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Behavioral Measures (behavioral + measure)
Selected AbstractsMuscarinic receptor blockade in ventral hippocampus and prelimbic cortex impairs memory for socially transmitted food preferenceHIPPOCAMPUS, Issue 5 2009Anna Carballo-Márquez Abstract Acetylcholine is involved in learning and memory and, particularly, in olfactory tasks, but reports on its specific role in consolidation processes are somewhat controversial. The present experiment sought to determine the effects of blocking muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) and the prelimbic cortex (PLC) on the consolidation of social transmission of food preference, an odor-guided relational task that depends on such brain areas. Adult male Wistar rats were bilaterally infused with scopolamine (20 ,g/site) immediately after social training and showed impairment, relative to vehicle-injected controls, in the expression of the task measured 24 h after learning. Results indicated that scopolamine in the PLC completely abolished memory, suggesting that muscarinic transmission in this cortical region is crucial for consolidation of recent socially acquired information. Muscarinic receptors in the vHPC contribute in some way to task consolidation, as the rats injected with scopolamine in the vHPC showed significantly lower trained food preference than control rats, but higher than both chance level and that of the PLC-injected rats. Behavioral measures such as social interaction, motivation to eat, neophobia, or exploration did not differ between rats infused with scopolamine or vehicle. Such data suggest a possible differential role of muscarinic receptors in the PLC and the vHPC in the initial consolidation of a naturalistic form of nonspatial relational memory. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Behavioral measures of impulsivity and the law,BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 6 2008Charles W. Mathias Ph.D. The General Theory of Crime proposes that crime is explained by the combination of situational opportunity and lack of self-control. Impulsivity is one of the important components of self-control. Because behavioral measures of impulsivity are becoming more commonly utilized to assess forensic populations, this manuscript provides an overview of three current behavioral measures. In doing so, an example of their application is provided using a group of individuals likely to come into contact with the legal system: adolescents with Conduct Disorder. Earlier age of onset of Conduct Disorder symptoms has been shown to be an important predictor of the persistence of poor outcomes into adulthood, including participation in criminal activities. This study found differential behavioral profiles across distinct measures of impulsivity by those with childhood- versus adolescent-onset Conduct Disorder. Legal implications for defining behavioral deficits using behavioral measures of impulsivity and their current limitations are discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An ERP Study of Emotional Face Processing in the Adult and Infant BrainCHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 1 2007Jukka M. Leppänen To examine the ontogeny of emotional face processing, event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from adults and 7-month-old infants while viewing pictures of fearful, happy, and neutral faces. Face-sensitive ERPs at occipital,temporal scalp regions differentiated between fearful and neutral/happy faces in both adults (N170 was larger for fear) and infants (P400 was larger for fear). Behavioral measures showed no overt attentional bias toward fearful faces in adults, but in infants, the duration of the first fixation was longer for fearful than happy faces. Together, these results suggest that the neural systems underlying the differential processing of fearful and happy/neutral faces are functional early in life, and that affective factors may play an important role in modulating infants' face processing. [source] Characteristics of male and female prisoners involved in bullying behaviorAGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 3 2007Jane L. Ireland This study explores bullying behavior in a larger and more representative sample than previous prison-based research. It has two core aims, first to explore the nature of bullying in relation to indirect and direct aggression and, second, to explore the predictors of bully-category membership with particular reference to behavioral characteristics. Participants were adult men (n=728) and women (n=525) prisoners. All completed a behavioral measure of behavior indicative of bullying (Direct and Indirect Prisoner behavior Checklist, DIPC) that also explored prison-based behavior such as negative acts towards staff or prison rules, positive acts and drug-related behavior. Indirect aggression was, as predicted, reported more frequently than direct aggression, although this only held for perpetration. Bully-victims, as predicted, showed more negative behavior. Pure bullies and pure victims also showed more negative behavior than the other categories. The findings are discussed in relation to the environment in which bullying behavior is being assessed and with attention to the possible motivations underlying both bullying and negative behavior. Directions for future research are suggested. Aggr. Behav. 33:1,10, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Executive cognitive functioning and aggression: Is it an issue of impulsivity?AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 1 2003Peter N.S. Hoaken Abstract A large body of research has documented a relation between the executive cognitive functions (ECFs) and interpersonal aggressive behavior. A predominant theory proposes that individuals with poor ECFs are more aggressive because they are unable to inhibit impulsive behaviors. However, evidence for this relationship is typically indirect. In this study, 46 healthy men and women completed measures of ECF, the Taylor Aggression Paradigm, and the Go/No-Go discrimination task, a behavioral measure of impulsivity. Also, impulsiveness of participant responses during the aggression task was directly assessed by measuring latency of responses to provocation ("set-time"). It was hypothesized that low-quartile,scoring ECF men and women would perform more aggressively and more impulsively than high-quartile peers. Consistent with expectations, results indicated that ECF was related to aggression and to impulsivity on the Go/No-Go task. However, low-ECF men and women did not have shorter set-times; in fact, on this task, low-ECF participants' behavioral decisions seemed slightly slower than those of high-ECF participants. In light of these results, the authors speculate that a social information-processing problem may mediate the ECF aggression relationship rather than altered impulsivity per se. Aggr. Behav. 