Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “behavior”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 811 records · Page 45Linked to original sources

Unexpected dental behavior in five Alzheimer patients. Differences between cognitive and functional capacity, graphic performance, and dental behavior.

The aim of the study was to analyze five patients with Alzheimer's disease in whom the degree of dementia assessed by cognitive and functional tests was at variance with the behavior in the dental setting and to relate these factors to the outcome of the graphic test. Possible reasons for the differences were discussed. The subjects were diagnosed as having Alzheimer's dementia on the basis of the DSM-III-R. Their cognitive and functional impairments were assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination test and Katz's index of activities of daily living. Behavior in the dental office was registered in a structured form. The graphic function was assessed as Human Figure Drawing. Besides the stage of dementia, the patient's personality, social and medical background, and memories of previous dental care influence the demented patient's behavior in the dental office. To provide secure conditions for treating demented patients, the dentist must be able to interpret the patient's unique personality in the context of the dental situation.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Feeding behavior, milking behavior, and milk yields of cows milked in a parlor versus an automatic milking system.

This study compared feeding and milking behavior and milk yields for cows housed in the same barn, fed the same ration, but milked with a conventional milking parlor (parlor) or automatic milking system (robot). Behavioral data were videotaped hourly 1 d/mo for 9 mo. Feeding behavior patterns differed and were more variable for parlor cows than for robot cows. Both groups had low feeding rates at night and early morning. Feeding activity increased after milking and feed delivery for parlor cows. Milking and feeding activity in the robot system increased after human intervention at 7 a.m.; feed bunk activity peaked 3 h later and remained relatively constant from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Percentages of cows at the feed bunk were significantly greater for robot cows than parlor cows only at 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. Batch milking of parlor cows with free access to feed, vs. sequential milking of robot cows, with restricted movement to feed by a one-way gate system, resulted in higher peak percentages of cows at the bunk for parlor cows. Lower, more consistent percentages of cows eating at one time suggests that less bunk space may be needed for cows in robotic milking systems. Higher percentages of cows were observed in the robot from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again from 3 to 7 p.m. Percentages of cows in the robot holding area were greatest from 8 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. and were lowest from midnight to 6 a.m. Milk production over 39 d in summer for subsets of cows was slightly but significantly higher (26.4 vs. 25.8 +/- 0.2 kg/d) for cows in the robot group. Milking frequency, days in milk, parity, and maximum air temperature for 3 d (-2 d to day of observation) affected milk yield comparisons. Results have implications for design of feeding and handling facilities used with automated milking systems.

Animals↗

Preventive health behaviors, health-risk behaviors, physical morbidity, and health-related role functioning impairment in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.

An examination of the relationships between health behaviors (preventive and risk-related), physician-diagnosed medical problems, role-functioning impairment because of physical morbidity, and post-traumatic stress disorder was conducted on a large cohort of consecutive treatment-seeking cases (N = 826) presenting to an outpatient Veterans Affairs post-traumatic stress disorder clinic. Results revealed that the sample rates of several medical conditions were markedly elevated when compared with general population rates for men of comparable age. The rates of smoking and other behavioral risk variables were greater than rates among men in the general population. Moreover, the majority of the sample did not engage in preventive health behaviors such as exercise and medical screening at levels consistent with health care guidelines. Physical role functioning indices of the SF-36 reveal greater role-functioning impairment because of physical morbidity in this psychiatric sample relative to the age adjusted general population norms. The health care implications of these data are discussed, as are areas for future research.

Aged↗

[Covariation of parental judgments of child behavioral characteristics with a developmental scale and observation of behaviors].

The aim of the present study is the validation of a German questionnaire that was designed to assess "infant temperament" by parental judgement. The questionnaire represents an adaptation of Rothbart's "Infant Behavior Questionnaire" (IBQ). It was studied whether the parental judgements concerning positive emotionality, negative emotionality/irritability, motor activity and soothability of the infant are correlated to corresponding observed child behavior. Furthermore we tried to determine influences of parental characteristics on their judgements. 31 First-born healthy 4 months old infants were observed in their home environment as well as in the video laboratory of our institute. The Bayley Scales of Infant Development (Mental Scale) were applied. The mothers filled in the Temperament Questionnaire and scales to assess maternal depression and anxiety. We yielded the expected significant correlations for the scales measuring positive and negative emotionality, and motor activity with the observed behavioral characteristics of the infants. Independent of these results the mothers' judgements of their infant's positive and negative emotionality was associated with maternal depression. We can therefore conclude that the two scales contain subjective and objective elements that are independent of each other.

