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PubMedDate not supplied

[Assessment of behavioural and psychotic symptoms and functional status of nursing home residents with a diagnosis of dementia].

AIM: This study sought to determine the relationship between behavioural and psychopathological disturbance and the functional status of dementia patients. METHOD: The link between results of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version (NPI-NH) and Multidimensional Observation Scale for Elderly Subjects (MOSES) with cognitive impairment in 23 demented and 30 non-impaired nursing home residents was examined. Diagnosis of dementia was based on ICD-10 criteria. RESULTS: Results showed that behavioural and psychotic symptoms were most often found in cognitively impaired residents. Several symptoms of behavioural pathology showed associations with lower cognitive status, including delusions, apathy and aberrant motor behaviour. But dementia was not associated with more aggressive behaviours. CONCLUSION: Results of NPI-NH were correlated significantly with the MOSES scale in both groups. The results suggest that some non-cognitive symptoms may be related to the cognitive dysfunction in dementia and behavioural pathology may also have impact on the patient's ability to function.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Patient education about cough: effect on the consulting behaviour of general practice patients.

The aim of this general practice study was to examine how the consulting behaviour of patients with a cough was affected when the tasks and responsibilities of patients, practice nurses and general practitioners were reorganized. In four 'average' single-handed general practices the effects on the consulting behaviour of patients of a rational practice policy on cough and the provision of systematic patient education on cough were compared with patient behaviour in four matched control practices. Changes of behaviour were measured in 548 patients who consulted for cough at least twice, in two successive autumn-winter periods. Significantly more patients in the experimental practice changed their behaviour to follow the practice guidelines than did patients in the control practices (56% versus 30%, P less than 0.001). The proportion of patients who continued to consult in the approved manner was greater among patients receiving intervention (66% versus 29%, P less than 0.001). This was equally true for patients who had suffered less than four episodes of cough or more than four episodes. The more often the patients received the education, the more effective it was. All patients who consulted the general practitioner for cough during the first autumn-winter period filled in a cough diary during the second period. From this it appeared that the intervention did not result in patients delaying consultation when they had a cough lasting longer than three weeks or one with 'serious' symptoms. It would appear that a rational practice policy and the provision of patient education can stimulate patients to modify their consulting behaviour. This could result in a reduction in the costs of health care.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A comparison of faculty and student perceptions of clinical nurse teacher behaviours.

This study investigated the importance of clinical teaching behaviours from the perspective of the clinical nurse teacher and examined the influence of teacher characteristics. Forty-two clinical teachers from three Melbourne nursing programs rated the importance of 20 clinical teaching behaviours using a 7-point Likert scale. Results showed all 20 behaviours were deemed important in facilitating student learning with teacher behaviours rated most important and evaluation behaviours least important. Comparative analyses of data from this and a previous study identified significant differences between clinical teacher subgroups and close agreement by teachers and students on the importance of teacher behaviours. Findings are discussed and directions for future research identified.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

The drug management of acute behavioural disturbances.

Some aspects of drug management of acute behavioural disorder are discussed. Drug management aims at the amelioration of the patient's ineraction with his environment; it is used as a diagnostic procedure, and to facilitate further definitive diagnosis and investigation, as a form of psychotherapeutic contact, to facilitate further psychotherapy, and to initiate a treatment programme aimed at returning the patient to being a useful and health member of society. Some methods of rapid tranquillisation are described and the drug management of the following specific behavioural disturbances are discussed: schizophrenic distrubance, acute mania, depressive behavioural disturbance, acute anxiety states, acting-out psychopathic behaviour, toxic states, epileptic furore and dyscontrol syndrome, behavioural disturbances of the elderly, and behavioural disturbances in organic conditions.

Acting Out↗
PubMed1990

Naloxone antagonizes behavioural and ECoG effects induced by systemic or intracerebral administration of some lymphokines.

Rat interferon, alpha-interferon, interleukin-2 and recombinant interleukin-2 microinjected into the third cerebral ventricle produced in rats typical behavioural sedation and/or sleep and ECoG synchronization while beta-interferon produced no behavioural sleep and ECoG synchronization. A slight sedation was observed after highest dose of beta-interferon only. During sleep induced by these lymphokines a dose-dependent increase in total voltage power as well as in the 0.5-3, 4-7 and 12-16 Hz frequency bands was observed. Much lower doses were required to produce similar behavioural and ECoG spectrum power effects after microinfusion of interferons and interleukin-2 into the locus coeruleus. No significant behavioural and ECoG changes were obtained after microinfusion of the same doses of interferons and interleukin-2 into other areas of the brain (caudate nucleus, dorsal hippocampus, substantia nigra-pars compacta-, ventromedial hypothalamus). The behavioural and ECoG effects of alpha-interferon, rat interferon and interleukin-2 were blocked in animals pretreated with naloxone. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the behavioural and ECoG effects of these lymphokines are mediated at locus coeruleus level via a stimulation of opiate receptors.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Electrical stimulations of the basal forebrain and the nucleus cuneiformis differently modulate behavioural activation of freely moving rat.

