial step in documenting the genetic complexity underlying such shifts, we characterized the behavioral responses of hybrid male moths created by mating two heliothine moth species, Heliothis subflexa and Heliothis virescens. Between 67 and 96% of hybrid males flew upwind and contacted the pheromone source when presented with a blend consisting of (Z)-11-hexadecenal (Z11-16:Ald), (Z)-9-hexadecenal (Z9-16:Ald), and (Z)-11-hexadecenol (Z11-16:OH) in a 1:0.5:0.1 ratio that has previously been shown to be attractive to H. subflexa males. In addition, an H. virescens blend of Z11-16:Ald and (Z)-9-tetradecenal (Z9-14:Ald) enhanced by the addition of Z11-16:OH (in a 1:0.05:0.1 mixture) was attractive to hybrid males (26-64% source contact), but significantly fewer males reached the odor source compared to the blend containing Z9-16:Ald. A blend in which the dosage of Z9-14:Ald was doubled, however, was equally attractive (75-77% source contact) as the Z9-16:Ald-containing blend. Consecutive presentation of two blends revealed that individual hybrid males responded equally well to blends containing either Z9-14:Ald or Z9-16:Ald. Together these results suggest that in addition to Z11-16:Ald, hybrid males: (1) required either Z9-16:Ald (likeH. subflexamales) or Z9-14:Ald (like H. virescens males); (2) required the presence of Z11-16:OH (H. subflexa dominant); (3) were not adversely affected by the presence of Z11-16:Ac (H. subflexa dominant). The behavioral response phenotype of hybrid males was therefore influenced by genetic factors inherited from both parental species.

Animal Communication↗
PubMed1978

Influence of the 2'-chloro substitution on central activity of desmethyldiazepam.

Two diazepam derivatives, the N-desmethyl and the 2'-chlor-N-desmethyldiazepam, were compared in rats using behavioral and EEG techniques. Both drugs had depressant effects upon locomotor activity, facilitated behavior suppressed by punishment, increased the number of shocks received by rats in a Sidman avoidance procedure and caused a synchronization of EEG pattern lasting more than 7 h at the highest doses. The 2'-chlor-substituted compound was much more active than desmethyldiazepam potency ratio ranking between 3.67 and 20.78 according to the test employed.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Using pictures to assess reinforcers in individuals with developmental disabilities.

Tangible preference assessments were compared with pictorial preference assessments for 4 individuals with developmental disabilities. In the tangible assessment, on each trial two stimuli were selected and placed in front of the participant, who approached one. In the pictorial assessment, on each trial two line drawings were placed in front of the participant, who pointed to one. For both assessments, the percentage of opportunities each stimulus was approached or touched was calculated, and hierarchies of preferred items were developed. The two assessments yielded similar preference hierarchies for 3 of 4 participants. Reinforcer assessments using a simple free operant response confirmed that items identified as highly preferred on tangible and pictorial assessments functioned as reinforcers.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Preference assessment procedures for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Significant advancements have been made in the development of procedures to systematically identify preferred stimuli that may function as reinforcers for persons with developmental disabilities. Indirect assessment procedures include care provider and client interviews, whereas direct assessment procedures involve systematically exposing participants to stimuli while recording their responses. These types of direct assessment procedures can be categorized as either approach-based or engagement-based. Approach-based procedures involve recording the individuals' approach responses to stimuli presented singly or concurrently with other stimuli, whereas engagement-based procedures involve recording duration of engagement with stimuli. Although the predictive validity of indirect preference assessment procedures has yet to be established, using them in combination with direct measures of preference may be most efficacious for identifying potential reinforcers. Recent research on preference assessment procedures used with persons with developmental disabilities is reviewed and the variables that one might consider prior to selecting which procedure to use in a given situation are discussed.

Attention↗
PubMed1987

Ethics in worksite health programming: who is served?

As relatively new innovations in the workplace, employee assistance and wellness/health promotion programs have not yet established clear identities. Thus ethical practices have not been fully considered or discussed. Based on extensive research experience with employee assistance programs, ethical issues are considered at three levels. Of primary concern are ethical issues affecting the individual employee, of which the scope of perceived or expected service relationships between employees and EAP coordinators is critical. There are tendencies to transfer models of community or private practice to the worksite, but the relationships both prescribed and implied at the worksite require that a different pattern of clinical relationships obtain. At the organizational level, it is critical for the worksite practitioners to be conscious of their authority in translating scientific data into recommended practices at the worksite and in transforming equivocal data and health practices into organizational norms. Finally, at the level of interorganizational relationships the worksite health program practitioner needs to be aware of the risks of becoming drawn into overly intimate relationships with external organizations who may come to benefit by special treatment that such relationships generate.

Behavior Control↗
PubMed2006

Consumer satisfaction with primary care provider choice and associated trust.

