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PubMed2003

Estradiol modulation of astrocytes and the establishment of sex differences in the brain.

The role of steroid hormones as a conduit for reciprocal glial-neuronal communication is an emerging but relatively unexplored concept. Research in our laboratory has discovered that the relationship between astrocytic and neuronal morphology during development is distinct for different brain regions and provides a fundamental basis for region-specific sexual differentiation. The functional significance of estradiol-induced differentiation of astrocytes and the cross-talk of these cells with neurons includes permanent changes in synaptic patterning and control of adult reproductive behaviors. The cellular mechanisms as currently understood for each region are discussed and unanswered questions as well as other areas for future research are reviewed.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Is avoiding an aversive outcome rewarding? Neural substrates of avoidance learning in the human brain.

Avoidance learning poses a challenge for reinforcement-based theories of instrumental conditioning, because once an aversive outcome is successfully avoided an individual may no longer experience extrinsic reinforcement for their behavior. One possible account for this is to propose that avoiding an aversive outcome is in itself a reward, and thus avoidance behavior is positively reinforced on each trial when the aversive outcome is successfully avoided. In the present study we aimed to test this possibility by determining whether avoidance of an aversive outcome recruits the same neural circuitry as that elicited by a reward itself. We scanned 16 human participants with functional MRI while they performed an instrumental choice task, in which on each trial they chose from one of two actions in order to either win money or else avoid losing money. Neural activity in a region previously implicated in encoding stimulus reward value, the medial orbitofrontal cortex, was found to increase, not only following receipt of reward, but also following successful avoidance of an aversive outcome. This neural signal may itself act as an intrinsic reward, thereby serving to reinforce actions during instrumental avoidance.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

A multinomial logit analysis of methods used by persons who completed suicide.

This paper presents a multinomial logit analysis of the methods used by Taiwanese individuals who completed suicide between 1991 and 1993. We investigated the influence of age, gender, urban or rural residence, seasons, and occupations on the six "choices" of suicide methods. The findings suggest that a systematic pattern exists between the choice of method and demographic characteristics of persons who have completed suicide. Most of the different patterns of suicide by sex, age, occupation, or residence can be understood by the different availability and accessibility to the means of suicide faced by the individuals. Our findings support Becker's (1962, 1974, 1993) contention that all kinds of human behavior or choices are shaped by the constraints imposed on the individuals. The findings also have important policy implications for suicide prevention in that they support Lester's advocacy to prevent or reduce suicide incidents by limiting availability, blocking accessibility, or "inconveniencing" the suicidal individuals.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Attentional stimuli and programming hand selection: a developmental perspective.

This experiment examined the use of attentional stimuli for reaching in hemispace by strong right-dominant adults and children. Driving the hypothesis was the notion that developmental factors associated with use of attentional information may affect the programming of reaching movements in hemispace. Although the general pattern of responses was similar for both samples, children did not use attentional cues to program reaching movements in contralateral hemispace as effectively as adults. This result suggests that motor dominance and perhaps other factors were pivotal in motor programming for children. One possible explanation for the general behavior observed underlies an attentional hemispheric bias for a tendency to use the hand that is on the same side as the stimulus.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Self-reported tactics of impulse control.

Recent behavioral research has suggested that delayed incentives are discounted in a highly concave curve, which should produce temporary preference for the poorer of two alternatives when that alternative is available earlier than the better one. Unlike the psychoanalytic model of impulsiveness, the temporary preference model implies a rational need for people to forestall impulses by committing their choices in advance. A questionnaire elicited college students' and prisoners' self-reports of approval of four basic kinds of precommitting tactics as applied to 14 commonplace temptations. Endorsement of private rules as a precommitting device was correlated with self-reported compulsive personality traits and negatively correlated with endorsement of extra-psychic (social or physical) devices; the latter endorsement was correlated with self-reported oral/paranoid traits. Female subjects endorsed attention control as a precommitting device more than males, and male subjects endorsed extrapsychic devices more than females. The ego psychology of conflict may be practical at the conscious level.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The influence of individualized music on patients in physical restraints: a pilot study.

