SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “behaviour”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 991 records · Page 55Linked to original sources

PubMed1997

Why do poor people behave poorly? Variation in adult health behaviours and psychosocial characteristics by stages of the socioeconomic lifecourse.

Attempts to explain socioeconomic inequalities in health have often made reference to the observation that poor health behaviours and psychosocial characteristics cluster in low socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Causal interpretation of the association between SES, health behaviour, psychosocial orientations, and health inequalities has been hampered because these factors and SES have usually been measured at the same point in time. Data from the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study were used to examine the associations between measures of SES reflecting different stages of the lifecourse, health behaviours, and psychosocial characteristics in adulthood in a population-based study of 2674 middle-aged Finnish men. Results show that many adult behaviours and psychosocial dispositions detrimental to health are consistently related to poor childhood conditions, low levels of education, and blue-collar employment. Poor adult health behaviours and psychosocial characteristics were more prevalent among men whose parents were poor. Increases in income inequality which place children into low SES conditions may well produce a negative behavioural and psychosocial health dividend to be reaped in the future. Understanding that adult health behaviour and psychosocial orientations are associated with socioeconomic conditions throughout the lifecourse implies that efforts to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in health must recognize that economic policy is public health policy.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Circadian rhythm of stereotyped complex behaviours in rats in environmental lead exposure.

1. Stereotyped complex behaviours are present in a number of psychotic illnesses, neurological diseases and even can be generated in response to chemical environment (e.g., drugs or toxins). 2. The circadian rhythm of complex behaviours such as, rearing, preening, scratching and biting/licking was evaluated in an open-field situation in rats exposed to lead (2% lead acetate in drinking water for 30 days). 3. The circadian rhythm of rearing patterns showed depressions from 2 to 14 hr on day 3 and 13, and from 2-6 hr on day 23 (it elevated at 10 hr), whereas increased pattern was apparent at all test periods (except at 6 hr) on day 30. 4. Increased responses of circadian rhythm of preening behaviour were obtained at 18 hr (with decrease at 22 hr) on day 3, at 6 and 14-22 hr on day 13 and, at all the test periods on day 23 (except at 6 hr) and on day 30. 5. The rhythmic patterns of the scratching behaviour showed elevations at each test period as observed on day 3, 13, 23 and 30. The responses in lead-intoxicated rates, however, showed depressions in the light-period and augmentations in the dark-period. 6. The biting/licking behaviours indicated increased patterns of the circadian rhythm attaining a parabolic response, which were inconsistent to the scratching behaviour patterns. Amongst lead-intoxicated rats this behaviour exhibited depressed responses in light-period, whereas in dark-period it showed elevations.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

Alterations induced by gestational stress in brain morphology and behaviour of the offspring.

Retrospective studies in humans suggest that chronic maternal stress during pregnancy, associated with raised plasma levels of CRH, ACTH and cortisol may increase the likelihood of preterm birth, developmental delays and behavioural abnormalities in the children. In adulthood, it may contribute to the significant association between the incidence of schizophrenia, increased left or mixed handedness, reduction in cerebral asymmetry and anomalies in brain morphology. Our studies and others have shown that prenatal stress in rats can mimic these developmental and behavioural alterations. These rats show a reduced propensity for social interaction, increased anxiety in intimidating or novel situations and a reduction in cerebral asymmetry and dopamine turnover, consistent with those in schizophrenic humans. Prenatally-stressed (PS) rats also show behaviour consistent with depression, including a phase-shift in their circadian rhythm for corticosterone, sleep abnormalities, a hedonic deficit and greater acquisition of learned helplessness under appropriate conditions. These behavioural abnormalities are associated with impaired regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to stress and increased CRH activity. PS males may show demasculinisation and feminisation of their sexual behaviour. The developmental and behavioural abnormalities in PS offspring could occur through sensitisation of the foetal brain by maternal stress hormones to the action of glucocorticoid and CRH and to neurotransmitters affected by them. This may have long-lasting consequences and could explain the precipitation of depressive symptoms or schizophrenia by psychosocial stress in later life. The character of the behavioural abnormalities probably depends on the timing of the maternal stress in relation to development of the particular neuronal systems.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

The fimbria-fornix/cingular bundle pathways: a review of neurochemical and behavioural approaches using lesions and transplantation techniques.