BACKGROUND: Development of managed care, characterized by limited provider choice, is believed to undermine trust. Provider choice has been identified as strongly associated with physician trust. Stakeholders in a competitive healthcare market have competing agendas related to choice. The purpose of this study is to analyze variables associated with consumer's satisfaction that they have enough choice when selecting their primary care provider (PCP), and to analyze the importance of these variables on provider trust. METHODS: A 1999 randomized national cross-sectional telephone survey conducted of United States residential households, who had a telephone, had seen a medical professional at least twice in the past two years, and aged > or = 20 years was selected for secondary data analyses. Among 1,117 households interviewed, 564 were selected as the final sample. Subjects responded to a core set of questions related to provider trust, and a subset of questions related to trust in the insurer. A previously developed conceptual framework was adopted. Linear and logistic regressions were performed based on this framework. RESULTS: Results affirmed 'satisfaction with amount of PCP choice' was significantly (p < .001) associated with provider trust. 'PCP's care being extremely effective' was strongly associated with 'satisfaction with amount of PCP choice' and 'provider trust'. Having sought a second opinion(s) was associated with lower trust. 'Spoke to the PCP outside the medical office,' 'satisfaction with the insurer' and 'insurer charges less if PCP within network' were all variables associated with 'satisfaction with amount of PCP choice' (all p < .05). CONCLUSION: This study confirmed the association of 'satisfaction with amount of PCP choice' with provider trust. Results affirmed 'enough PCP choice' was a strong predictor of provider trust. 'Second opinion on PCP' may indicate distrust in the provider. Data such as 'trust in providers in general' and 'the role of provider performance information' in choice, though import in PCP choice, were not available for analysis and should be explored in future studies. Results have implications for rethinking the relationships among consumer choice, consumer behaviors in making trade-offs in PCP choice, and the role of healthcare experiences in 'satisfaction with amount of PCP choice' or 'provider trust.'

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Developmental differences in nicotine place conditioning.

To understand the motivations and implications of the prevalence of smoking, studies have compared the behavioral effects of nicotine, the psychoactive drug in tobacco, in adolescent and adult animals. The present study used a biased three-chambered conditioned-place preference procedure without prior habituation to examine the potential rewarding and anxiolytic effects of nicotine across adolescence and adulthood to assess the presence of age-dependent differences in response to nicotine.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2004

An animal model of sensation seeking: the adolescent rat.

Previous research has established a strong relationship between a rodent's preference for novelty and sensitivity to psychomotor stimulants. Rats with greater sensitivity to the motoric effects of amphetamine exhibit higher preferences for novelty. Additionally, animals with high novelty preference scores are more easily drug conditioned and are more sensitive to, and can more accurately discriminate, amphetamine doses. Novelty preference in animals has been compared to sensation seeking in humans and is strongly correlated with drug use and addiction vulnerability. Thus, the present studies employed a playground maze procedure to measure changes in novelty preference across age following either four or eight habituation trials using eight distinct objects. Early-adult (postnatal day [PND] 59) animals did not exhibit a significant preference for a novel object regardless of total number of habituation trials. Early-adolescent animals (PND 34) exhibited a preference for the novel object in fewer than four habituation trials, but exhibited no preference with increased habituation trials. These results are counterintuitive and may demonstrate an overgeneralization of the habituation trials specific to adolescent animals. Given that adolescence is a period of heightened exploration, one would expect adolescent animals to demonstrate an enhanced preference for novel stimuli using this paradigm. However, it is possible that the complexity of the task, as presented, reveals differences in the establishment and behavioral manifestation of associations during adolescence. To address this issue, a separate novelty paradigm was implemented using an open-field habituation procedure followed by the introduction of a single novel object during the testing period. This revised design provides the foundation needed to better assess novelty-induced locomotor activity and novelty preference in adolescent rats.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

The impact of cage ventilation on rats housed in IVC systems.

Today the use of individually ventilated cage systems (IVC systems) is common, especially for housing transgenic rodents. Typically, in each cage a ventilation rate of 40 to 50 air changes per hour is applied, but in some systems even up to 120 air changes per hour is applied. To reach this rate, the air is blown into the cage at a relatively high speed. However, at the animal's level most systems ventilate with an air speed of approximately 0.2 m/s. In the present paper, two studies were conducted, one analysing whether an air speed below 0.2 m/s or just above 0.5 m/s affects the rats, and another study analysing whether air changes of 50, 80 and 120 times per hour affect the rats. In both studies, monitoring of preferences as well as physiological parameters such as heart rate and blood pressure, was used to show the ability of the animals to register the different parameters and to avoid them if possible. Air speeds inside the cage of as high as 0.5 m/s could not be shown to affect the rats, while the number of air changes in each cage should be kept below 80 times per hour to avoid impacts on physiology (heart rate and systolic blood pressure). Also the rats prefer cages with air changes below 80 times per hour if they have the opportunity of choosing, as shown in the preference test.

Air Movements↗
PubMed2005

GABAA-mediated inhibition of basolateral amygdala blocks reward devaluation in macaques.