Differences in inducing behavioural activation of two different cholinergic brain regions, the basal forebrain (nucleus basalis magnocellularis) and the mesencephalic nucleus cuneiformis were investigated in freely moving rats with electrodes in the hippocampus, the frontal cortex and olfactory bulb. Serial electrical stimulations with increasing intensities, a duration of 1 s and frequencies of 100 and 10 cps and single impulses were applied within both cholinergic regions. After lesions of the stimulated sites the tests were repeated. Serial stimulations of both cholinergic structures increased respiration rate, motor activity, and the trigger rate of slow hippocampal rhythm (theta rhythm) differently. However, the increase of these parameters of behavioural activation by stimulation of the basal forebrain were probably unspecific effects accompanying general behavioural activation because they remained unaffected by lesions of the stimulated sites. The nucleus cuneiformis modulates specifically respiration rate and motor activity. The duration of the behavioural activation by nucleus cuneiformis stimulation was longer compared with basal forebrain stimulation, and it was shortened by lesion of the nucleus cuneiformis. The frequency of the evoked slow hippocampal rhythm was higher with nucleus cuneiformis stimulation. The results indicate that the nucleus cuneiformis is a more homogeneous structure with regard to the modulation of these behavioural parameters whereas the basal forebrain showed more functional heterogeneity with 100 cps stimulation in all investigated parameters, with 10 cps stimulation only in the trigger rate of the slow hippocampal rhythm and the duration of evoked motor activity despite equal effects on the respiration rate and the intensity of motor activity. Functional heterogeneity was also observed in the induction of directed movements whereas with nucleus cuneiformis stimulation the directions of evoked movements were rather equal. Excessive behavioural excitement was only inducible with nucleus cuneiformis stimulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Sympathetic nervous system and control of blood pressure during natural behaviour.

The role of the sympathetic nervous system in generating behaviourally linked blood pressure (BP) responses was investigated in awake rats instrumented for chronic intra-arterial BP recording. All data from the recording sessions were digitalized and processed by a computer. Frequency interval histograms of behaviourally associated changes of BP and heart rate (HR) were generated. 6-Hydroxydopamine (100 and 200 mg/kg intravenously) was used for chemosympathectomy. In the intact rats (n = 8) three different frequency histograms of mean BP values for three behavioural groupings were generated (from lowest to highest average values): (1) resting, (2) exploring-grooming and (3) eating-drinking. Chemosympathectomy (n = 5) abolished this order of BP changes; mean BP did not rise from rest to other behaviours, nor did it vary during different behaviours. It is concluded that the sympathetic nervous system is responsible for producing the changes in BP that are appropriate and characteristic of each behaviour in awake, unrestrained rats.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Role of the medial preoptic area in sexual behaviour of the male rat: a study using repeated cycloheximide infusions.

The effect of cycloheximide (CHX), an inhibitor of proteosynthesis, on sexual behaviour was studied in adult male rats in which it was infused into the medial preoptic area of the hypothalamus (MPOA). Sexual interaction took place under control and modification of the precopulatory behaviour of the female. Among the various bilaterally infused amounts of CHX--20 micrograms in 1 microliter, 40 micrograms in 1 microliter, 80 micrograms in 2 microliters--the effect of the largest dose corresponded to a hypothetical state of copulatory readiness of the males; 2 h after administration the males were not capable of initiating copulatory behaviour with a passively receptive female, but did so successfully with a highly soliciting female. The dependence of copulatory readiness of the males on the precopulatory behaviour of the females was confirmed repeatedly after this dose of CHX. At the same time, the precopulatory activity of the males towards a passively receptive female was unimpaired. The effect of CHX was reversible; 48 h after infusion the males displayed high copulatory readiness. Only half the males (n = 7) given bilateral infusions of 80 micrograms CHX fulfilled criterion of copulatory performance. Histological control demonstrated that the MPOA was affected bilaterally by CHX infusion in 10 males out of 14. The results are discussed from the aspect of participation of the MPOA in the regulation of male sexual behaviour. The method allows changes in sexual behaviour to be studied in the same individual in a chronic experiment.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Behavioural aspects of the control of parasitic diseases.