Extensive lesions of the fimbria-fornix pathways and the cingular bundle deprive the hippocampus of a substantial part of its cholinergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic afferents and, among several other behavioural alterations, induce lasting impairment of spatial learning and memory capabilities. After a brief presentation of the neuroanatomical organization of the hippocampus and the connections relevant to the topic of this article, studies which have contributed to characterize the neurochemical and behavioural aspects of the fimbria-fornix lesion "syndrome" with lesion techniques differing by the extent, the location or the specificity of the damage produced, are reviewed. Furthermore, several compensatory changes that may occur as a reaction to hippocampal denervation (sprouting changes in receptor sensitivity and modifications of neurotransmitter turnover in spared fibres) are described and discussed in relation with their capacity (or incapacity) to foster recovery from the lesion-induced deficits. According to this background, experiments using intrahippocampal or "parahippocampal" grafts to substitute for missing cholinergic, noradrenergic or serotonergic afferents are considered according to whether the reported findings concern neurochemical and/or behavioural effects. Taken together, these experiments suggest that appropriately chosen fetal neurons (or other cells such as for instance, genetically-modified fibroblasts) implanted into or close to the denervated hippocampus may substitute, at least partially, for missing hippocampal afferents with a neurochemical specificity that closely depends on the neurochemical identity of the grafted neurons. Thereby, such grafts are able not only to restore some functions as they can be detected locally, namely within the hippocampus, but also to attenuate some of the behavioural (and other types of) disturbances resulting from the lesions. In some respects, also these graft-induced behavioural effects might be considered as occurring with a neurochemically-defined specificity. Nevertheless, if a graft-induced recovery of neurochemical markers in the hippocampus seems to be a prerequisite for also behavioural recovery to be observed, this neurochemical recovery is neither the one and only condition for behavioural effects to be expressed, nor is it the one and only mechanism to account for the latter effects.

Afferent Pathways↗

PubMed1999

School performance and behaviour in extremely preterm growth-retarded infants.

OBJECTIVE: To describe school performance and behaviour of extremely preterm, growth-retarded infants. DESIGN: Cohort study at two tertiary care centres. Included were all surviving, singleton infants (N= 127) with fetal growth retardation due to placental insufficiency. All were delivered by caesarean section because of signs of fetal distress before the beginning of labour at a gestational age of 26 to 32 weeks during the years 1984-1989. Main outcome measures were special education, mainstream education below the appropriate age level and behaviour according to attention-deficit hyperactivity criteria at school age (4 1/2-10 1/2 yrs). The children were divided into two subgroups according to age at follow-up (> or =7 1/2 and <7 1/2 yr). A logistic regression analysis was performed with special school or repeating a grade and behavioural disturbance as dependent variables and gestational age, birth weight, sex of the infant, neonatal complications (intra cerebral haemorrhage, respiratory distress syndrome, bronchopulmonary dysplasia or sepsis), age category at follow-up and sociodemographic factors as independent variables. RESULTS: 114 (90%) had a complete follow-up. Special education was found in 14% of the assessed children. More children in the older age group than in the younger age group were placed in special school (20% versus 10%). Behavioural problems were scored in 39% of the assessed children attending mainstream education. Special education was related to neonatal complications (bronchopulmonary dysplasia), behavioural problems to the absence of either parent. CONCLUSION: This specific group of growth-retarded children is at serious disadvantage for adequate performance in school, although the incidence of special education and behavioural problems was comparable to other preterm infants. Both special education and behavioural problems were not related to obstetric variables as gestational age and/or birth weight.

Child↗

PubMed2001

Behavioural effects of laparotomy and analgesic effects of ketoprofen and carprofen in rats.