Adult↗

On the behavioral significance of head direction cells: neural and behavioral dynamics during spatial memory tasks.

Current theories assume that rats use the directional information reflected by head direction (HD) cells when performing spatial tasks. This assumption was assessed by monitoring anterior thalamic HD cell activity and relating it to the subject's behavioral response on 2 spatial memory tasks that tested either reference memory or working memory. In both tasks, there was a significant number of trials where there was not a tight coupling between the preferred firing direction of HD cells and the direction of the behavioral response. In addition, it was possible to intentionally change the preferred direction of HD cells without affecting performance accuracy. An additional experiment showed that manipulations that affected internal, but not external, cues impaired performance on the reference memory task. These findings suggest that HD cell activity was not consistently guiding the subjects' behavior on these 2 spatial tasks.

Animals↗

[Assessment of behavioral problems in children with intellectual disability: the Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form].

Epidemiological data show a high prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in children with intellectual disability. However there is a lack of standardized instruments designed to assess emotions and behaviors typically seen in mentally handicapped children. The results of a survey using the "Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form" are presented. Reliability coefficients, concordance of parent and teacher ratings, convergent and differential validity data are satisfactory to suggest its clinical use to identify problem areas which deserve special attention in the mental health care of children with intellectual disability.

Adolescent↗

These studies were conducted to assess the effects of lead toxicity on exploratory behavior and running. Effects of lead on exploratory behavior and running speed in the shrew, Blarina brevicauda (Insectivora).

These studies were conducted to assess the effects of lead toxicity on exploratory behavior and running speed in the short-tailed shrew, Blarina brevicauda. Shrews from the experimental group received 25 mg/kg/day of lead acetate in their drinking water for a period of 90 days. Control subjects received sodium acetate. Exploratory behavior was determined using a computerized activity chamber where movements of test subjects broke infrared beams projected onto the floor of the apparatus. Time spent (sec) in exploration was recorded over eight 6-min intervals. Running speed (km/hr) was measured in a microprocessor-controlled rectangular racetrack fitted with photocell timers. With respect to time spent in exploration, there were significant differences between lead-exposed (20.5-23.9 sec per 6-min testing session) and control subjects (6.8-8.1 sec) after the sixth testing interval in the activity chamber. With respect to maximal running speed, control subjects ran significantly faster (mean: 14.8 km/hr) than their lead-exposed counterparts (5.83 km/hr). Lead-exposed animals exhibited hyperactivity and increased random locomotor movements. They would frequently bump into the walls and their movements were more random. Controls typically ran along the racetrack in a straight line. These results represent the first data for the effects of lead exposure on exploratory behavior and running speed for shrews.

Animals↗

Comparison of behavioral effects after single and repeated administrations of four benzodiazepines in three mice behavioral models.

The behavioral and clinical profiles of various benzodiazepines after acute and chronic treatment are not well defined and may differ. The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavioral profiles of alprazolam, bromazepam, diazepam and lorazepam in mice after single and repeated (every half-life for seven half-lives) administrations using a stimulation-sedation test (actimeter), a myorelaxation test (rotarod), and an anxiolysis test ("four plates"). A dose range from 0.03 to 4 mg/kg was used. A single administration of alprazolam showed stimulating and anxiolytic effects which diminished after repeated administration. Lorezapam's sedative effect diminished but its anxiolytic effect increased upon repeated administration. Except for lorazepam, the myorelaxing effect of all four drugs increased after repeated treatment. These results suggest that the behavioral profile of benzodiazepines may not be identical during acute and chronic treatment. These differences may be present in clinical treatment and warrant investigation in humans.

Alprazolam↗

The aberrant behavior checklist: a behavior rating scale for the assessment of treatment effects.

The development of a scale to assess drug and other treatment effects on severely mentally retarded individuals was described. In the first stage of the project, an initial scale encompassing a large number of behavior problems was used to rate 418 residents. The scale was then reduced to an intermediate version, and in the second stage, 509 moderately to profoundly retarded individuals were rated. Separate factor analyses of the data from the two samples resulted in a five-factor scale comprising 58 items. The factors of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist have been labeled as follows: (I) Irritability, Agitation, Crying; (II) Lethargy, Social Withdrawal; (III) Stereotypic Behavior; (IV) Hyperactivity, Noncompliance; and (V) Inappropriate Speech. Average subscale scores were presented for the instrument, and the results were compared with empirically derived rating scales of childhood psychopathology and with factor analytic work in the field of mental retardation.