Human behaviour has been largely neglected in research on the parasitic diseases, in part because of the long-standing separation of the behavioural disciplines from the physical and biomedical sciences. Some of the reasons for the persistence of this "intellectual discontinuity" are discussed. The paper is principally concerned with the prospects for greater use of the methods and orientations of the behavioural sciences in parasitic disease research and control programmes. Behavioural research tends to fall into two categories employing, on the one hand, survey research and epidemiological methods and, on the other, participant observation and interviewing in depth. These approaches are shown to be complementary-equally useful and necessary. Various categories of health-related behaviour and kinds of research objective are reviewed in the following sections. Special attention is given to psychosocial cost-benefit studies, to analyses of control sectors, and to the formulation of a control philosophy. Finally, some specific behavioural research needs are discussed for some of the parasitic diseases of priority in the UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases-schistosomiasis, filariasis, American and African trypanosomiases, and malaria.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1986

Exploratory and fear behaviour in the Macropodus opercularis subspecies, M. o. opercularis and M. o. concolor.

The exploratory and fear behaviours of the black paradise fish M. o. concolor, a subspecies of Macropodus opercularis, were studied and compared with those of an outbred and two inbred populations of M. o. opercularis. Adult females of both subspecies were used in the behaviour tests (open-field, novel-object approach, restricted space), and their behaviour in novel and startling situations was described by recording the sequence of ethologically defined units. It was found that M. o. concolor more often responded passively to novelty and fear-evoking stimuli. In 11 out of 14 test measures they were less active (p less than 0.01 and 0.001) than the outbred M. o. opercularis, but were very similar to our extremely timid strain P. Subtle differences of behaviour units were found between the subspecies, e.g. the absence of interrupted movements and unoriented panic behaviour in M. o. concolor. It is supposed that alternative passive and active strategies represent genetic polymorphism of defensive behaviour.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1987

The postnatal development of open field behaviour of the visually deprived rat.

The postnatal development of open field (OF) behaviour of two groups of each 8 male hooded rats (Long-Evans strain) was compared after bilateral eye bulb removal on the seventh postnatal day (pd) in one group and sham-operation on the same day in the other group. Ambulatory activity of the deprived group was much increased (p less than 0.01) in all sessions from the 10th to the 30th pd. Their habituation of responses to the OF was stabilized with delay only on the 21st pd. The deprived rats immediately entered central fields whereas sham-operated controls began this on the 23rd pd. Exploratory behaviour as measured by groups of horizontal head and body turnings, sniffing periods, rearings and wall climbings was significantly enhanced in deprived rats during certain phases of the postnatal development. The timing of the phases was rather identical with those of the sham-operated group and with untreated controls. Grooming activity was enhanced, too. The results indicate a rather quantitative than qualitative difference to rats which can develop visually guided behaviour. The changed OF behaviour of visually deprived rats is hardly explainable in terms of changed emotionality or tendencies to reinstate social contact and attempts to evade predation or any other ethological hypothesis of OF behaviour, but may be related to the role of visual input in the development of goal-directed behaviour.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Methamphetamine-induced behavioural effects and brain concentrations of methamphetamine and its metabolite amphetamine in mice.

(+)-Methamphetamine (MA) produced dose-related behavioural changes in mice. There was a correlation between the type of behavioural response and the peak brain MA concentration after the i.p. administration of each of the following doses of (+)-MA: 0.64 mg/kg (decreased quiescence--0.738 microgram/g MA), 2.5 mg/kg (increased locomotor activity--3.148 microgram/g MA) and 10.0 mg/kg (stereotyped behaviour--12.608 microgram/g MA). During the 90-min experimental period, there was no positive correlation between the magnitude of each type of drug-induced behaviour and the brain MA concentration. For 10.0 mg/kg (+)-MA, there was a negative correlation between the drug-induced stereotyped behaviour and the brain MA concentration. The apparent disappearance half-life of MA from brain was dependent on the dose of (+)-MA: 0.64 mg/kg (t1/2 56.6 min), 2.5 mg/kg (t1/2 66.6 min), 10.0 mg/kg (42.2 min). For the three (+)-MA doses, the metabolite amphetamine (A) also was present in the brain and the A/MA + A brain concentration ratio was 0.11--0.14. This metabolite appeared to have only a small involvement in the MA-induced behavioural effects.