29:15,30, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Changes in Sensation Seeking and Risk-Taking Propensity Predict Increases in Alcohol Use Among Early AdolescentsALCOHOLISM, Issue 8 2010Laura MacPherson Background:, Conceptual models implicating disinhibitory traits often are applied to understanding emergent alcohol use, but, little is known of how inter-individual changes in these constructs relate to increases in alcohol use in early adolescence. The current study utilized behavioral and self-report instruments to capture the disinhibitory-based constructs of sensation seeking and risk-taking propensity to examine if increases in these constructs over time related to increases in early adolescent alcohol use. Methods:, Participants included a community sample of 257 early adolescents (aged 9 to 12) who completed a self-report measure of sensation seeking, a behavioral task assessing risk-taking propensity, and a self-report of past year alcohol use, at 3 annual assessment waves. Results:, Both sensation seeking and risk-taking propensity demonstrated significant increases over time, with additional evidence that change in the behavioral measure of risk-taking propensity was not because of practice effects. Greater sensation seeking and greater risk-taking propensity demonstrated concurrent relationships with past year alcohol use at each assessment wave. Prospective analyses indicated that after accounting for initial levels of alcohol use, sensation seeking, and risk-taking propensity at the first assessment wave, larger increases in both constructs predicted greater odds of alcohol use at subsequent assessment waves. Conclusions:, Results indicate the role of individual changes in disinhibitory traits in initial alcohol use in early adolescents. Specifically, findings suggest it is not simply initial levels of sensation seeking and risk-taking propensity that contribute to subsequent alcohol use but in particular increases in each of these constructs that predict greater odds of use. Future work should continue to assess the development of sensation seeking and risk-taking propensity in early adolescence and target these constructs in interventions as a potential means to reduce adolescent alcohol use. [source] Brief Motivational Interviewing for DWI Recidivists Who Abuse Alcohol and Are Not Participating in DWI Intervention: A Randomized Controlled TrialALCOHOLISM, Issue 2 2010Thomas G. Brown Background:, Driving while impaired (DWI) recidivists with unresolved alcohol use problems pose an ongoing risk for traffic safety. Following conviction, many do not participate in mandated alcohol evaluation and intervention programs, or continue to drink problematically after being relicensed. This study investigated if, in DWI recidivists with alcohol problems and not currently involved in DWI intervention, Brief Motivational Interviewing (BMI) produced greater reductions in risky drinking at 6- and 12-month follow-up compared to an information-advice control condition. Additional analyses explored whether BMI was associated with greater readiness to change, subsequent substance abuse treatment service utilization, and satisfaction compared to the control condition. Methods:, Male and female recidivists with drinking problems and not currently engaged in DWI intervention were recruited, evaluated, and then randomly assigned to receive 1 of 2 manualized interventions: 30-minute BMI session or information-advice. Participants, interviewers, researchers, and statisticians were blind to assignment. Outcomes were changed in: percent of risky drinking days (i.e., ,3 standard drinks/d for males; ,2 for females) in the previous 6 months derived from the Timeline Followback, biomarkers of alcohol abuse (GGT, AST, ALT, MCV) by blood assay, and alcohol abuse-related behaviors using the MMPI-Mac scale. Data from the Readiness to Change Questionnaire, a substance abuse service utilization questionnaire, and the Client Satisfaction Scale were also collected. Results:, Analyses revealed significant declines in risky drinking with both interventions. BMI (n = 92) resulted in a 25% reduction in risky drinking days at 12-month follow-up, which compared to the control intervention (n = 92) represented a significant decline from 6-month levels. Exposure to BMI also produced significantly greater improvement at 6-month follow-up in a biomarker of alcohol abuse and a behavioral measure related to recidivism risk. Exploration of readiness to change, substance abuse service utilization, and satisfaction with intervention indicated a perception of BMI being more useful in coping with problems. Conclusions:, Brief MI approaches warrant further implementation and effectiveness research as an opportunistic DWI intervention strategy to reduce risks associated with alcohol use outside of clinical and DWI relicensing settings. [source] Line bisection as a neural marker of approach motivationPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 5 2010Kyle Nash Abstract Approach motivation has been reliably associated with relative left prefrontal brain activity as measured with electroencephalography (EEG). Motivation researchers have increasingly used the line bisection task, a behavioral measure of relative cerebral asymmetry, as a neural index of approach motivation-related processes. Despite its wide adoption, however, the line bisection task has not been confirmed as a valid measure of the precise pattern of activity linked to approach motivation. In two studies, we demonstrate that line bisection