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PubMed2006

Validity of a behavioural measure of heat stress and a skin tent test for dehydration in working horses and donkeys.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Dehydration and heat stress are serious welfare issues for equids working in developing countries. There is a lack of any standardised method or validated interpretation of the skin tent test in horses and donkeys. Owners of dehydrated and heat-stressed animals often depend on veterinary examination for identification of these conditions, leading to delays in treatment and unnecessary reliance on external sources to effect welfare improvement. OBJECTIVES: To validate a standardised skin tent test for dehydration and a behavioural measure of heat stress in working equids; and to examine the effect of heat stress and dehydration on tripping and staggering behaviour. METHODS: The study was carried out on 130 working horses and donkeys in Pakistan. Associations between skin tent and blood parameters (packed cell volume [PCV], serum total protein [TP], serum osmolality), clinical parameters, resting and drinking behaviour were examined. Heat stress behaviour (increased respiratory rate and depth, head nodding, flared nostrils, apathy) was observed in conjunction with rectal temperature. Tripping and staggering were assessed using a simple obstacle course. RESULTS: In both species, heat stress behaviour was significantly associated with increased rectal temperature (P<0.001). A positive skin tent test was not significantly associated with PCV or TP, although in donkeys it was significantly associated with lower serum osmolality (P<0.001). More animals age >15 years had a positive skin tent than those in younger age groups (P = 0.037). Very thin horses were more likely to have a positive skin tent than those in thin or moderate condition (P = 0.028). There was no significant correlation between skin tent and tripping or staggering in either species. CONCLUSIONS AND POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Heat stress behaviour is related to increased body temperature in working horses and donkeys. Owners may use this to make judgements regarding rest and cooling, precluding the need to seek veterinary attention. The skin tent test for dehydration used in this study did not show a significant relationship with PCV or TP. However, the use of blood parameters to validate the skin tent test may be confounded by anaemia, hypoproteinaemia or electrolyte depletion. Alternative methods are needed to confirm or refute the validity of the skin tent test in working equids.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2006

Mental health, behaviour and intellectual abilities of people with Down syndrome.

The mental health, adaptive behaviour and intellectual abilities of people with Down syndrome (n=129) were evaluated in a population-based survey of social and health care records. Females had better cognitive abilities and speech production compared with males. Males had more behavioural problems than females. Behaviour suggestive of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was often seen in childhood. Depression was diagnosed mainly in adults with mild to moderate intellectual disability. Autistic behaviour was most common in individuals with profound intellectual disability. Elderly people often showed decline of adaptive behaviour associated with Alzheimer's disease. Case descriptions are presented to illustrate the multitude of mental health and behavioural issues seen from childhood to old age in this population.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1991

Opposite sex behaviours correlate with degree of homosexual feelings in the predominantly heterosexual.

There is extensive evidence that subjects who identify as homosexual show opposite sex-linked behaviours. However no attempt has been made to investigate whether a similar association exists between such behaviours and the presence of homosexual feelings in the predominantly heterosexual. Eighty medical students completed an anonymous questionnaire reporting the ratio of their heterosexual to homosexual feelings and the presence of sex-linked behaviours in their earlier life and currently. As in previous studies correlations between opposite sex behaviours and subjects' degree of homosexual feelings were found in the male subjects. Correlations remained present, though mainly at a weaker level, in the predominantly heterosexual students. It is suggested this evidence of a dimensional relationship between opposite sex-linked behaviours in childhood and degree of homosexual feeling in adulthood renders irrational the classification of such behaviours as a gender identity disorder of childhood when homosexuality in adults is not regarded as a disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

A community study of preschool behaviour disorder in New Zealand.

A two stage epidemiological study of 320 children aged between 2.5 and 5 years of age, from eight randomly selected preschool centres, was performed in order (1) to test the psychometrics of the Behaviour Check List (BCL), a parent report instrument for preschool children, (2) to estimate the prevalence, and (3) to describe the correlates of preschool behaviour disorder. After the initial screening using the BCL, the Hyperactivity Scale (HAS) and the Internalising Disorder Scale (IDS), parents were interviewed using the Behaviour Screening Questionnaire (BSQ); the children were examined using the Rutter and Graham's interview. Data was also collected on family functioning, maternal mental health, social adversity, development, physical health and perinatal history. The BCL was found to be a reliable and valid screening measure. A cut off point of 8+ was established for New Zealand preschoolers; this is lower than that in the UK sample, illustrating the importance of retesting the instruments in a different culture. The prevalence rate of behaviour problems based on clinical diagnosis was 22.5%. Results of logistic regression analysis showed that poor family functioning, poor maternal mental health and parental separation were associated significantly with behaviour disorder. This study emphasises the need to identify preschool behaviour disorder and associated risk factors to enable an early intervention.