Amygdala ablation disrupts reinforcer "devaluation" in monkeys (Malkova et al., 1997). Here, we tested the hypothesis that transient inactivation of amygdala by the GABA(A) agonist muscimol (MUS), specifically during the period of reward satiation, would have a similar effect. Six pigtail macaques were trained on a visual object discrimination task in which 60 objects were associated with one of two specific food rewards. Subsequently, we evaluated the selective satiation-induced change (devaluation) in object preference in probe sessions. We also examined the effect of the amygdala inactivation during the probe sessions to determine whether the inactivation limited to the testing period (and not during the satiation period) is sufficient to impair the expression of reinforcer devaluation. MUS infusions were aimed at basolateral amygdala (BLA) in a pseudorandomized design; each monkey received MUS or saline either before or after selective satiation with each of the two food rewards (six infusions total). Under the control (saline) condition, the monkeys significantly shifted their preference from objects representing the sated food rewards to those representing the nonsated rewards (30% change). When BLA was inactivated during selective satiation (i.e., MUS infused before satiation), this devaluation effect was blocked. In contrast, MUS infusion after satiation, so that it was present just during the testing period, did not impair the shift in object preference (27% change). Thus, BLA is necessary for the appropriate registration of the change in the reinforcer value but not for the subsequent expression of the devaluation involving its transfer to secondary reinforcers.

Amygdala↗
PubMed2004

The development of mother-infant interactions after neonatal amygdala lesions in rhesus monkeys.

As part of ongoing studies on the neurobiology of socioemotional behavior in the nonhuman primate, we examined the development of mother-infant interactions in 24 macaque monkeys who received either bilateral amygdala or hippocampus ibotenic acid lesions, or a sham surgical procedure at 2 weeks of age. After surgery, the infants were returned to their mothers and reared with daily access to small social groups. Behavioral observations of the infants in dyads (mother-infant pairs alone), tetrads (two mother-infant pairs), and social groups (six mother-infant pairs and one adult male) revealed species-typical mother-infant interactions for all lesion conditions, with the exception of increased physical contact time between the amygdala-lesioned infants and their mothers. Immediately after permanent separation from their mothers at 6 months of age, the infants were tested in a mother preference test that allowed the infants to choose between their mother and another familiar adult female. Unlike control and hippocampus-lesioned infants, the amygdala-lesioned infants did not preferentially seek proximity to their mother, nor did they produce distress vocalizations. Given the normal development of mother-infant interactions observed before weaning, we attribute the behavior of the amygdala-lesioned infants during the preference test to an impaired ability to perceive potential danger (i.e., separation from their mother in a novel environment), rather than to a disruption of the mother-infant relationship. These results are consistent with the view that the amygdala is not essential for fundamental aspects of social behavior but is necessary to evaluate potentially dangerous situations and to coordinate appropriate behavioral responses.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

Preference for immediate over delayed rewards is associated with magnitude of ventral striatal activity.

Discounting future outcomes as a function of their deferred availability underlies much of human decision making. Discounting, or preference for immediate over delayed rewards of larger value, is often associated with impulsivity and is a risk factor for addictive disorders such as pathological gambling, cigarette smoking, and drug and alcohol abuse. The ventral striatum (VS) is involved in mediating behavioral responses and physiological states associated with reward, and dysregulation of the VS contributes to addiction, perhaps by affecting impulsive decision-making. Behavioral tests of delay discounting (DD), which index preference for smaller immediate over larger delayed rewards, covary with impulsive tendencies in humans. In the current study, we examined the relationship between individual differences in DD, measured in a behavioral assessment, and VS activity measured with blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging, in 45 adult volunteers. VS activity was determined using a task involving positive and negative feedback with monetary reward. Analyses revealed that individual differences in DD correlate positively with magnitude of VS activation in response to both positive and negative feedback, compared with a no-feedback control condition. Variability in DD was also associated with differential VS activation in response to positive, compared with negative, feedback. Collectively, our results suggest that increased preference for smaller immediate over larger delayed rewards reflects both a relatively indiscriminate and hyper-reactive VS circuitry. They also highlight a specific neurocognitive mechanism that may contribute to increased risk for addiction.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Continuous low-level glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor delivery using recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors provides neuroprotection and induces behavioral recovery in a primate model of Parkinson's disease.

The therapeutic potential of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) for Parkinson's disease is likely to depend on sustained delivery of the appropriate amount to the target areas. Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAVs) expressing GDNF may be a suitable delivery system for this purpose. The aim of this study was to define a sustained level of GDNF that does not affect the function of the normal dopamine (DA) neurons but does provide anatomical and behavioral protection against an intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion in the common marmoset. We found that unilateral intrastriatal injection of rAAV resulting in the expression of high levels of GDNF (14 ng/mg of tissue) in the striatum induced a substantial bilateral increase in tyrosine hydroxylase protein levels and activity as well as in DA turnover. Expression of low levels of GDNF (0.04 ng/mg of tissue), on the other hand, produced only minimal effects on DA synthesis and only on the injected side. In addition, the low level of GDNF provided approximately 85% protection of the nigral DA neurons and their projections to the striatum in the 6-OHDA-lesioned hemisphere. Furthermore, the anatomical protection was accompanied by a complete attenuation of sensorimotor neglect, head position bias, and amphetamine-induced rotation. We conclude that when delivered continuously, a low level of GDNF in the striatum (approximately threefold above baseline) is sufficient to provide optimal functional outcome.

Animals↗