Amphetamine↗
PubMed1984

An analysis of stereotyped behaviour in tethered sows.

The behaviour of 36 Yorkshire X Netherlands Landrace sows was individually and continuously recorded during eleven, 5-min periods commencing at 10.00 h. The sows were neck tethered in partial stalls in the dry sow accomodation of a 250-sow, commercial herd. The recorded behaviour data were analysed for cycles of repetitive behaviour which appeared to be non-functional. Four classes of stereotyped behaviour were recognized: fixed complete routines, fixed subroutines, transitory and loose. They were performed during 25.8, 12.9, 4.9 and 2.7% of the observation time, respectively. Some aspects of the two fixed-class stereotypes were found to be related to stage of pregnancy, that is, time spent tethered in the current pregnancy. The proportion of observation time that sows performed fixed stereotypes, and the number of fixed stereotypes, increased per sow with increase in stage of pregnancy, although in the former instance, less time was spent performing the stereotypes after day 80 of pregnancy. Considerable variability was recorded in the stereotypes in terms of use of particular elements, duration of element use, etc., suggesting that the classical definition of stereotyped behaviour may only hold in situations where the environment is totally unchanging. The use of a quantitative approach to measure stereotypes in tethered sows provides the basis for investigation of cause and function of these behaviours, and therefore the interpretation of stereotypes in terms of sow welfare.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Androgens, behaviour and fertility control in feral stallions.

This field study of feral stallions in Montana and Idaho examines and correlates the seasonal pattern of plasma androgens and specific sociosexual behaviour and reports the effect of a long-acting androgenic steroid on this behaviour and on fertility. Plasma testosterone was measured by competitive protein binding assay in samples obtained by jugular venepuncture from captured animals. In samples taken from 34 sexually mature stallions in 6 different months during the year, a definite seasonal pattern in testosterone was present, with a peak in May (3.04 +/- 0.63 ng/ml) and a nadir in December (1.55 +/- 0.34 ng/ml). Values were less than 2.0 ng/ml in non-breeding months and greater than 2.4 ng/ml in breeding months. Behavioural endpoints measured were (1) stallion scent marking in response to elimination by mares (elimination marking), (2) mounting and (3) copulation. The frequencies of each of these endpoints followed closely the seasonal pattern seen for plasma androgens. In the fertility study microcapsulated testosterone propionate (microTP) was administered i.m. to 10 harem stud stallions 3 months before the 1980 breeding season. In these stallions and in 10 control harem studs, the above behavioural endpoints were examined in the 1980 and 1981 breeding seasons, and foal counts were made in 1981. There were no direct inhibitory or stimulatory effects of microTP treatment on any of the behavioural endpoints in either year. In 1981 foals were produced in 87.5% of the control bands and 28.4% of the microTP-treated bands. These results indicate that microencapsulated testosterone propionate can provide effective fertility control in feral horses without causing significant alterations in sociosexual behaviour.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Sagittal knife cuts in the near and far lateral preoptic area-hypothalamus disrupt maternal behaviour in female hamsters.

Parasagittal knife cuts with a varied mediolateral position were placed along the medial preoptic-medial anterior hypothalamic continuum (MPOA-MAH) in female hamsters. Near lateral (NL) knife cuts severed mediolateral connections between the MPOA-MAH and the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) while far lateral cuts (FL) were placed more laterally, sparing MPOA-MAH connections with the MFB. Across the knife cut condition, hamsters were either allowed to construct and maintain a food hoard or allowed to feed ad lib but not permitted to hoard. Animals were then tested for maternal behaviours. Both NL and FL cuts disrupted pup-directed behaviours in virgin maternal tests. NL, but not FL cuts severely disrupted nest building. These same animals were then mated and tested for maternal behaviour with their own young. There were no differences among the experimental groups in various maternal behaviours during these tests. Throughout lactation, however, the majority of NL and FL hamsters not permitted to hoard progressively cannibalized their entire litters. NL and FL counterparts with the hoarding opportunity, on the other hand, cannibalized fewer pups and reared healthy, moderate-sized litters that were smaller than those of surgical controls. That FL cuts were just as effective as NL cuts in disrupting pup-directed behaviour suggests that the mediolateral connections of the MPOA-MAH, other than with the MFB, are important for these behaviours.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Circling behaviour induced by intranigral injection of baclofen in rats.