Child Behavior Disorders↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Maintenance and generalization of behaviours after treatment of persons with traumatic brain injury.

This review of behavioural research literature was conducted to determine if persons who have experienced a traumatic brain injury are able to maintain and generalize behaviours after training, and to identify formal programming strategies that might have been utilized to enhance maintenance and generalization. Studies reviewed included those that employed behavioural procedures to increase adaptive behaviours or reduce maladaptive behaviours and collected maintenance and generalization data. Results of the review indicate that persons who have experienced a traumatic brain injury have experienced successful response maintenance and generalization of community-referenced tasks. It is suggested that impaired memory does not keep persons from maintaining and generalizing such tasks, and that strategies to promote maintenance and generalization need to be included in behavioural programming.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Management of violent behaviour in acutely relapsed schizophrenics.

The management of aggressive behaviour has always been a critical issue in psychiatry. Finding measures that can be used to accurately predict the likelihood of assaultative behaviour and thus ensure timeous appropriate pharmacological management remains a dilemma. The study objective was to investigate the naturalistic, pharmacological management of inpatient aggressive behaviour in a group of 50 schizophrenic subjects with a view to determine: (1) whether a presenting history of recent violence lead to altered pharmacological management and (2) whether the NOSIE could be regarded as a useful assessment tool with regards to inpatient behaviour management. No significant difference could be demonstrated between the 2 subsets of subjects (history of violence vs none) with respect to total doses of medication administered. No statistical correlation could be found between the total NOSIE score and the dose of psychotropic medication used. The relationship between a subset of NOSIE-items and the total dose of medication was more complex and a clear linear relationship could be demonstrated for a total score of 0 to 5. In this particular ward setting a presenting history of recent violent behaviour did not influence the administration of medication and neither could the clinical judgement employed by the nursing staff to manage inpatient behaviour be captured by the NOSIE. However, a five-item subset of the NOSIE with questions relating to aggression and irritability warrants further scrutiny in this regard.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2005

Reproductive health needs and the reproductive health behaviour of the youth in Mangaung in the Free State province: a feasibility study.

From the community profiles conducted by nursing students in Mangaung, the following observation was prevalent: an increase in the prevalence of teenage pregnancy together with a high prevalence of HIV infection was demonstrated. The relationship between young people's reproductive behaviour and the prevalence of HIV is well documented. To address this problem, a community -based education programme is required. Developing a successful community-based educational programme that addresses the needs of youth requires that such a programme be based on the needs of such a group. The research question is applicable: How do youth in Mangaung in the Free State province in South Africa perceive their reproductive health needs and their reproductive health behaviour? The aim of this article is to explore and describe the reproductive health needs and the reproductive health behaviour of the youth in Mangaung. A quantitative research design that is descriptive and explorative in nature was conducted. The reproductive health needs and the reproductive health behaviour of the youth were collected by means of a structured questionnaire with open-ended and closed questions. A purposive non - probability sampling method was utilized and (n=250) drawn from the youth. The justification of the sample was further enhanced by collecting data from youth aged 13-25 at three high schools in Mangaung and at the health centre of MUCPP. Qualitative data obtained from open-ended questionnaires was coded and analyzed by using Tech's (1990) content analysis approach. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the quantitative data from closed questions. A descriptive analysis of the participant's ages and their perceived reproductive health needs and reproductive health behaviour was done. The mean age of the participants was 18.6, which could be because all the respondents were of school- going age. The results indicated that the youth received insufficient reproductive health information to be able to prevent pregnancy and HIV/AIDS. The special needs of youth were indicated by 92% who requested that the clinic should accommodate both boys and girls and 96% of the respondents requested sessions for discussions facilitated by a professional person. A total of 95% of the youth requested that a special programme of activities be conducted during school holidays. The risk behaviours practised by the youth were: having sex with a stranger, many partners, drinking alcohol, and using drugs and dagga. The researcher recommends that such a programme be supported by different university departments and rolled out to different