Adult↗

Bayley's infant behavior record: behavioral components and twin analyses.

Factor analysis of 25 rating scales from Bayley's infant behavior record were performed for a sample of about 300-400 infant twins tested at 1 or more of the following ages: 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months. The analysis provided 5 major factors and 2 minor factors that were considerably consistent at all ages. As defined by the scales with the strongest loadings, the major factors were denoted as task orientation, affect-extraversion, activity, auditory-visual awareness, and motor coordination, and the minor factors were denoted as kinds of mouthing behaviors. Further analyses by twin pairs generally provided higher concordance for identical pairs than for same-sex fraternal pairs, and the differences in concordance became more evident with an increase in age. Among the factors, task orientation showed the most persistent differences between identical and fraternal pairs. Profile analyses for all factors extracted at each age indicated that the profiles within identical pairs were more similar than profiles within fraternal pairs. Overall, the findings delineate some of the dimensions of temperament observed during testing and suggest that there are genetic influences on several behavioral characteristics and the organization of those characteristics during infancy.

Child Behavior↗

Effects of mail-mediated, stage-matched exercise behavior change strategies on female adults' leisure-time exercise behavior.

This study compared three forms of mail-mediated exercise behavior change strategies on the weekly leisure time exercise behavior of individuals at different stages of exercise (SOE). Subjects were 113 healthy females, 22 to 50 years old (M = 36.9). After being classified by SOE, subjects were randomly assigned to receive one of three treatments: lifestyle exercise packet (LEP); structured exercise packet (SEP); or control packet. Packets were mailed to subjects at their worksite. After 31-days, 108 (95%) subjects responded to a query about their previous week's leisure-time exercise behavior. A 3 (SOE) x3 (Exercise group) x2 (Time) REANOVA revealed main effects for SOE (p < 0.0001), exercise group (p < 0.05), and time (p < 0.0001). No significant interactions were observed. Post-hoc testing showed that those in the action/maintenance stages differed from those in the preparation and precontemplation/contemplation stages (p < 0.01), and that LEP subjects reported significantly more weekly leisure-time exercise post-intervention compared to controls (p < 0.01). These findings suggest the LEP was the most effective strategy for encouraging weekly leisure-time exercise. Future research should be directed at corroborating these findings and determining the potential long-term value of this strategy in comparison to more traditional strategies.

Adult↗

[Behavioral dimensions in elderly patients: factor structure of the Behavioral Observation Scale for Intramural Psychogeriatrics].

This study reports on the factor-structure of the Dutch Behavior Rating scale for Psychogeriatric Inpatients (GIP). Data were obtained from a heterogeneous population (n = 2845). The twelve-factor solution closely resembles the original GIP subscales. Mood stood out as a separate factor in all analyses. Cognition and behavioral disturbances were highly interrelated. A second order analysis revealed three basic dimensions or "syndromes': cognition-hyporeactivity, cognition-disinhibition and mood. An optimal grouping of the original subscales is: social behavior (sub-scales 1-4), cognition (5-10) and mood (11-14). Based on our previous work with the GIP, discriminant analysis predicted diagnostic group membership of psychogeriatric nursing home patients very well.

Affect↗

A longitudinal study of behavioral pathology across five levels of dementia severity in Alzheimer's disease: the CERAD Behavior Rating Scale for Dementia. The Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study.

As part of the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) Instrument Development Project, the CERAD Behavior Rating Scale for Dementia (BRSD) was examined for its sensitivity to degree of cognitive impairment, its test-retest reliability, and its sensitivity to longitudinal change. Sixty-four normal elderly participants and 261 patients with AD stratified into severity groups based on Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) scores were rated on the BRSD at baseline and 12-month follow-up visits. A subset of subjects was evaluated at a 1-month follow-up visit. Baseline BRSD Total Score discriminated the normal group from each AD group, and mean Total Score significantly increased with increasing dementia severity. Test-retest reliability between baseline and 1-month Total Scores was satisfactory for all AD groups. Longitudinal change was evaluated by 12-month change scores, which were significant in only the normal and in one AD group. From the results, we argue that the value of behavioral pathology assessment in clinical trials would be enhanced if additive scores were based on groups of correlated items rather than on a broad array of behaviors, some of which may increase and others may decrease in frequency as AD progresses.