Rat behaviour was studied to develop a reliable method of determining the severity and duration of post-laparotomy pain, and to assess analgesic effects of ketoprofen or carprofen. Behaviour was studied in groups of ten animals 1 h following subcutaneous (s/c) saline (0.2 ml/100 g), ketoprofen or carprofen (5, 10 or 15 mg/kg) given either alone, or prior to surgery. The frequency of over 150 individual behavioural acts was calculated during the first post-treatment hour, the hour immediately prior to darkness, and the first 15 min of each of 5 subsequent hours. Discriminant analysis and analysis of variance isolated several easily recognizable behaviours which were markedly altered in frequency by surgery. These were unaffected by drug administration alone and were mainly transient, easily quantifiable activities; 'cat-like' back arching, horizontal stretching followed by abdominal writhing and twitching while inactive. Reductions in the frequency of these behaviours following surgery with analgesic treatment supported the hypothesis that they reflected post-operative pain. Ketoprofen and carprofen were equipotent and no dose related effects were apparent. Analgesic activity lasted between 4 and 5 h with the 5 mg/kg dosage, this being estimated from the duration of overall and specific behaviour differences between saline and drug treated animals. The data provided substantial evidence as to the usefulness of behavioural criteria for estimating pain severity, and for the first time, the basis of a system for routine pain assessment and management in rats subjected to abdominal surgery.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

The behavioural importance of dynamically activated descending inhibition from the nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis pars alpha.

We have recently demonstrated (J Physiol 506 (1998) 459) that the dynamic activation of descending inhibition of the nociceptive response of spinal multireceptive cells occurs in the nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis pars alpha (GiA). In the same paper we have shown that Lamina I dorsal horn cells are responsible for activating this inhibition via a pathway which runs in the contralateral dorsolateral funiculus. The effects of dynamically activating this system by noxious stimulation on behavioural responses to noxious stimuli have not been established. Here we demonstrate the effects of GiA on the behavioural response during application of standardized noxious stimuli. As this system is activated in response to noxious stimulation (J Physiol 506 (1998) 459), it is possible that chronic pain states may also activate GiA. We have therefore investigated this possibility in animals following partial sciatic nerve ligation (an animal model of chronic pain; Pain 43 (1990) 205). Male Wistar rats (280-310 g) were anaesthetized with halothane (0.5-2% in O(2)). Guide cannulae for microinjections were stereotaxically placed above GiA. In one group of animals the sciatic nerve was partially ligated. Animals were allowed to recover for 4-6 days. The responses of each animal during the formalin test (Pain 4 (1977) 161) and the tail flick test (Pain 12 (1982) 229) were recorded on different days. Microinjections (0.5 microl) of either gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA, 200 mM), D-L homocysteic acid (DLH, 25 mM) or 0.9% saline (as control) into GiA were performed during these tests in a randomized, blind manner. In animals without sciatic nerve ligation, microinjection of GABA to GiA did not significantly affect the animal's response during the tail flick test. However microinjection of DLH significantly increased the latency of tail flick from 6.2 +/- 0.8 to 8.4 +/- 0.5 s for up to 15 min (n = 7, P < 0.01, Mann-Whitney U-test). Microinjection of GABA to GiA increased the behavioural response to formalin between 10 and 20 min post-injection, while microinjection of DLH reduced this response at all time points except 10 min post-injection (n = 8, P < 0.05, Mann-Whitney U-test). In animals with sciatic nerve ligation, microinjections (0.5 microl) of either GABA (200 mM), or saline (as control) into GiA contralateral to the partial sciatic ligation were performed during these tests in a randomized, blind manner. Partial sciatic ligation significantly reduced the behavioural response to contralaterally applied formalin from 15 min post-injection onwards, compared to controls without sciatic nerve ligation. Microinjection of GABA to GiA significantly increased the behavioural response to formalin from 20 to 50 min post-injection. The inactivation of GiA only causes behavioural effects in nociceptive tests of a long enough duration to activate the system (i.e. the formalin test but not the tail flick test). Chemical activation of the system affects both tests. These data strongly support the concept of an important analgesic system which is activated in response to noxious stimulation, and subsequently acts to reduce behavioural responses to noxious stimuli.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Neomycin and gadolinium applied to an L5 spinal nerve lesion prevent mechanical allodynia-like behaviour in rats.