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Socio-behaviour challenges to phase III HIV vaccine trials in Sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: A number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa are preparing for HIV vaccine efficacy trials. Social and behavioural factors related to HIV transmission require examination in each setting where these trials are considered. As part of this, several countries have also recently begun preparatory research investigating relevant social and behavioural issues. There is a need for a review of the literature to help focus such research efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa. OBJECTIVES: To examine key social and behavioural issues that may impact on the conduct of HIV vaccine efficacy trials in sub-Saharan Africa. DESIGN: Literature review METHODS: Major databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, EBSCOhost, and AIDSline) were searched for literature that discussed social and behavioural issues related to HIV vaccine trials. Three areas are highlighted as being particularly significant for HIV vaccine research: (1) willingness to participate in future HIV vaccine efficacy trials, (2) retention of participants in studies, and (3) sexual risk reporting during trials. For each of these topics, major findings from both developed and developing countries are described and avenues for further research are discussed. RESULTS: There are few data from Sub-Saharan Africa regarding willingness to participate in HIV vaccine trials. Data on participant retention rates varies widely, and maintaining large cohorts of individuals within Phase III trials presents an important challenge. In addition, the possible impact of trial participation on sexual disinhibition, and response bias on sexual risk-reporting remain as issues for HIV vaccine trials in African contexts. CONCLUSION: Social and behavioural research forms an important part of preparations for HIV vaccine efficacy trials, and there is a clear need for more research of this type in Sub-Saharan Africa. Innovative approaches are required to address issues such as willingness to participate in vaccine research, participant retention during efficacy trials, and the accurate reporting by participants of sexual risk behaviours.

AIDS Vaccines↗
PubMed2005

12. Assessment of developmental learning and behavioural problems in children and young people.

Brain development from late pregnancy to 3 years of age affects a child's learning, behaviour and health throughout life. Behavioural difficulties in children are usually symptoms of underlying problems. Observing a child's appearance and performance, and taking a detailed history (considering factors in the child, the home, the school and the wider environment) provide most of the information needed for diagnosing behavioural problems. It is important to know what is "normal" for all stages of a child's development, but equally important not to confuse behavioural difficulties with normal variations and behaviours associated with developmental stages. Assessment and early intervention for behavioural and learning difficulties in children require a multidisciplinary team approach. As well as the recommended "multimodal" approach for managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, shared care with a general practitioner is available in some states, but medication is likely to be the trigger for a positive outcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

The behavioural phenotype in velo-cardio-facial syndrome (VCFS): from infancy to adolescence.

In this contribution the current status and recent findings of the behavioural phenotype in VCFS (22q11 deletion) are discussed with regard to motor development, cognition and neurodevelopment, and behaviour and temperament. Motor: hypotonia in infancy, gross-motor milestones are delayed, problems with coordination and balance from preschool age on, problems with tempo/speed during adolescence. Cognition and neurodevelopment: learning disabilities (82-100%), intellectual disability (45%), better verbal abilities than performal abilities, poor attention and concentration, visuo-perceptual-spatia problems, good (auditory) memory. An important subgroup of children (55%) has a non-verbal learning disability (NLD). Behaviour and social-emotional development AD(H)D, withdrawn and shy, person-dependent social problems in relationships with peers, anxious, risk for child psychiatric problems as well as for the development of psychiatric problems during adolescence and early adulthood. Information on the behavioural phenotype in VCFS (22q11 deletion) is of great importance to clinicians as an aid to syndrome diagnosis, but even more to parents because it offers immense direct practical value to the management of the behaviour of their child. Appropriate counseling and information on the long-term expectations, and better insight in the behaviour will lead to the development of realistic ways of coping with their child.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Dementia carer education and patient behaviour disturbance.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a dementia Carer Education Programme on carer quality of life (QoL), burden, and well-being. DESIGN: Single group before-after intervention study. The group was subdivided by perceived status post-programme for intragroup analysis. SETTING: Hospital memory clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 32 dementia carers. INTERVENTION: Eight weekly 2 h education and support sessions run by a psychogeriatric clinical team. MEASURES: Pre-programme and 6 months post-programme data were obtained. Measures included individually perceived QoL, burden, well-being, managing problem behaviour, appraisal of social support, knowledge of dementia, and perception of the programme. Patients were characterized in terms of cognition, behaviour disturbance and functional status. RESULTS: Twelve carers reported their situation post-programme as 'better', 12 as 'worse', and four as 'no change'. There were no significant baseline differences. For 'better/no change' carers the only significant change over time was increased knowledge about dementia. For 'worse' carers knowledge also increased, but there was evidence of poorer QoL, increased burden, a poorer appraisal of social support, and increased patient behaviour disturbance. Only patient behaviour disturbance significantly discriminated 'no change/better' from 'worse' carers (F = 4.08, p = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS: The programme increased carers' knowledge about dementia, but had no significant impact on QoL, burden, or well-being. Increased patient behaviour disturbance appeared to be a major factor when the carer's situation worsened over time. Despite high carer satisfaction the efficacy of a group-based education approach to the management of behaviour disturbance in dementia appears limited. More intensive or individually tailored interventions may be necessary alternatives.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Non-pharmacological management of the behaviour of pediatric dental patients.