bias is specifically related to baseline, approach-related, prefrontal EEG alpha asymmetry (Study 1) and is heightened by the same situational factors that heighten the same approach-related prefrontal EEG alpha asymmetry (Study 2). Results support the line bisection task as an efficient and unobtrusive behavioral neuroscience measure of approach motivation. [source] Curiosity and cure: Translational research strategies for neural repair-mediated rehabilitationDEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY, Issue 9 2007Bruce H. Dobkin Abstract Clinicians who seek interventions for neural repair in patients with paralysis and other impairments may extrapolate the results of cell culture and rodent experiments into the framework of a preclinical study. These experiments, however, must be interpreted within the context of the model and the highly constrained hypothesis and manipulation being tested. Rodent models of repair for stroke and spinal cord injury offer examples of potential pitfalls in the interpretation of results from developmental gene activation, transgenic mice, endogeneous neurogenesis, cellular transplantation, axon regeneration and remyelination, dendritic proliferation, activity-dependent adaptations, skills learning, and behavioral testing. Preclinical experiments that inform the design of human trials ideally include a lesion of etiology, volume and location that reflects the human disease; examine changes induced by injury and by repair procedures both near and remote from the lesion; distinguish between reactive molecular and histologic changes versus changes critical to repair cascades; employ explicit training paradigms for the reacquisition of testable skills; correlate morphologic and physiologic measures of repair with behavioral measures of task reacquisition; reproduce key results in more than one laboratory, in different strains or species of rodent, and in a larger mammal; and generalize the results across several disease models, such as axonal regeneration in a stroke and spinal cord injury platform. Collaborations between basic and clinical scientists in the development of translational animal models of injury and repair can propel experiments for ethical bench-to-bedside therapies to augment the rehabilitation of disabled patients. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol, 2007 [source] A dual systems model of adolescent risk-taking,DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Laurence Steinberg Abstract It has been hypothesized that reward-seeking and impulsivity develop along different timetables and have different neural underpinnings, and that the difference in their timetables helps account for heightened risk-taking during adolescence. In order to test these propositions, age differences in reward-seeking and impulsivity were examined in a socioeconomically and ethnically diverse sample of 935 individuals between the ages of 10 and 30, using self-report and behavioral measures of each construct. Consistent with predictions, age differences in reward-seeking follow a curvilinear pattern, increasing between preadolescence and mid-adolescence, and declining thereafter. In contrast, age differences in impulsivity follow a linear pattern, with impulsivity declining steadily from age 10 on. Heightened vulnerability to risk-taking in middle adolescence may be due to the combination of relatively higher inclinations to seek rewards and still maturing capacities for self-control. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 52: 216,224, 2010 [source] Quality-of-Life and Behavioral Outcome Measures in Randomized Controlled Trials of Antiepileptic Drugs: A Systematic Review of Methodology and Reporting StandardsEPILEPSIA, Issue 11 2000Gus A. Baker Summary: Purpose: To review the methodology and use of quality-of-life and behavioral measures used in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of antiepileptic drugs in patients with epilepsy. Methods: Trial reports were found by searching a previously developed comprehensive database of epilepsy RCTs and searching through journals by hand. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and methodological and quality-of-life and behavioral measure data were extracted. Results: There were 52 different measures used in 46 trials, with the Profile of Mood States, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, and the Washington Psychosocial Seizure Inventory being applied the most frequently. Overall, evidence of the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of measures used in populations of people with epilepsy was sparse. There was also little information on the clinical interpretation of the results. Conclusion: Our results highlight a consistent failure to apply quality-of-life and behavioral measures in RCTs in a systematic way. We found repeated evidence of researchers' failure to review the use of previous measures and selection of measures without evidence of their appropriateness for use in a population with epilepsy. We recommend the use of quality-of-life and behavioral measures in RCTs with proven psychometric properties in a population with epilepsy. [source] REVIEW: Human and laboratory rodent low response to alcohol: is better consilience possible?ADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2010John C. Crabbe ABSTRACT If people are brought into the laboratory and given alcohol, there are pronounced differences among individuals in many responses to the drug. Some participants in alcohol challenge protocols show a cluster of ,low level of responses to alcohol' determined by observing post-drinking-related changes in subjective, motor and physiological effects at a given dose level. Those individuals characterized as having low level of response (LR) to alcohol have been shown to be at increased risk for a lifetime diagnosis of alcohol dependence (AD), and this relationship between low LR and AD appears to be in part genetic. LR to alcohol is an area where achieving greater consilience between the human and the rodent phenotypes would seem to be highly likely. However, despite extensive data from both human and rodent studies, few attempts have been made to evaluate the human and animal data