Baclofen (10 ng-1 micrograms) induced a dose-dependent contral ateral circling behaviour when injected unilaterally into the pars reticulata of the rat substantia nigra (SN). Pretreatment with bicuculline (3 mg/kg i.p.) significantly attenuated the intensity of the circling behaviour induced by intranigral baclofen but failed to prevent it completely. Pretreatment with strychnine (0.25 mg/kg i.p.) did not modify the circling behaviour induced by baclofen. Pretreatment with haloperidol (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg s.c.) significantly but not completely antagonized the circling response to baclofen. Pretreatment with atropine (10 mg/kg i.p.) signficantly increased the intensity of the circling behaviour within the first 30 min after intranigral injection of baclofen. The results show that baclofen, when injected uniaterally into the SN, causes contralateral circling behaviour similar to that described for GABA and muscimol. This suggests that baclofen may have some GABA agonist activity in the SN. The contralateral circling behaviour induced by baclofen seems to be mediated by both dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic systems.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Effective teaching behaviours of rural family medicine preceptors.

OBJECTIVE: To describe effective teaching behaviours of rural family medicine preceptors. DESIGN: Descriptive qualitative study using the critical incident technique. SETTING: Rural Manitoba community practices affiliated with the University of Manitoba's 8-week family medicine/community medicine rotation (clinical clerkship). PARTICIPANTS: All family medicine preceptors and fourth-year medical students involved in two family medicine rotations from Mar. 11 to June 14, 1991. During the first rotation all 12 students and 21 preceptors participated. During the second rotation 12 of the 13 students and 20 of the 21 preceptors participated. The overall response rate was 97%. OUTCOME MEASURES: Effective and less effective preceptor teaching behaviours. RESULTS: During 120 telephone interviews (48 with the students and 72 with the preceptors) 275 critical teaching incidents were elicited. Over 800 teaching behaviours were identified, and seven main categories describing effective teaching behaviours of preceptors were formed: (a) actively involves the student, providing adequate supervision and appropriate independence, (b) develops and fosters a supportive interpersonal relationship with the student to facilitate learning, (c) emphasizes problem solving and the understanding of general principles, (d) balances clinical and teaching responsibilities, (e) demonstrates clinical and professional competence, (f) uses an organized approach, including goal setting and summation, and (g) provides the student with ongoing feedback, assessments and evaluations. CONCLUSION: The teaching behaviours described in this study augment and corroborate findings from previous studies on clinical teaching and provide a better understanding of effective teaching behaviours. The findings suggest a curriculum for a faculty-development program for rural family medicine preceptors.

Canada↗
PubMed1993

Behavioural retardation in the neuropathology of mental retardation.

A series of experiments, involving diverse perinatal treatments of either rats or mice, have been performed in order to investigate the effects of these treatments upon certain selected spontaneous and learned behaviours in the laboratory in order to derive animal models of behavioural retardation. Rat dams were administered either methylazoxymethanol, metallic mercury, organic tin or neuroleptic compounds, and the offspring of these dams were studied on the behavioural tests at adult ages, prenatal studies. Newborn rat pups were administered either 6-OHDA (at various doses), or metallic mercury and then tested at adult ages. Newborn mice were administered either metaclopramide, an antiemetic compound or haloperidol, a neuroleptic compound, and tested for spontaneous and d-amphetamine induced activity as adult. The behavioural battery that the rats were tested with consisted of measures of spontaneous motor activity, including locomotion/ambulation, rearing, and head dipping behaviours, and a parameter under which diverse behaviours were collected, total activity. Alterations to instrumental maze learning performance were studied through application of the spacial learning tasks: the radial arm maze and the circular swim maze. Possible changes in dopaminergic pathways were assessed by measuring the effects of perinatal treatments upon d-amphetamine induced activity. It was shown that prenatal methylazoxymethanol, metallic mercury, organic tin and the neuroleptic compounds, haloperidol and remoxipride, altered various parameters of spontaneous motor activity, retarded maze learning in the radial arm maze and potentiated d-amphetamine induced activity. Metallic mercury rats were not subjected to the amphetamine test and remoxipride rats were not retarded on the learning task. Postnatal metallic mercury, 6-OHDA, haloperidol and the antiemetic compound, metaclopramide, also altered spontaneous and d-amphetamine induced activity as well as radial arm maze performance, excluding in this case haloperidol and metaclopramide. None of these treatments altered performance in the circular swim maze, except for 6-OHDA where doses inflicting severe depletions (greater than 85% depletion compared to control values) caused notable impairments. These diverse findings seem to implicate dopaminergic processes in brain development.

Animals↗