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PubMed2002

Effect of practice on hand preference on a color visual discrimination task by capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella).

Effects of practice on hand preference in nonhuman primates have indicated an initial right-hemispheric advantage in new tasks that can be reversed or disappear after a long period of training. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 6-mo. practice on hand preference in capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) performing a color visual discrimination task which requires attention and learning or memory processes. For this purpose, an early period of practice (first 200 trials) was compared with a late period of practice (the last 200 trials after 6 mo. practice). No population-level biases were observed between the use of hands either early in training or after 6 mo. of practice. Individual analysis indicated that two of the five subjects tested strengthened their initial hand preference but three subjects changed their preference with the practice. No correlation was observed between hand use and performance. These results suggest that hand preference in capuchin monkeys can be influenced by practice and is not only a direct function of hemispheric specialization.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Behavioral steering in dual and social states of conation by the amygdala, hypothalamus, ventral striatum, and thalamus.

Conative information relating to goal states is proposed as regulating columnar information structures in the neocortex. These structures may handle a spatiotemporal hierarchy of sensorimotor information and conative information. In basic behavioral states, a subcortical system selects a dominant modality of conation (corresponding to a specific goal state) from cortical and subcortical sources, and enhances or suppresses activity in neocortical information structures, yielding the selected modality. These adjustments steer behavior relative to the goal state, allowing assembly of new behavior patterns. For opposing or cooperative modalities of conation, a dual-state system is proposed that modulates the basic-state system. For more extended combinations of conative modalities, a further function is needed that interrelates the basic-state system and the cortex to provide hierarchical conation. Basic-state system control may be exercised by the hypothalamus, influencing the cortex via the thalamus. Other conative control functions may be implemented by the amygdala and the ventral striatum. Opiatergic circuits may be involved in modifying conative components of information.

Amygdala↗
PubMed1992

No-bridge of Drosophila melanogaster: portrait of a structural brain mutant of the central complex.

The mutant no-bridge (nobKS49) has its name from a structural defect in the protocerebral bridge of the central complex. This rod-shaped neuropil in nobKS49 has a large gap at the sagittal midplane, with some of the missing material accumulated more laterally. Mutant nob flies have a reduced maximal and average walking speed. Leg coordination is disturbed during turning but not while walking straight. Motivation for walking is low and steps are small due to slow forward swinging of the legs. Flies spontaneously may pass into an autistic (and possibly spastic) state in which they can move their legs and even perform cleaning movements but do not walk or fly. They spontaneously recover if left undisturbed. Gynandromorph experiments place the focus of the walking defects into the head. Mutant flies have a reduced tendency to escape when mechanically stimulated. In a brightly lit arena they do not avoid a black square above the horizon and they are negatively phototactic. In tethered flight optomotor responses are normal but the amplitude of spontaneous torque modulations as well as the number of torque spikes are reduced. If a single black bar is slowly rotated around the fly, the normal response pattern is observed. It vanishes, however, at moderately fast angular velocity at which the wild type still is fully responsible. The behavioral defects support the notion that the protocerebral bridge is part of a higher center for the regulation of behavior.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Competition among spatial cues in a naturalistic food-carrying task.

Rats collected nuts from a container in a large arena in four experiments testing how learning about a beacon or cue at a goal interacts with learning about other spatial cues (place learning). Place learning was quick, with little evidence of competition from the beacon (Experiments 1 and 2). Rats trained to approach a beacon regardless of its location were subsequently impaired when the well-learned beacon was removed and other spatial cues identified the location of the goal (Experiment 3). The competition between beacon and place cues reflected learned irrelevance for place cues (Experiment 4). The findings differ from those of some studies of associative interactions between cue and place learning in other paradigms.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2000

The effect of lesions of the insular cortex on instrumental conditioning: evidence for a role in incentive memory.

In three experiments, we assessed the effect of lesions aimed at the gustatory region of the insular cortex on instrumental conditioning in rats. In experiment 1, the lesion had no effect on the acquisition of either lever pressing or chain pulling in food-deprived rats whether these actions earned food pellets or a maltodextrin solution. The lesion did, however, attenuate the impact of outcome devaluation, induced by sensory-specific satiety, on instrumental performance but only when assessed in an extinction test. This effect was not secondary to an impairment in instrumental learning; in experiment 2, no evidence was found to suggest that the lesioned rats differed from shams in their ability to encode the specific action-outcome contingencies to which they were exposed during training. In experiment 3, however, lesioned rats were found to be insensitive to the impact of an incentive learning treatment conducted when they were undeprived; although, again, this deficit was confined to a test conducted in extinction. These results are consistent with the view that, in instrumental conditioning, the gustatory region of the insular cortex is involved in encoding the taste of food outcomes in memory and, hence, in encoding the incentive value assigned to these outcomes on the basis of prevailing motivational conditions.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2002

Low ethanol sensitivity and increased ethanol consumption in mice lacking adenosine A2A receptors.