In male Wistar rats, the left ventral ramus of the L5 spinal nerve (RvL5) was cut, and animals were tested for allodynia-like behaviour in response to mechanical stimuli which were applied with von Frey hairs (4.3-205 mN) to the plantar skin of the hindpaw supplied by the intact L4 spinal nerve. After surgery, allodynia-like behaviour was evoked prominently on the operated (left) side and weakly on the contralateral (right) side. Eleven sham-operated rats displayed low levels of allodynia-like behaviour on the operated side comparable to that seen contralateral to the lesion in nerve-transected animals. In 14 rats, allodynic behaviour to mechanical stimuli on either side was dose dependently and permanently reduced, after 4-32 mg of the antibiotic Nebacetin had been applied locally at the transection site immediately after cutting the nerve. The same effect was observed when one of the active compounds of Nebacetin, neomycin, but not the other, bacitracin, was applied by continuous local infusion. Allodynia-like behaviour to stimuli between 4.3 mN and 124 mN was also prevented when 1-8 mg gadolinium acetate was applied at the transection site, whereas allodynic behaviour to stimuli of 205 mN was not affected at least for the first 7 days after the lesion. Both gadolinium and Nebacetin failed to prevent allodynic behaviour when applied later than 7 h after the nerve lesion. Neither substance interfered with the development of tactile allodynia when applied to the nerve rostral to the lesion site. The results suggest that Nebacetin and gadolinium interfere with the mechanisms at the RvL5 transection site crucial for the initiation of sensitisation of dorsal horn neurones and the development of mechanical allodynia.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed2000

Maternal behaviour in lactating rats stimulates c-fos in glutamate decarboxylase-synthesizing neurons of the medial preoptic area, ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and ventrocaudal periaqueductal gray.

Increased activity of the immediate-early gene c-fos can be observed in many areas of the lactating rat brain after dams physically interact with pups and display maternal behaviour. These sites include the medial preoptic area, ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the ventrolateral caudal periaqueductal gray, each of which is critical for the normal performance of particular maternal behaviours. The phenotype of cells in these areas that show increased c-fos activity after maternal behaviour, however, is unknown. Via double-label immunocytochemistry, we determined if the population of cells in these sites that express c-fos after maternal behaviour in lactating rats overlaps with the population that expresses the 67,000 mol. wt isoform of glutamate decarboxlyase, the synthesizing enzyme for the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. Lactating rats were separated from pups beginning on day 5 postpartum, and 48h later half were allowed to interact with a litter of pups for 60min whereas the other half were not. Dams re-exposed to pups were highly maternal, retrieving and licking them as well as displaying prolonged nursing behaviour that included milk letdown. Both groups of dams had a similar number of 67,000 mol. wt glutamate decarboxylase-immunoreactive cells in each site, although the number of 67,000 mol. wt glutamate decarboxylase-immunoreactive cells per microscopic field was significantly greater in the caudal ventrolateral periaqueductal gray than in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, which in turn was greater than the medial preoptic area. In pup-stimulated dams, two to fourfold more Fos-immunoreactive cells were found in these three sites compared with non-stimulated controls. Labeling for Fos immunoreactivity and 67,000 mol. wt glutamate decarboxylase immunoreactivity was heterogeneous within each site. In the medial preoptic area, more Fos-immunoreactive and 67,000 mol. wt glutamate decarboxylase-immunoreactive cells (either single or dual-labeled) were found dorsally than ventrally. In the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, more Fos-immunoreactive and 67,000 mol. wt glutamate decarboxylase-immunoreactive cells were found medially than laterally. Within the caudal ventrolateral periaqueductal gray, 67,000 mol. wt glutamate decarboxylase-immunoreactive labeling was greatest ventromedially, while high numbers of Fos-immunoreactive nuclei were found both ventromedially and ventrolaterally. In pup-stimulated dams, more than half (53% in the medial preoptic area, 59% in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and 61% in the caudal ventrolateral periaqueductal gray) of the total population of Fos-immunoreactive cells also expressed 67,000 mol. wt glutamate decarboxylase. These results suggest that many of the neurons in these sites that show elevated c-fos activity after maternal behaviour are either local inhibitory interneurons or provide inhibitory input to other neural sites. These inhibitory mechanisms may be critical for the display of postpartum nurturance, possibly facilitating maternal behaviour by removing tonic inhibition on sites necessary for maternal responding or by restricting activity in neural sites that inhibit it.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Integration of chemosensory and hormonal cues is essential for sexual behaviour in the male Syrian hamster: role of the medial amygdaloid nucleus.