Aged↗

[Behavior medicine indications and evaluation of cognitive-behavioral therapy with attention-deficit/hyperkinetic children].

The president study evaluates the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders. Twenty-seven children (mean age: 9 years, 9 months) took part in the study. They had been diagnosed as having attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder according to the DSM-III-R criteria. Of these 27 children, 14 were treated individually (15 sessions each) and 13 were assigned to an untreated control group. The children were evaluated before and after the intervention. Dependent measures included parent and teacher ratings, measures of cognitive performance and event-related potentials during attentional tasks. The intervention resulted in improved ratings of the children's behavior at home and at school by parents and teachers, respectively, and improved attentional performance. Furthermore, the intervention enabled the children to use their central nervous system activation (event-related potentials) more adequately. These effects are interpreted with reference to a multifactorial model of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The results also provide evidence for the influence of cognitive-functional behavior preconditions on central nervous system activation.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

Mutual influence of the maternal hen's food calling and feeding behavior on the behavior of her chicks.

It is widely accepted that brooding hens attract their chicks to food by food calling, but until now, the concurrent behavior of hens and chicks has never been investigated in depth. This study provides a detailed analysis of both the behavior of brooded chicks and the distance to their mother in relation to her feeding sequences, and whether they contained food calling. Our results revealed that brooding hens utter food calls while pecking, especially when their chicks are not feeding and/or have been at some distance for several seconds. Chicks' response to their mother's feeding activities was more pronounced in the presence than in the absence of food call. Chicks responded to this call by approaching their mother and increasing their pecking; their response became more efficient as they grew older. We thus consider food calls as an arousal vocalization that directs the chicks' attention to a food item chosen by a hen.

Age Factors↗

The behavioral phenotype and mating behavior of two inbred strains of Drosophila melanogaster.

Time to copulation was measured in matings within and between two inbred Drosophila melanogaster strains, Edinburgh (E) and 6C/L, using groups of one or five flies of each sex. The E males, which mated faster, usually mate with E females, which are less likely to be fertilized and have fewer progeny whose adult viability is lower. Although generally E males mated far faster with E females than did 6C/L males, there was no difference between the males when with 6C/L females. This need not imply any mating discrimination by E females, but only differences between the strains in the use of preening as a general repulsion movement toward other flies. It is suggested that a greater variety of behavioral and other characteristics (the "behavioral phenotype") should be considered in studies of mating speed and assortative mating, especially where mating speed is being considered as a major component of fitness.

Animals↗

Maternal behavior, paternal behavior, and pup survival in CD-1 albino mice (Mus musculus) in three different housing conditions.

Parental behavior, food consumption, and pup development in litters of CD-1 albino mice (Mus musculus) with single mothers or paired mothers in 3 different housing conditions were compared. Fewer pups survived when parents were required to run in a wheel to obtain food, and these pups had lower weights than pups in the wheel-noncontingent and no-wheel groups. The presence of the male facilitated pup survival in the wheel-contingent group but had no effect on pup growth. Mice in the wheel-contingent group ran more revolutions than those in the wheel-noncontingent group and spent less time in parental care. In the wheel-contingent group, males spent more time running and ate less food than females, suggesting that males may indirectly facilitate pup development by providing food for the mother. The results suggest that the presence of the male increases pup care and may facilitate maternal behavior under appropriate environmental conditions.

Animals↗

A vision for doctoral research training in health behavior: a position paper from the American Academy of Health Behavior.

OBJECTIVE: To establish and disseminate the position of the American Academy of Health Behavior (The Academy) on doctoral research training. METHODS: A collaborative process involving the Work Group on Doctoral Research Training with input from The Academy membership led to the development of the guidelines described herein. RESULTS: A set of guidelines is provided that describe the process of learning to be a scholar/researcher and the outcomes of learning the practice of health behavior research. CONCLUSIONS: The doctoral students who are to become the stewards of our field should be prepared to engage in scholarship that creates new knowledge, uses research to transform practice, and effectively communicates research findings.

Behavioral Research↗