We have shown previously that the severity of handling-induced convulsions during ethanol withdrawal was reduced in A2A receptor knock-out (A2AR-/-) mice. In the present report, we further characterize the role of adenosine A(2A) receptors in ethanol consumption and neurobiological responses to this drug of abuse. Male A2AR-/- mice showed increased consumption of solutions containing 6 and 20% (v/v) ethanol compared with wild-type (A2AR+/+) control mice; female A2AR-/- mice showed increased consumption of solutions containing 6 and 10% ethanol. This slightly higher ethanol consumption was also related to increased ethanol preference. In contrast, A2AR-/- mice showed normal consumption of solutions containing either sucrose or quinine. Relative to A2AR+/+ mice, A2AR-/- mice were found to be less sensitive to the sedative effect of 3.0 gm/kg ethanol, as measured by more rapid recovery from ethanol-induced loss of righting reflex, and to the hypothermic effects of 1.5, 3.0, and 4.0 gm/kg ethanol, although plasma ethanol levels did not differ significantly between the two genotypes. The selective adenosine A2A receptor antagonist ZM 241385 (4-(2-[7-amino-2-(2-furyl)[1,2,4]triazolo[2,3-a][1,3,5]triazin-5-ylamino]ethyl)phenol) (10-30 mg/kg) significantly attenuated ethanol-induced (4.0 gm/kg) hypothermia in CD1 mice. To assess whether ethanol administration would induce differential tolerance in A2AR-/- and wild-type mice, we administered ethanol (3.0 gm/kg) over 4 consecutive days and found no difference in the development of tolerance; however, female A2AR-/- mice showed a lower tolerance-acquisition rate. These data suggest that activating the A2A receptors may play a role in suppressing alcohol-drinking behavior and is associated with the sensitivity to the intoxicating effects of acute ethanol administration.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1981

[Effects of morphine on the successive generation].

The preference and physical dependence for morphine, changes in gross behaviors and growth were investigated in the offspring of pregnant rats treated with morphine. Six groups (A-F) of the pregnant rats were treated with morphine by DAF (drug-admixed food) method for the following periods. No morphine-treatment was received in group A, treatment form the beginning of pregnancy (day 0) to weaning in group B, from day 0 to day 14 in group C, from day 15 to day 21 in group D, from day 0 to weaning in group E (the same of B), and no treatment in group F. The pups of group E were fostered to maters of group F, and pups of group F, and pups of group F were to maters of group E. The preference rate for morphine in pregnant rats increased significantly in comparison with of non-pregnant rats. Weanling rates of group B, C, D and E decreased significantly when compared with that of group A. The pups of maternal rats treated with morphine showed hyperactivity and vocalization. These symptoms were considered to be resulted from the withdrawal signs. The withdrawal signs may produce the decrease in the weanling rates. There was no difference in body weight gains in the offspring between group A and B. Preference rate for morphine in the offspring of group B was lower than that of group A. It may be due to an enhanced susceptibility to morphine in group B. However, no marked change in intensity of physical dependence on morphine was detected in the offspring between group A and B.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Nonhost status of commercial Persea americana 'Hass' to Anastrepha ludens, Anastrepha obliqua, Anastrepha serpentina, and Anastrepha striata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Mexico.