systematically in order to understand which aspects of LR appear to be most directly comparable across species and thus the most promising for further study. We review four general aspects of LR that could be compared between humans and laboratory animals: (1) behavioral measures of subjective intoxication; (2) body sway; (3) endocrine responses; and (4) stimulant, autonomic and electrophysiological responses. None of these aspects of LR provide completely face-valid direct comparisons across species. Nevertheless, one of the most replicated findings in humans is the low subjective response, but, as it may reflect either aversively valenced and/or positively valenced responses to alcohol as usually assessed, it is unclear which rodent responses are analogous. Stimulated heart rate appears to be consistent in animal and human studies, although at-risk subjects appear to be more rather than less sensitive to alcohol using this measure. The hormone and electrophysiological data offer strong possibilities of understanding the neurobiological mechanisms, but the rodent data in particular are rather sparse and unsystematic. Therefore, we suggest that more effort is still needed to collect data using refined measures designed to be more directly comparable in humans and animals. Additionally, the genetically mediated mechanisms underlying this endophenotype need to be characterized further across species. [source] REVIEW: Impulsivity as a determinant and consequence of drug use: a review of underlying processesADDICTION BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Harriet De Wit ABSTRACT Impulsive behaviors are closely linked to drug use and abuse, both as contributors to use and as consequences of use. Trait impulsivity is an important determinant of drug use during development, and in adults momentary ,state' increases in impulsive behavior may increase the likelihood of drug use, especially in individuals attempting to abstain. Conversely, acute and chronic effects of drug use may increase impulsive behaviors, which may in turn facilitate further drug use. However, these effects depend on the behavioral measure used to assess impulsivity. This article reviews data from controlled studies investigating different measures of impulsive behaviors, including delay discounting, behavioral inhibition and a newly proposed measure of inattention. Our findings support the hypothesis that drugs of abuse alter performance across independent behavioral measures of impulsivity. The findings lay the groundwork for studying the cognitive and neurobiological substrates of impulsivity, and for future studies on the role of impulsive behavior as both facilitator and a result of drug use. [source] Genetic loss of D-amino acid oxidase activity reverses schizophrenia-like phenotypes in miceGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 1 2010V. Labrie Reduced function of the N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor (NMDAR) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The NMDAR contains a glycine binding site in its NR1 subunit that may be a useful target for the treatment of schizophrenia. In this study, we assessed the therapeutic potential of long-term increases in the brain levels of the endogenous NMDAR glycine site agonist D-serine, through the genetic inactivation of its catabolic enzyme D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) in mice. The effects of eliminating DAO function were investigated in mice that display schizophrenia-related behavioral deficits due to a mutation (Grin 1D481N) in the NR1 subunit that results in a reduction in NMDAR glycine affinity. Grin 1D481N mice show deficits in sociability, prolonged latent inhibition, enhanced startle reactivity and impaired spatial memory. The hypofunctional Dao 1G181R mutation elevated brain levels of D-serine, but alone it did not affect performance in the behavioral measures. Compared to animals with only the Grin 1D481N mutation, mice with both the Dao1G181R and Grin 1D481N mutations displayed an improvement in social approach and spatial memory retention, as well as a reversal of abnormally persistent latent inhibition and a partial normalization of startle responses. Thus, an increased level of D-serine resulting from decreased catalysis corrected the performance of mice with deficient NMDAR glycine site activation in behavioral tasks relevant to the negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. Diminished DAO activity and elevations in D-serine may serve as an effective therapeutic intervention for the treatment of psychiatric symptoms. [source] Wild mouse open field behavior is embedded within the multidimensional data space spanned by laboratory inbred strainsGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 5 2006E. Fonio The vast majority of studies on mouse behavior are performed on laboratory mouse strains (Mus laboratorius), while studies of wild-mouse behavior are relatively rare. An interesting question is the relationship between the phenotypes of M. laboratorius and the phenotypes of their wild ancestors. It is commonly believed, often in the absence of hard evidence, that the behavior of wild mice exceeds by far, in terms of repertoire richness, magnitude of variables and variability of behavioral measures, the behavior of the classical inbred strains. Having phenotyped the open field behavior (OF) of eight of the commonly used laboratory inbred strains, two wild-derived strains and a group of first-generation-in-captivity local wild mice (Mus musculus domesticus), we show that contrary to common belief, wild-mouse OF behavior is moderate, both in terms of end-point values and in terms of their variability, being embedded within the multidimensional data space spanned by laboratory inbred strains. The implication could be that whereas natural selection favors moderate locomotor behavior in wild mice, the inbreeding process tends to generate in mice, in some of the features, extreme and more variable behavior. [source] Heritability, correlations and in silico mapping of locomotor behavior and neurochemistry in inbred strains of miceGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2005T. R. Mhyre The midbrain dopamine system mediates normal and