Mating behaviour in the male hamster requires chemosensory and hormonal cues, and copulation is abolished if either signal is interrupted. In addition, the integration of chemosensory stimuli with steroid signals is essential for mating. In castrated male hamsters, implantation ofa testosterone-filled cannula in the preoptic area stimulates mating behaviour. However, removal of the ipsilateral olfactory bulb prevents steroid facilitation of sexual activity. The present studies determined if the integration of chemosensory and hormonal cues necessary for mating behaviour is distributed within steroid-sensitive nuclei in the brain, or is restricted to the preoptic area. Specifically, the hypothesis was tested that the medial amygdala is capable of odour and hormone integration. Castrated male hamsters received an intracerebral implant of testosterone in the medial amygdala combined with removal of a single olfactory bulb, ipsilateral or contralateral to the implant. Mating behaviour did not increase after implant surgery and bulbectomy in either ipsilateral or contralateral bulbectomized males. In a second study, males were bulbectomized three weeks after implant surgery, to demonstrate the ability of testosterone in the medial amygdala to stimulate male sexual behaviour, and the loss of behaviour following bulbectomy. The results confirm that integration of odour and steroid cues is essential for mating in the male hamster. Moreover, the medial amygdaloid nucleus contributes to chemosensory and hormonal integration. However, compared with steroid stimulation in the preoptic area, the behavioural effects of testosterone in the medial amygdaloid nucleus are more sensitive to manipulations of the olfactory system, suggesting that the amygdala requires bilateral chemosensory input.

Amygdala↗

PubMed2000

Dual effects of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine on aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, dopamine release and motor stimulation in the reserpine-treated rat: evidence that behaviour is dopamine independent.

The comparative effects of L-3,4-dihydroxphenylalanine (L-DOPA) on dopamine synthesis, release and behaviour were studied in the reserpine-treated rat. Acute administration of L-DOPA (25-200 mg/kg) dose-dependently inhibited the activity of aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) in the substantia nigra and corpus striatum. The antiparkinsonian drugs budipine (10 mg/kg) and amantadine (40 mg/kg) enhanced AADC activity in these regions, and prevented or reversed AADC inhibition by L-DOPA. Dual probe dialysis revealed that low doses of L-DOPA (25-50 mg/kg) dose-dependently stimulated the release of dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in nigra and striatum, whilst high doses of L-DOPA (100-200 mg/kg) completely suppressed the release of dopamine, but not DOPAC. Sulpiride (50 microM) administered via the probes antagonized dopamine release in response to 25 mg/kg L-DOPA, but greatly facilitated release by 200 mg/kg L-DOPA. Dopamine release was blocked by the centrally acting AADC inhibitor NSD 1015, but facilitated by the central AADC activator budipine. In behavioural tests L-DOPA (plus benserazide, 50 mg/kg) only reversed akinesia at 200 mg/kg, and not at 25-100 mg/kg. Pretreatment with either NSD 1015 (100 mg/kg) or budipine (10 mg/kg) markedly potentiated the motor stimulant action of a threshold dose of L-DOPA (100 mg/kg). A combination of NSD 1015 (100 mg/kg) and benserazide (50 mg/kg) potentiated L-DOPA behaviour more effectively than either inhibitor alone. NSD 1015-facilitated L-DOPA behaviour was antagonized by sulpiride (100 mg/kg) and not by SCH 23390 (1 mg/kg), whereas budipine-facilitated L-DOPA behaviour was fully antagonized by SCH 23390 and only partially by sulpiride. These results show that behaviourally active doses of L-DOPA in the reserpinized rat are not accompanied by significant increases in extracellular dopamine and are therefore probably not dopamine mediated. We propose that L-DOPA is capable of directly stimulating dopamine D2 and possibly non-dopamine receptors, thereby inhibiting dopamine efflux presynaptically and promoting motor activation postsynaptically. A stimulant action of L-DOPA on motor behaviour, preferentially mediated by D1 > D2 receptors, suggests that L-DOPA may also be capable of yielding a dopamine-like response in the absence of detectable dopamine release. These findings are incorporated into a new model of L-DOPA's actions in the reserpinized rat, and their possible implications for our understanding of L-DOPA in Parkinson's disease are discussed.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

PubMed1997

Central c-fos expression following 20kHz/ultrasound induced defence behaviour in the rat.