The objective of this study was to determine the host status in Mexico of commercially cultivated and marketed avocado, Persea americana (Mill.), 'Hass' to Anastrepha ludens (Loew), Anastrepha obliqua (Macquart), Anastrepha serpentina (Wiedemann), and Anastrepha striata (Schiner) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Experiments in Michoacán, Mexico, were carried out in six orchards located at three altitudes above sea level during two times (August-October 2001 and April-June 2002). They included choice ('Hass' avocado plus natural host) and no-choice foraging behavior tests on trees under field cages; no-choice, forced infestation trials on caged, fruit-bearing branches in the field, and with individual fruit under laboratory conditions; infestation trials using 'Hass' avocados left unprotected over 1 and 7 d on the ground of orchards; studies to ascertain depth of oviposition and determine egg hatchability; and experiments to determine susceptibility by using time elapsed since removal of fruit from tree as the experimental variable. We trapped adult Anastrepha (n = 7,936) in all orchards and dissected fruit (n = 7,695) from orchards and packing houses (n = 1,620) in search of eggs or larvae. Most (96.7%) A. ludens, A. obliqua, A. striata, and A. serpentina adults were captured in low-elevation orchards. No eggs or larvae were detected in any of the fruit from foraging behavior studies or dissected fruit from orchards or packing houses. Of 5,200 mature, intact fruit on trees in the field forcibly exposed to no-choice female oviposition activity (five females/fruit), we only found four fruit infested by A. ludens but no adults emerged. 'Hass' avocados only became marginally susceptible to attack by A. ludens (but not A. obliqua, A. serpentina, and A. striata) 24 h after being removed from the tree. Fruit placed on the ground in orchards (n = 3,600) were occasionally infested by Neosilba batesi (Curran) (Diptera: Lonchaeidae), a decomposer, but not Anastrepha spp. Based on our results, commercially cultivated and marketed P. americana 'Hass' should not be considered a natural host of A. ludens, A. obliqua, A. striata, and A. serpentina in Mexico.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Choice of exercise: a predictor of behavioral risks?

After controlling for differences in gender, educational achievement, and exercise duration among a sample of 7,248 Americans 18-34 years old, we found that runners-joggers-fast walkers (RJWs) and tennis players were less likely to be obese, smoke, consume large quantities of alcohol, and drive without seat belts than those who participate in team and an aggregate of other sports. These behavioral differences might be explained by imprecise data, intervening variables such as exercise intensity, or other variables that were not measured. But a more interesting explanation is that running-jogging-fast walking and playing tennis are integral components of healthy lifestyles, and team sports and some other exercise behaviors are part of riskier ways of living. No consistent association was found between duration of exercise and behavioral risk.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Partner preference behavior of estrous female rats affected by castration of tethered male incentives.

Estrous female rats were allowed to interact with either of two tethered intact male rats or to stay in an empty middle part of a three-compartment observation cage during a 60-min test. Sexual interactions occurred with both males (resulting in one to five ejaculations) but most time was spent in the empty compartment. After castration of one of the males, females spent more time with this male than with the intact male, although sexual interactions continued with both incentive animals. This "preference" for the castrated male persisted through the second hour of observation in a second experiment (total test time 115 min) although sexual interactions had virtually ceased during this period. Females' preference for castrated males seemed largely the consequence of aversion to genital stimulation received during intromissions by intact animals: (a) when intromissions were prevented through vaginal occlusion, intact males became by far the preferred partners for the whole 2-hr period of testing while sexual behavior continued to occur throughout the test; (b) when choice was allowed between a testosterone-treated ovariectomized female and an intact male, sexual interaction occurred with both tethered incentive rats but the female became the preferred animal. The results suggest that two opposite tendencies play a role in sexual motivation of estrous female rats: attraction resulting from the action of ovarian hormones on the central nervous system and rejection resulting from genital sensory stimulation through the male's genitalia.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Prenatal nicotine affects fetal testosterone and sexual dimorphism of saccharin preference.

In order to study effects of nicotine on fetal gonadal axis and sexually dimorphic behavior, time-pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were implanted on gestational day (GD) 12 with an osmotic minipump containing either nicotine tartrate, tartaric acid or saline. Others were sham-operated on GD 12 or left untreated. Male fetuses of all control groups displayed the characteristic rise in plasma testosterone at GD 18 (as compared to GD 17 and 19); this was abolished by nicotine. Adult offspring of untreated or tartaric acid-treated dams exhibited a marked sexual dimorphism in their preference for saccharin-containing drinking water at 0.06-0.25%. No such sex difference was seen in offspring of nicotine-treated rats. In controls, the sexes differed with respect to the proportion of rats with high saccharin preference. In the group of males prenatally exposed to nicotine, the proportion of animals with high preference increased to the female level. These data indicate that prenatal exposure to nicotine can interfere with the development of the male gonadal axis and with the organization of sexually dimorphic behavior.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Activity in posterior parietal cortex is correlated with the relative subjective desirability of action.