pathologic behaviors related to motor activity, attention, motivation/reward and cognition. These are complex, quantitative traits whose variation among individuals is modulated by genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. Conventional genetic methods have identified several genes important to this system, but the majority of factors contributing to the variation remain unknown. To understand these genetic and environmental factors, we initiated a study measuring 21 behavioral and neurochemical traits in 15 common inbred mouse strains. We report trait data, heritabilities and genetic and non-genetic correlations between pheno-types. In general, the behavioral traits were more heritable than neurochemical traits, and both genetic and non-genetic correlations within these trait sets were high. Surprisingly, there were few significant correlations between the behavioral and the individual neurochemical traits. However, striatal serotonin and one measure of dopamine turnover (DOPAC/DA) were highly correlated with most behavioral measures. The variable accounting for the most variation in behavior was mouse strain and not a specific neurochemical measure, suggesting that additional genetic factors remain to be determined to account for these behavioral differences. We also report the prospective use of the in silico method of quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis and demonstrate difficulties in the use of this method, which failed to detect significant QTLs for the majority of these traits. These data serve as a framework for further studies of correlations between different midbrain dopamine traits and as a guide for experimental cross designs to identify QTLs and genes that contribute to these traits. [source] Covariations among fMRI, skin conductance, and behavioral data during processing of concealed informationHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 12 2007Matthias Gamer Abstract Imaging techniques have been used to elucidate the neural correlates that underlie deception. The scientifically best understood paradigm for the detection of deception, however, the guilty knowledge test (GKT), was rarely used in imaging studies. By transferring a GKT-paradigm to a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, while additionally quantifying reaction times and skin conductance responses (SCRs), this study aimed at identifying the neural correlates of the behavioral and electrodermal response pattern typically found in GKT examinations. Prior to MR scanning, subjects viewed two specific items (probes) and were instructed to hide their knowledge of these. Two other specific items were designated as targets and required a different behavioral response during the experiment and eight items served as irrelevant stimuli. Reaction times and SCR amplitudes differed significantly between all three item types. The neuroimaging data revealed that right inferior frontal and mid-cingulate regions were more active for probe and target trials compared to irrelevants. Moreover, the differential activation in the right inferior frontal region was modulated by stimulus conflicts. These results were interpreted as an increased top-down influence on the stimulus-response-mapping for concealed and task-relevant items. Additionally, the influence of working memory and retrieval processes on this activation pattern is discussed. Using parametric analyses, reaction times and SCR amplitudes were found to be linearly related to activity in the cerebellum, the right inferior frontal cortex, and the supplementary motor area. This result provides a first link between behavioral measures, sympathetic arousal, and neural activation patterns during a GKT examination. Hum Brain Mapp 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Late acquisition of literacy in a native languageHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 1 2007Jubin Abutalebi Abstract With event-related functional MRI (fMRI) and with behavioral measures we studied the brain processes underlying the acquisition of native language literacy. Adult dialect speakers were scanned while reading words belonging to three different conditions: dialect words, i.e., the native language in which subjects are illiterate (dialect), German words, i.e., the second language in which subjects are literate, and pseudowords. Investigating literacy acquisition of a dialect may reveal how novel readers of a language build an orthographic lexicon, i.e., establish a link between already available semantic and phonological representations and new orthographic word forms. The main results of the study indicate that a set of regions, including the left anterior hippocampal formation and subcortical nuclei, is involved in the buildup of orthographic representations. The repeated exposure to written dialect words resulted in a convergence of the neural substrate to that of the language in which these subjects were already proficient readers. The latter result is compatible with a "fast" brain plasticity process that may be related to a shift of reading strategies. Hum Brain Mapp, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Approaches to measuring the effects of wake-promoting drugs: a focus on cognitive functionHUMAN PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY: CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL, Issue 5 2009Christopher J. Edgar Abstract Objectives In clinical drug development, wakefulness and wake-promotion may be assessed by a large number of scales and questionnaires. Objective assessment of wakefulness is most commonly made using sleep latency/maintenance of wakefulness tests, polysomnography and/or behavioral measures. The purpose of the present review is to highlight the degree of overlap in the assessment of wakefulness and cognition, with consideration of assessment techniques and the underlying neurobiology of both concepts. Design Reviews of four key areas were conducted: commonly used techniques in the assessment of wakefulness; neurobiology of sleep/wake and cognition; targets of wake promoting and/or cognition enhancing drugs; and ongoing clinical trials investigating wake promoting effects. Results There is clear overlap between the assessment of wakefulness and cognition. There are common techniques which may be used to assess both concepts; aspects of the neurobiology of both concepts may be closely related; and wake-promoting drugs may have nootropic properties (and vice versa). Clinical trials of wake-promoting drugs often, though not routinely, assess aspects of cognition. Conclusions Routine and broad assessment of cognition in the development of wake-promoting drugs may reveal important nootropic effects, which are not secondary to alertness/wakefulness, whilst existing cognitive enhancers may have underexplored or unknown wake promoting properties. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] What sources contribute to variance in observer ratings?INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 3 2008Using generalizability theory to assess construct validity of psychological measures Abstract Cronbach and Meehl (Psychol. Bull. 1955; 52:281,302) stated that the key question to be addressed when assessing construct validity is ,What sources contribute to variance in test performance?' We illustrate the utility of generalizability theory (GT) as a conceptual framework that encourages psychological researchers to address this question and as a flexible set of analytic tools that can provide answers to inform both substantive theory and measurement practice. To illustrate these capabilities, we analyze observer ratings of 27 caregiver,child dyads, focusing on the importance of situational (contextual) factors as sources of variance in observer ratings of caregiver,child behaviors. Cross-situational consistency was relatively low for the categories of behavior analyzed, indicating that dyads vary greatly in their interactional patterns from one situation to the next, so that it is difficult to predict behavioral frequencies in one context from behaviors observed in a different context. Our findings suggest that single-situation behavioral measures may have limited generalizability, either to behavior in other contexts or as measures of global interaction tendencies. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and measurement design in developmental psychology. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Cue reactivity as a predictor of outcome with bulimia nervosaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 3 2002Frances A. Carter Abstract The present study sought to evaluate specific hypotheses concerning the relation between cue reactivity and outcome among women with bulimia nervosa. Participants were 135 women aged between 17 and 45 years with a current, primary diagnosis of bulimia nervosa who participated in a randomized clinical trial evaluating the additive efficacy of exposure and nonexposure-based behavior therapy, to a core of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). Physiological, self-report, and behavioral measures of cue reactivity to individualized high-risk binge foods were obtained at pretreatment and posttreatment. Primary, secondary, and tertiary outcome measures are reported for posttreatment and six-month follow-up. Self-report measures of cue reactivity at posttreatment were significantly positively associated with symptomatology at posttreatment. Cue reactivity at posttreatment was significantly positively associated with symptomatology at 6-month follow-up. However, cue reactivity at posttreatment did not contribute to the prediction of outcome at follow-up over and above posttreatment outcome. The notion that pretreatment cue reactivity may predict which treatment modality will be most beneficial (exposure or nonexposure-based treatment), as measured by reductions in symptomatology at posttreatment could not be supported. Implications for future research are discussed. © 2002 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 31: 240,250, 2002; DOI 10.1002/eat.10041 [source] Energy-Containing Nutritional Supplements Can Affect Usual Energy Intake Postsupplementation in Institutionalized Seniors with Probable Alzheimer's DiseaseJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 9 2006Matthew D. Parrott BSc OBJECTIVES: To determine whether increases in caloric intake associated with consumption of a mid-morning nutritional supplement for 3 weeks were maintained in the week after stopping the supplement and to investigate the effects of body mass index (BMI) and cognitive and behavioral measures on this response. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a previously published randomized, crossover, nonblinded clinical trial. SETTING: A fully accredited geriatric care facility affiliated with the University of Toronto. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty institutionalized seniors with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) who ate independently. MEASUREMENTS: Investigator-weighed food intake, body weight, cognitive (Severe Impairment Battery; Global Deterioration Scale) and behavioral (Neuropsychiatric Inventory,Nursing Home version; London Psychogeriatric Rating Scale) assessments. RESULTS: Individuals who responded successfully to supplementation as indicated by increases in daily energy intake were likely to maintain 58.8% of that increase postsupplementation, although stopping the supplement was associated with decreased habitual energy intake in low-BMI individuals who reduced their daily intakes during supplementation in response to the extra calories. Cognitive/behavioral tests were not reliable predictors of postsupplement intake. CONCLUSION: Institutionalized seniors with probable AD are likely to alter their usual energy intakes to maintain changes resulting from 3 weeks of supplementation. This effect may allow for rotating supplementation schedules in nursing homes that could reduce staff burden, but only for those individuals who are most likely to respond favorably. These data indicate that nutritional supplements and diet plans should be carefully prescribed in low-BMI individuals to limit variability in total energy provided and thus prevent lower-than-normal intake. [source] Priming Deficiency in Male Subjects at Risk for Alcoholism: The N4 During a Lexical Decision TaskALCOHOLISM, Issue 12 2009Bangalore N. Roopesh Background:, While there is extensive literature