Exposure of rats to aversive stimuli produces specific defence behaviour including the emission of 20-27kHz ultrasonic calls. Recent studies in this laboratory have shown that rats exposed to a 20kHz ultrasound tone display flight behaviour similar to that seen naturally, or following stimulation of brain regions associated with anxiety and defence. The present study examines the effect of ultrasound exposure on the central expression of the immediate early gene c-fos in the rat, in order to examine the brain structures activated by such behaviour. Ultrasound presentation produced rapid locomotor activity characteristic of defence behaviour, including brisk running and jumping behaviour. Animals showed dense c-fos like immunoreactivity in the dorsal periaqueductal grey matter, basolateral, medial, central amygdala, paraventricular thalamic nuclei and the dorsomedial nuclei of the hypothalamus, which was significantly greater than in either home-cage or arena control rats. These results suggest that exposure to artificially generated ultrasound can induce defence behaviour which is associated with activity in brain regions important in mediating aversion. This technique offers the potential of generating unconditioned aversive behaviour in rats in a non invasive way.

Acoustic Stimulation↗

PubMed2000

Influence of gender and behavioural lateralisation on two exploratory models of anxiety in C3H mice.

Behavioural lateralisation, which has been postulated to be an individual personality trait, is related to the activity of various physiological systems including the immune system. As lateralisation has been related to anxiety, which is known to influence immune reactivity, it can be hypothesized that the relation between lateralisation and immune reactivity involves individual behavioural patterns as they appear in exploratory-based anxiety models. In order to answer this question, a behavioural investigation focussing on exploratory activity was undertaken in male and female C3H mice previously selected for their paw preference. The observations were performed using two generic paradigms: elevated plus-maze and open field. Exploratory behaviour in the open field, but not in the plus-maze, was influenced by the interactive effect of gender and behavioural lateralisation. A significant difference between male and female mice was found in left-pawed but not in right-pawed nor ambidextrous animals, left-pawed female mice displaying the less exploratory behaviours. These results provide a first evidence of inter-individual variations in exploratory behaviours involving interaction between gender and lateralisation.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

The information-seeking behaviours of partners of men with prostate cancer: a qualitative pilot study.

This pilot study explores in depth the information-seeking behaviours of partners of men with prostate cancer. Six men with prostate cancer and their partners participated in one mini focus group discussion or four couple interviews. Theme analysis by two independent analysts produced three related themes: partners' information-seeking behaviours; partners' information-avoiding behaviours; and the conflict between seeking and avoiding information. The information-seeking behaviours of partners were individualistic, with some partners seeking voluminous information and others avoiding information. Partners sought information to help reduce their feelings of anxiety and uncertainty, to help them participate in the decision-making process, to help them care for their partner and to ensure that they had their information needs met. Partners avoided information to reduce their levels of fear and worry and to maintain a sense of normality. They failed to seek information from healthcare professionals because they felt disempowered and pressurised for time during patient-physician consultations. The information-seeking behaviours of partners changed over time and across situations and their behaviours were sometimes different from those of their partners (the patients), with some partners exhibiting more information-seeking behaviour than patients. The findings within each of these themes and their practice implications are discussed in this paper.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Four behavioural syndromes of schizophrenia: a replication in a second inner-London epidemiological sample.