Behaviour modelling is frequently used to modify children's behaviour. The psychological techniques of encouragement-reprobation are an integral part of the behaviour shaping. Three hundred clinically healthy children were recruited in this study. They were aged 54-96 months and allocated to three groups according to the specific technique used: group 1 in which we applied the "live patients model" technique, in group 2 the "encouragement-reprobation" techniques was applied and group 3 was a control group. The patient's behaviour was assessed using L. Venham's Cooperative Behavioral Scale. A behavioral improvement was noticed in the experimental groups after applying the techniques for behaviour modification. The comparison shows a statistically significant difference between the two experimental groups and the control one and absence of a significant difference between the influenced groups. The study shows that there is a stable for behaviour improvement.

Behavior↗
PubMed1998

Subicular lesion induced impairment in operant behaviour and altered dendritic morphology of CA1, CA3 hippocampal neurons.

The effects of bilateral electrolytic subicular lesions were examined on the operant behaviour for food reward on a continuous reinforcement schedule as well as the dendritic morphology of CA1 and CA3 hippocampal areas. The subjects were female Wistar rats 20 days of age and were divided into four groups. 1. Age matched control 2. Sham operated 3. Operant behaviour for food reward and 4. Subicular lesion. Animals were starved twenty-four hours prior to operant behaviour training sessions. Two trial sessions with continuous reinforcement (CRF) of 10 min duration/day were done during training sessions following which the rats were allowed CRF for ten minutes per day for ten days. On the eleventh day, the operant behaviour and sham operated animals were taken up for bilateral subicular lesion and sham surgery respectively. After seventy two hours of surgical recovery, operant behavioural testing was done as before for a further period of ten days. Later all the groups of animals were sacrificed and the hippocampi were processed for rapid Golgi staining technique. Our results suggest that subicular lesions do produce a significant reduction in operant learning behaviour for food reward. Further the Golgi studies revealed a reduction in dendritic branching points and intersections of apical and basal CA1, CA3 neurons in lesioned animals.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Behavioural relevance modulates access to spatial working memory in humans.

Neurophysiological studies in monkeys suggest selective representation of behaviourally relevant information in working memory. So far, no behavioural evidence for this has been reported for humans. Here, we investigated the role of behavioural relevance for access to human visuospatial working memory by using delayed oculomotor response tasks. Subjects were presented two successive visual cues in different and unpredictable locations while fixating on a central fixation point. After a delay, an unpredictable auditory signal (one beep or two beeps) sounded and the central fixation point was turned off, initiating the oculomotor response (i.e. memory-guided saccade) phase. Two groups of 10 subjects each were studied in two conditions: in the 'relevant' condition, subjects were instructed to memorize both visual cues and to move the eyes to the remembered position of the first cue (one beep) or the second cue (two beeps). The same stimuli were used in the 'irrelevant' condition, but subjects were instructed to memorize and move the eyes to the position of the first cue only, regardless of the second cue and the auditory signal. In the 'relevant' condition, we found a significant increase in errors of memory-guided saccades to the first cue, when the second cue was located between central fixation point and first cue. This spatially selective interference effect disappeared in the 'irrelevant' condition, despite identical stimuli. On a behavioural level, these results show for the first time the significance of behavioural relevance for access to human spatial working memory. These findings complement recent single-neuron studies in monkeys, showing that the neuronal substrates of working memory selectively represent behaviourally relevant perceptual information.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Isolation modifies the behavioural response in rats.

Twenty-four male wister rats were reared from weaning either alone (isolation reared) or in groups of five (socially reared) for 6 weeks. Thereafter, the present study examined and compared the behaviour of isolation and socially reared rats in the test of social interaction, in the elevated plus-maze test of anxiety, in the open field behavior of exploration and locomotion activity, and the depressive behaviour in forced swim test. Under high light in unfamiliar conditions isolation reared rats spent significantly more time in aggressive interactions (P < 0.05) and high levels of aggressive behaviour compared to the socially reared rats (P < 0.05). Isolation reared rats had spent less time in the open arms than the socially reared rats in the maze test (P < 0.05). Isolation reared rats were more exploratory than the socially reared rats in the open field test and the defaecation scores were less compared to the socially reared controls (P < 0.05). Isolated rats spent less time immobile on the rats' forced swim test behaviour but the difference was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that isolation reared rats are nervous, aggressive and hyperactive animals in a novel field. It appears that isolation rearing in the early stages of life has modified a variety of behaviour in the adult rats, and the investigation of the pattern of behavioural changes in isolation reared rats may help to explore the environmental influences on the development of human psychopathology.