This pilot study explored the relationship between listening to preferred music and the behavioral responses of patients who are physically restrained. Thirty patients, ranging in age from 65 to 93, participated in one of three groups. The first group included patients who were out of restraining devices while listening to preferred music. Patients in the second group were out of restraining devices and not exposed to music. The third group comprised patients who were in restraining devices while listening to preferred music. Listening to preferred music had no significant effect on decreasing patients' negative behaviors or on increasing positive behaviors observed during the intervention phase of the study. The higher mean scores for positive behaviors and lower mean scores for negative behaviors for the first group may indicate some benefits to patients who are out of restraints and listening to preferred music.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Causal attributions, self-monitoring, and gender differences among four virginity status groups.

Sexual choices and behavior involve complex cognitive and affective processes. Attribution theory remains a prominent social-cognitive model that may help explain such phenomena. In the present study, 198 undergraduates, separated by self-reported virginity status, completed Russell's Causal Dimension Scale and Snyder's Self-Monitoring Scale. The purpose was to determine whether different virginity status groups make different causal attributions about virginity and sexual choices, whether self-monitoring influences this attribution process, and whether males and females differ in this regard. Results indicated a variety of statistically significant virginity status and gender differences in causal attributions. Self-monitoring, however, was not a significant covariate. Possible explanations for these results, and their implications, are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Enhancement of conditioned place preference response to cocaine in rats following subchronic administration of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA).

In this study, we measured conditioned place preference (CPP) responses to cocaine following subchronic administration of the recreationally abused drug (+/-)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "ecstasy") in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Animals were given either vehicle (1 ml/kg of distilled water, s.c.) or MDMA (20 mg/kg, s.c.) twice a day for 4 consecutive days. Two weeks later, CPP responses to cocaine (5, 10, or 20 mg/kg, i.p.) were measured. The MDMA-treated animals showed a significantly greater CPP response to cocaine than the vehicle-treated animals. Since conditioned place preference is believed to be a measure of appetitive behavior, these results suggest that MDMA abuse could lead to an increased vulnerability to the rewarding actions of cocaine and, hence, to increased vulnerability to cocaine addiction and dependence.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Effects of the AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist DNQX in the nucleus accumbens on drug-induced conditioned place preference.

Activation of AMPA/kainate glutamatergic receptors in the nucleus accumbens may be a component of the mechanism of drug induced reward. To test this hypothesis, 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), an alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA)/kainate glutamatergic receptor anatagonist, was injected into the nucleus accumbens before the administration of amphetamine or morphine during the training phase (acquisition) of a conditioned place preference paradigm. Rats were then tested for place preference in the absence of drugs. In other experiments, DNQX was given before testing for place preference (expression) but not during the training phase. Bilateral injection of DNQX (1 microgram/0.5 microliters/side) inhibited acquisition of place preference to amphetamine (1 mg/kg) but not morphine (10 mg/kg). During acquisition, DNQX marginally attenuated the locomotor stimulation elicited by amphetamine during the first but not subsequent training sessions, while the combination of morphine plus DNQX produced marked akinesia during each training session. When given prior to testing, DNQX inhibited the expression of place preference induced by amphetamine and morphine but did not affect locomotor activity. The results suggest that activation of AMPA/kainate receptors is involved in the primary reward stimulation (acquisition of place preference) of amphetamine but not morphine and in behaviors elicited by memory of primary reward stimulation (expression of place preference) for both drugs. Furthermore, locomotor activity during conditioning is not necessary for acquisition of place preference.