Behavioral studies suggest that making a decision involves representing the overall desirability of all available actions and then selecting that action that is most desirable. Physiological studies have proposed that neurons in the parietal cortex play a role in selecting movements for execution. To test the hypothesis that these parietal neurons encode the subjective desirability of making particular movements, we exploited Nash's game theoretic equilibrium, during which the subjective desirability of multiple actions should be equal for human players. Behavior measured during a strategic game suggests that monkeys' choices, like those of humans, are guided by subjective desirability. Under these conditions, activity in the parietal cortex was correlated with the relative subjective desirability of actions irrespective of the specific combination of reward magnitude, reward probability, and response probability associated with each action. These observations may help place many recent findings regarding the posterior parietal cortex into a common conceptual framework.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Infant vision testing by a behavioral method.

A behavioral method of screening binocular infant vision called forced choice preferential looking (FPL) has been developed. Clinical trials of the FPL test for young infants are reported here. The test aids nonspecialized personnel in early identification of bilateral ocular abnormalities and anomalies of binocular cooperation (strabismus). It is not possible to screen for monocular eye disease or amblyopia with this test. Modifications of the FPL test may offer new ways of assessing other aspects of visual function early in life.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1999

Maternal behaviors and cognitions during discipline episodes: a comparison of power bouts and single acts of noncompliance.

Maternal behaviors and cognitions within power bouts and single acts of noncompliance were compared by using 2 methodologies. Ninety mothers completed daily telephone interviews concerning their children's misbehavior for 12 days. Half of the mothers also completed a computerized simulation of 3 different power bouts, and the other half of the mothers completed a similar simulation of 3 sets of single noncompliance episodes. Mothers made behavioral intention choices and rated their perceptions of the child's behavior in the computer simulation. Results indicate that power bouts formed a special class of discipline episodes distinct from single noncompliance. Mothers reported more negative perceptions of the child as well as more aversion during extended power bouts. Discussion focuses on possible different types of power bouts and the need for theories of socialization to include the transactive nature of discipline episodes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Selection of a cardiac surgery provider in the managed care era.

OBJECTIVE: Many health planners promote the use of competition to contain cost and improve quality of care. Using a standard econometric model, we examined the evidence for "value-based" cardiac surgery provider selection in eastern Massachusetts, where there is significant competition and managed care penetration. METHODS: McFadden's conditional logit model was used to study cardiac surgery provider selection among 6952 patients and eight metropolitan Boston hospitals in 1997. Hospital predictor variables included beds, cardiac surgery case volume, objective clinical and financial performance, reputation (percent out-of-state referrals, cardiac residency program), distance from patient's home to hospital, and historical referral patterns. Subgroup analyses were performed for each major payer category. RESULTS: Distance from patient's home to hospital (odds ratio 0.90; P =.000) and the historical referral pattern from each patient's hometown (z = 45.305; P =.000) were important predictors in all models. A cardiac surgery residency enhanced the probability of selection (odds ratio 5.25; P =.000), as did percent out-of-state referrals (odds ratio 1.10; P =.001). Higher mortality rates were associated with decreased probability of selection (odds ratio 0.51; P =.027), but higher length of stay was paradoxically associated with greater probability (odds ratio 1.72; P =.000). Total hospital costs were irrelevant (odds ratio 1.00; P =.179). When analyzed by payer subgroup, Medicare patients appeared to select hospitals with both low mortality (odds ratio 0.43; P =.176) and short length of stay (odds ratio 0.76; P =.213), although the results did not achieve statistical significance. The commercial managed care subgroup exhibited the least "value-based" behavior. The odds ratio for length of stay was the highest of any group (odds ratio = 2.589; P =.000) and there was a subset of hospitals for which higher mortality was actually associated with greater likelihood of selection. CONCLUSIONS: The observable determinants of cardiac surgery provider selection are related to hospital reputation, historical referral patterns, and patient proximity, not objective clinical or cost performance. The paradoxic behavior of commercial managed care probably results from unobserved choice factors that are not primarily based on objective provider performance.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1968

Operant controlled neural event: formal and systematic approach to electrical coding of behavior in brain.

Traditional studies of electrophysiological correlates of behavior contain inherent high variability resulting from the arbitrary choice of behaviors, brain locations, and wave parameters. The operant control of neural events is a formal and systematic approach to the study of prespecified parameters and components of brain activity as they encode behaviors. Two studies in which the electrical activity of brain was the criterion for reinforcement demonstrate the acquisition, under such operant control, of two mutually exclusive behaviors or states which selectively alter evoked potential components.

Animals↗