Aggression↗
PubMed2001

Urbanisation and adolescent risk behaviour.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether there is an association between the length of time lived in an urban area and selected adolescent risk behaviours. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey in which students completed an anonymous, confidential questionnaire. SETTING: Four high schools in black communities in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. PARTICIPANTS: A sample of 1,296 students obtained by multistage cluster sampling. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Selected risk behaviours. RESULTS: There is a relationship between urbanisation and certain risk behaviours. The following risk behaviours were associated with urbanisation: use in the previous month of alcohol, cannabis, and cannabis mixed with Mandrax; being a victim of violence; perpetration of an act of violence; and suicidality. Conversely, participation in sexual intercourse and solvent sniffing in the previous month were not associated with urbanisation. CONCLUSION: Urbanisation is associated with an increase in the prevalence rates of some risk behaviours. Mental health promotion efforts may be informed by further research aimed at the identification of: (i) the characteristics of risk behaviour that determine whether it is associated with urbanisation; and (ii) where applicable, the specific aspects of the urbanisation process that contribute to an increase in risk.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

The assessment of the situational specificity of children's problems behaviour in peer-peer context.

In both theory and research the general issue of the extent to which children's problem behaviour is generalised across situations, and to what extent it is situation specific, has been neglected. In the clinical assessment of disordered children, too, little attention has been paid to the specific situations in which these children display their inappropriate behaviour. In this study the Taxonomy of Problematic Social Situations (TOPS) (Dodge, McClaskey, & Feldman, 1985) was employed. This is a questionnaire in which the child's teacher is asked to rate the likelihood of a child responding in an inappropriate manner in a specific situation. Characteristics of TOPS were investigated both in randomly selected normal school children and in boys with a conduct disorder. Four factors appeared to underlie the TOPS scores from 652 randomly selected boys and girls from grades 1 to 6, these being: teachers' scores for the types of problem situation Being Disadvantaged, Coping with Competition, Social Expectations of Peers, and Teacher Expectations. Because of the high internal consistency of the four factors, TOPS was abbreviated to a TOPS-Short Form (18 instead of 44 items). The four-factor model was cross-validated by means of a second sample of 326 boys and girls. A model with only one general problem behaviour factor did not fit the data of both samples. When the four specific factors were added a satisfactory fit resulted. Moreover, it was found that in the first sample 52% of the variance was explained by the general factor, whereas 18% of the variance was explained by the four specific factors together. Thus, the extent to which problem behaviour is situation specific should not be disregarded. In all four types of problem situation, boys showed more inappropriate behaviour than girls. With increasing age, children were rated as being more competent in dealing with the problem situation Being Disadvantaged. Teachers rated the four types of problem situation as more problematic for boys with a conduct disorder (N = 42) than for normal control boys (N = 67). Conduct disordered boys also differed individually in the number of situational types that were problematic for them. With respect to clinical implications, the identification of the particular social context in which a conduct disordered child displays his or her inappropriate behaviour may help refine treatment goals: more adequate social functioning should be aimed at specifically in those situations that are problematic.

Aggression↗
PubMed2002

Cognitive behavioural intervention in bronchial asthma.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to find out the efficacy of cognitive behaviour therapy, as an adjunct to standard pharmacotherapy in bronchial asthma. DESIGN: An experimental design with pre- and post-therapy assessments was adopted. SETTING: The Medicine Out-patient Department of St. John's Medical College and Hospital, and Department of Clinical Psychology, NIMHANS, Bangalore. PATIENTS: Ten asthma patients who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria, matched for use of drugs, were sequentially allotted to two groups: a) experimental group, who were exposed to cognitive behaviour therapy along with standard pharmacotherapy, b) control group, who were exposed to standard pharmacotherapy alone. INTERVENTION: Cognitive behaviour therapy included 15 individual sessions consisting of asthma education, Jacobson progressive muscle relaxation (JPMR), behavioural techniques, cognitive restructuring, cognitive coping skills and behavioural counseling to significant others. MEASUREMENTS: The measures used for pre- and post-therapy assessments were--Asthma symptom checklist, asthma diary, state trait anxiety inventory-Y1 and Y2, Beck depression inventory, asthma quality of life questionnaire and peak expiratory flow rate. RESULTS: There was significant decrease in asthma symptoms, anxiety and depression; and significant increase in quality of life in the experimental group (p < 0.05) at the post-assessment. The control group did not show any significant change at the post-assessment. CONCLUSION: Cognitive behaviour therapy helps in improving the management of asthma.

Adolescent↗