Amphetamine↗
PubMed2001

Analysis of the effects of CPA and L-histidine on goldfish tested on a conditioned place preference model.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the histamine H(1)- receptor blocker chlorpheniramine (CPA) and the histaminergic precursor L-histidine have reinforcing effects in goldfish (Carassius auratus). We used a place-preference procedure in a four-compartment aquarium in which, on the first day, the animals were placed for 30 min for habituation. On the second day, the time spent in each chamber was recorded for 10 min in order to determine which was preferred. After 24 h a non-transparent acrylic division was placed in the aquarium to make four identical compartments. The fish were injected intraperotoneally (i.p.) with L-histidine in three doses: 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg of body-weight (n=20) and with vehicle control (n=20). After 30 min the animals were placed in the intermediate preference chamber for another 30 min. The CPA was injected i.p in four doses; 0.4, 1.0, 4.0 or 8.0 mg/kg (n=16) or vehicle (n=16) and after 5 min the animals were placed in the intermediate preference chamber for another 30 min. On the fourth day the procedure of the second day was repeated. The results indicate that the group treated with 500 mg/kg L-histidine spent significantly more time in the paired compartment when compared with the time spent before treatment (Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, P=0.0172). The same behavior was not observed in other treatment groups (P>0.05). The results indicate a reinforcing effect of L-histidine in this place preference model with goldfish.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Gender gaps: who needs to be explained?

The hypothesis that explanations for differences between prototypical and nonprototypical members of categories would focus more on attributes of the latter than on those of the former was examined. Explanations for alleged gender differences in the behavior of voters, elementary school teachers, and college professors were elicited. As predicted, explanations for gender differences within the 3 categories emphasized the qualities of the "deviant" member. Ss' explanations of alleged gender gaps in the behavior of voters and college professors focused more on qualities of women than on qualities of men. In contrast, Ss' explanations of an alleged gender gap in the behavior of elementary school teachers focused more on qualities of men than on qualities of women. The results are interpreted in terms of Kahneman and Miller's (1986) norm theory.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Combined antecedent variables as motivating operations within functional analyses.

Functional analysis test conditions typically manipulate a single antecedent variable and an associated consequence to better isolate response-reinforcer relations. In some instances no problem behavior is observed, perhaps representing a false-negative finding. The present study evaluated one approach to assess potentially false-negative findings within functional analyses. Participants were exposed to single-antecedent functional analysis test conditions and combined-antecedent test conditions within a multielement design. Both participants engaged in problem behavior primarily during the combined-antecedent test conditions, and treatments matched to the results were effective in reducing problem behavior. Findings are discussed in terms of clinical implications of combining antecedent variables to further examine potentially false-negative functional analysis results.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Decision and experience: why don't we choose what makes us happy?

Recent years have witnessed a growing interest among psychologists and other social scientists in subjective well-being and happiness. Here we review selected contributions to this development from the literature on behavioral-decision theory. In particular, we examine many, somewhat surprising, findings that show people systematically fail to predict or choose what maximizes their happiness, and we look at reasons why they fail to do so. These findings challenge a fundamental assumption that underlies popular support for consumer sovereignty and other forms of autonomy in decision-making (e.g. marriage choice), namely, the assumption that people are able to make choices in their own best interests.

Choice Behavior↗
PubMed2006

Capacity of persons with mental retardation to consent to participate in randomized clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE: Adults with mental retardation have histories of cognitive and adaptive deficits posing unique ethical challenges for research consent assessment. This study examined the capacity of persons with mental retardation to consent to participate in randomized clinical trials. METHOD: A total of 150 adults (50 each with mild and moderate mental retardation and 50 comparison subjects without mental retardation) responded to a set of consent questions for a hypothetical randomized clinical trial testing a medication for aggressive disorders. Intelligence, adaptive behavior, medical treatment history, and consent history were evaluated. Univariate and multivariate methods were used to compare performance across and within groups. RESULTS: Comparison subjects scored significantly higher on measures of consent capacity than participants with mild mental retardation, who scored higher than those with moderate mental retardation. Most subjects with mental retardation were able to make a participation choice, and many understood research methods and appreciated the protagonist's disorder and the consequences of participation. Almost half of those with mild mental retardation understood human subject protections. Performance was weakest on understanding the purpose of research and reasoning about whether to participate, suggesting vulnerability to the therapeutic misconception. Psychiatric and experiential factors did not predict consent capacity. CONCLUSIONS: While adults with mental retardation as a group showed consent deficits, many attained consent capacity scores comparable to those of comparison subjects. Investigators should consider individual differences and a consent format suited to deficits in language, memory, and attention before restricting consent opportunities for persons with mental retardation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The effect of administering corticoliberin into the striatum on the open-field and shuttle-box behaviors of KHA and KLA strain rats].

The effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) injected into the dorsal neostriatum on the open-field and shuttle-box behavior were studied in rats with high (Koltushi high avoidance, KHA) and low (Koltushi low avoidance, KLA) capability for avoidance learning. The effects of this hormone on the behavior of these rat strains were different. In KLA rats with passive strategy of behavior the CRH injection led to a rapid locomotor activation in the open field, while the rats with active behavioral strategy (KHA) reacted to the injection by a significant decrease in locomotion and change for the passive mode of behavior. The same CRH effects on locomotion were obtained in the shuttle-box experiments. Moreover, in the KLA rats the neurohormone injection resulted in an improvement of avoidance learning in contrast to the KHA rats, in which CRH substantially impaired avoidance learning. The obtained evidence is discussed in terms of the important role of striatal CRH in the choice of behavioral strategy in stress.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Behavioral tactics of rats receiving unequally distributed reinforcement in a radial maze].

Rats behaviour was studied in 12-arms radial maze with food reinforcement of different volumes presented only in 6 passages. Dynamics of changes is shown in the process of learning both in the preference of the passages with greater volume of reinforcement and in the number of errors, characterizing the working and referent memories. In the trained rats, their behaviour is determined by at least two behavioural tactics: visiting more remote passages and choice in the beginning of the test of more reinforced passages.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Amphetamine enhancement of reward asymmetry.

Rats with bilaterally implanted lateral hypothalamic electrodes were tested daily for self-stimulation to each side of the brain; rotation (circling behavior) was recorded concomitantly. All rats rotated in a perferred direction regardless of the side of the brain stimulated and all rats had asymmetries in self-stimulation sensitivity (threshold and rate-intensity functions) related to the direction of rotation. Amphetamine both enhanced rotation and potentiated the asymmetry in self-stimulation sensitivity. Subsequently rats were tested in a choice procedure providing concurrent access to rewarding stimulation of either side of the brain; currents were titrated such that, under baseline conditions, rats continually alternated between self-stimulating one side of the brain or the other. Amphetamine induced a robust preference for stimulation to the more sensitive side of the brain (the side having a lower threshold). The results are discussed in relation to mechanisms of drug reinforcement and to biological etiologies of schizophrenia. It is proposed that schizophrenia results from a lateralized overactivity of dopaminergic neuronal systems mediating reward and that amphetamine mimics schizophrenic symptomatology by enhancing lateralization of the same systems.

Amphetamine↗
PubMed2006

Impulsiveness and lack of inhibitory control in eating disorders.

UNLABELLED: Eating disorders are considered to lie on a spectrum of disorders with varying degrees of obsessive-compulsive and impulsive traits. Restrictive anorexia nervosa patients (AN-R) are thought to belong to the obsessive pole of the spectrum, and purging-anorexia (AN-P) and bulimia nervosa (BN) patients to the impulsive pole. In this study we have compared impulsive traits in three groups of eating disordered patients (total N=56) and a control group of 83 female students. Information about impulsive traits and lack of inhibitory control was gathered by means of standardized rating scales (Eysenck's Impulsiveness Scale, Barrett's Impulsiveness Scale, and Carver and White's BIS/BAS scale) and a behavioral measure of impulsiveness (stop-go task). On the questionnaires AN-R patients reported to be less impulsive than controls, AN-P and BN patients. In the stop-go task, we did not find significant differences between the different groups. Correlations between self-reported measures of impulsiveness and behavioral measures were not significant. IN CONCLUSION: Our results from the self-report measures are at odds with the behavioral measures certainly in the AN-R group. Perhaps the latter patients' distorted self-perception and/or self-description may explain this discrepancy.

Adolescent↗