on the relationship between the P3 component of event-related potentials (ERPs) and risk for alcoholism, there are few published studies regarding other potentially important ERP components. One important candidate is the N4(00) component in the context of semantic processing, as abnormalities in this component have been reported for adult alcoholics. Method:, A semantic priming task was administered to nonalcohol dependent male offspring (18 to 25 years) of alcoholic fathers [high risk (HR) n = 23] and nonalcoholic fathers [low risk (LR) n = 28] to study whether the 2 groups differ in terms of the N4 component. Subjects were presented with 150 words and 150 nonwords. Among the words, 50 words (primed) were preceded by their antonyms (prime, n = 50), whereas the remaining 50 words were unprimed. For the analysis, N4 amplitude and latency as well as behavioral measures for the primed and unprimed words were considered. Results:, A significant interaction effect was observed between semantic condition and group, where HR subjects did not show N4 attenuation for primed stimuli. Conclusion:, The lack of N4 attenuation to primed stimuli and/or inability to differentiate between primed and unprimed stimuli, without latency and reaction time being affected, suggest deficits in semantic priming, especially in semantic expectancy and/or postlexical semantic processing in HR male offspring. Further, it indicates that it might be an electrophysiological endophenotype that reflects genetic vulnerability to develop alcoholism. [source] Alcohol-Induced Tolerance and Physical Dependence in Mice With Ethanol Insensitive ,1 GABAA ReceptorsALCOHOLISM, Issue 2 2009David F. Werner Background:, Although many people consume alcohol (ethanol), it remains unknown why some become addicted. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms of tolerance and physical dependence (withdrawal) may provide insight into alcohol addiction. While the exact molecular mechanisms of ethanol action are unclear, ,-aminobutyric acid type A receptors (GABAA -Rs) have been extensively implicated in ethanol action. The ,1 GABAA -R subunit is associated with tolerance and physical dependence, but its exact role remains unknown. In this report, we tested the hypothesis that ,1-GABAA -Rs mediate in part these effects of ethanol. Methods:, Ethanol-induced behavioral responses related to tolerance and physical dependence were investigated in knockin (KI) mice that have ethanol-insensitive ,1 GABAA -Rs and wildtype (WT) controls. Acute functional tolerance (AFT) was assessed using the stationary dowel and loss of righting reflex (LORR) assays. Chronic tolerance was assessed on the LORR, fixed speed rotarod, hypothermia, and radiant tail-flick assays following 10 consecutive days of ethanol exposure. Withdrawal-related hyperexcitability was assessed by handling-induced convulsions following 3 cycles of ethanol vapor exposure/withdrawal. Immunoblots were used to assess ,1 protein levels. Results:, Compared with controls, KI mice displayed decreased AFT and chronic tolerance to ethanol-induced motor ataxia, and also displayed heightened ethanol-withdrawal hyperexcitability. No differences between WT and KI mice were seen in other ethanol-induced behavioral measures. Following chronic exposure to ethanol, control mice displayed reductions in ,1 protein levels, but KIs did not. Conclusions:, We conclude that ,1-GABAA -Rs play a role in tolerance to ethanol-induced motor ataxia and withdrawal-related hyperexcitability. However, other aspects of behavioral tolerance and physical dependence do not rely on ,1-containing GABAA -Rs. [source] Blood Oxygen Level Dependent Response and Spatial Working Memory in Adolescents With Alcohol Use DisordersALCOHOLISM, Issue 10 2004Susan F. Tapert Background: Previous studies have suggested neural disruption and reorganization in young and older adults with alcohol use disorders (AUD). However, it remains unclear at what age and when in the progression of AUD changes in brain functioning might occur. Methods: Alcohol use disordered (n= 15) and nonabusing (n= 19) boys and girls aged 15 to 17 were recruited from local high schools. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected after a minimum of 5 days' abstinence as participants performed spatial working memory and simple motor tasks. Results: Adolescents with AUD showed greater brain response to the spatial working memory task in bilateral parietal cortices and diminished response in other regions, including the left precentral gyrus and bilateral cerebellar areas (clusters ,943 ,l; p < 0.05), although groups did not differ on behavioral measures of task performance. No brain response differences were observed during a simple finger-tapping task. The degree of abnormality was greater for teens who reported experiencing more withdrawal or hangover symptoms and who consumed more alcohol. Conclusions: Adolescents with AUD show abnormalities in brain response to a spatial working memory task, despite adequate performance, suggesting that subtle neuronal reorganization may occur early in the course of AUD. [source] Responsiveness to General Education Instruction as the First Gate to Learning Disabilities IdentificationLEARNING DISABILITIES RESEARCH & PRACTICE, Issue 3 2003Deborah L. Speece Most definitions of learning disabilities (LD) include a qualification that adequate general education instruction was received and the child with LD did not benefit. Rarely is this tenet assessed in either practice or research before a diagnosis is made. We review three studies that investigated children's responsiveness to general education reading instruction as an indicator of need for more intensive interventions. Adequacy of instruction was quantified by children's level and rate of progress, compared to classmates, as measured by curriculum-based measures of oral reading fluency. We found that the response-to-instruction model tested was valid in that (1) children who differ from their peers on level and slope of performance (dual discrepancy) have more severe academic and behavioral problems than children who have IQ-achievement discrepancies or low achievement; (2) children who demonstrate persistent nonresponsiveness over three