In a previous large epidemiological survey of patients with strictly defined schizophrenia in the London borough of Camden, we extracted four behavioural syndromes (Social withdrawal, Thought disturbance, Anti-social behaviour and Depressed behaviour) by factor analysis of MRC Social Behaviour Schedule (SBS) data. These syndromes had significant differential relationships to symptoms assessed using the Manchester Scale (MS), symptom-derived syndromes, and social functioning variables. A second inner-London epidemiological survey of schizophrenia in South Westminster using identical methodology found the same four behavioural syndromes with identical core component items. The same four behavioural syndromes were extracted, whether applying strict Feighner diagnostic criteria (n=112) or broader DSM-III-R criteria (n=198). The four syndromes extracted from the Feighner positive sample showed relationships to symptoms and social functioning variables similar to those found in the original Camden study. However, the symptom-derived factors were not the same and did not conform to the three recognised symptom-based syndromes of schizophrenia. This successful replication suggests that assessment of the four behavioural syndromes of schizophrenia offers a different perspective on disability and a potentially relevant measure in clinical practice, clinical trials and studies of the neuropsychology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Evaluation of a short duration behaviour-based post-operative pain scoring system in rats.

We have recently demonstrated dose-related analgesic-induced reductions in the occurrence of 7 behavioural activities following midline laparotomy in rats. For these behaviours to be useful in evaluating pain in laboratory rats they must be shown to occur after different types of surgery, and frequently enough to allow rapid scoring of animals. Here, the relevant behaviours were used to test the analgesic efficacy of meloxicam with a variation of our previous laparotomy model. As part of an unrelated project, 57 male Fischer rats were divided into groups to receive either saline (0.2 ml/100g s.c.), meloxicam (0.5, 1 or 2 mg/kg s.c.) or carprofen (2.5, 5, or 10 mg/kg s.c.) 1h before surgery. Behaviour data were collected for 10 min following 25 min of recovery from isoflurane anaesthesia. The cumulative frequencies of back arching, fall/stagger, writhe and poor gait were used to compute a composite behaviour score. Irrespective of whether analyses included only 5 or all 10 min of the observation period, the relevant behaviours occurred significantly more often in rats given saline or low dose meloxicam than in those given 1 or 2 mg/kg of meloxicam, or any dose of carprofen. We conclude that this technique of quantifying post-surgery behaviour is an effective pain scoring method following abdominal surgery in rats, and that 1 mg/kg meloxicam significantly attenuates laparotomy induced pain. Since only a short observation period is required, this approach represents an important practical advance in assessing abdominal pain severity and clinical drug potency.

Abdominal Pain↗

PubMed2000

Health and hygiene knowledge, attitudes and behaviour.

The aim of this study was to develop and test measures of health and hygiene knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. A questionnaire was administered to 240 women: 80 from a squatter camp, 80 from an informal settlement and 80 from a formal township. Reliability of the knowledge scale was 0.73. Coefficient alpha was 0.87 for the attitude and behaviour scales. The knowledge, attitude and behaviour scales were significantly related (P<0.001). Factor analysis confirmed that domestic and personal hygiene were core components of the attitude scale, whereas the emphasis for behaviour was on personal hygiene. Stepwise regression showed that age explained 23% of the variance in knowledge and 18% in behaviour. Waste management significantly affected knowledge, attitudes and behaviour, suggesting that dustbin ownership was an important public health measure. It was concluded that these scales were useful measures of health and hygiene knowledge, attitudes and behaviour; provided baseline information for planning health promotion programmes; and could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of such programmes.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Visual behaviour of ADHD children during an attention test: an almost forgotten variable. Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

The goal of this study was to examine whether looking away behaviour of ADHD children interferes with their test performance. ADHD and normal children carried out two continuous performance tests (CPTs): one with a regular interstimulus interval (ISI), and the other with an irregular ISI. Children were instructed to push a response button when a target stimulus was presented on the monitor. The children's visual behaviour was recorded and scored offline. A micro-analysis of the visual behaviour indicated that ADHD children timed their looking away behaviour in the regular CPT: i.e. they looked away from the monitor and back in the interval between two succeeding stimuli. As a result they did not miss stimuli. Timing of looking away was less possible in the CPT with the irregular ISI. In this condition, looking away interfered with the ADHD children's task accuracy. In sum, looking away behaviour had a negative effect on the accuracy of test performance of ADHD children when stimuli were unpredictable. Looking away behaviour was not associated with the slower reaction times of the ADHD children. Hence, the often reported slowness of ADHD children is not to be explained by their visual behaviour.

Attention↗