years differ from other at-risk children on reading, reading-related, and behavioral measures; and (3) at-risk children who participated in specially designed general education interventions had better outcomes than at-risk children who did not participate. We conducted additional analyses to assess low achievement definitional variations and found that they lack sensitivity and coverage compared to a dual discrepancy definition. [source] Molecular phenotype of Fragile X syndrome: FMRP, FXRPs, and protein targetsMICROSCOPY RESEARCH AND TECHNIQUE, Issue 3 2002Walter E. Kaufmann Abstract Fragile X syndrome (FraX) is one of the most prevalent genetic causes of mental retardation. FraX is associated with an unstable expansion of a polymorphism within the 5, untranslated region of the FMR1 gene. The main consequence of this mutation is a reduction in the levels of the gene product (FMRP). FMRP is an RNA-binding protein with multiple spliced variants (isoforms) and high levels of expression in a variety of tissues, including neurons. In the latter cells, it is localized not only to the perikaryon but also to dendrites and dendritic spines. FMRP belongs to a family of proteins that includes the Fragile X Related Proteins or FXRPs. FXRPs share high homology in their functional domains with FMRP, and also associate with mRNA and components of the protein synthesis apparatus. However, FXRPs do not have the same temporo-spatial pattern of distribution (and other properties) of FMRP. Immunochemical assays have confirmed that a functionally uncompensated FMRP deficit is the essence of the FraX molecular phenotype. Here, we report our preliminary study on FXRPs levels in leukocytes from FraX males. By immunoblotting, we found that a marked reduction in FMRP levels is associated with a modest increase in FXR1P and no changes in FXR2P levels. The consequences of this reduced FMRP expression on protein synthesis, in other words, the identification of FMRP targets, can be studied by different molecular approaches including protein interaction and proteomics methods. By two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, we showed that in FraX leukocytes there is a defect in acetylation that involves prominently the regulatory protein annexin-1. Extension of current studies of the molecular phenotype to more brain-relevant tissue samples, a wider range of proteomics-based methods, and correlative analyses of FMRP homologues and FMRP targets with multiple behavioral measures, will greatly expand our understanding of FraX pathogenesis and it will help to develop and monitor new therapeutic strategies. Microsc. Res. Tech. 57:135,144, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] E-scapes: The electronic physical environment and service tangibilityPSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 2 2003Stephen K. Koernig Tangible cues in a firm's physical environment play an important role in affecting consumer attitudes and behavior (Baker, Berry, & Parasuraman, 1988; Bitner, 1990, 1992; Darden & Babin, 1994; Donovan & Rossiter, 1982; Zeithaml, 1981). The physical environment has typically been conceptualized as in-store variables such as lighting, music, color, smell, and store layout, but the Internet has created a new type of electronic physical environment, the e-scape, based in cyberspace. This research investigates the role of tangibility in maximizing the effectiveness of an e-scape for service firms. The effectiveness of the Berry and Clark (1986) documentation, physical representation, and association strategies is explored by empirically examining the impact of Web sites employing these strategies on attitudinal and behavioral measures. The results suggest that the documentation strategy is effective for increasing the tangibility of services and elicits more positive evaluations of the service and the Web site, higher unaided recall, and higher loyalty. The results also indicate that the physical representation strategy is more effective than the association strategy in certain conditions. The mechanism driving these effects is described and managerial implications are discussed. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Resource allocation and fluid intelligence: Insights from pupillometryPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Elke Van Der Meer Abstract Thinking is biological work and involves the allocation of cognitive resources. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of fluid intelligence on the allocation of cognitive resources while one is processing low-level and high-level cognitive tasks. Individuals with high versus average fluid intelligence performed low-level choice reaction time tasks and high-level geometric analogy tasks. We combined behavioral measures to examine speed and accuracy of processing with pupillary measures that indicate resource allocation. Individuals with high fluid intelligence processed the low-level choice reaction time tasks faster than normal controls. The task-evoked pupillary responses did not differ between groups. Furthermore, individuals with high fluid intelligence processed the high-level geometric analogies faster, more accurately, and showed greater pupil dilations than normal controls. This was only true, however, for the most difficult analogy tasks. In addition, individuals with high fluid intelligence showed greater preexperimental pupil baseline diameters than normal controls. These results indicate that individuals with high fluid intelligence have more resources available and thus can solve more demanding tasks. Moreover, high fluid intelligence appears to be accompanied by more task-free exploration. [source] The processing of sound duration after left hemisphere stroke: Event-related potential and behavioral evidencePSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 4 2001T.-M. Ilvonen The ability of left-hemisphere stroke patients (n= 8) and healthy control subjects (n= 8) to process sounds preattentively and attentively was studied by recording auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) and behavioral responses. For the right-ear stimulation, the mismatch negativity (MMN) was significantly smaller in the patients than control subjects over both hemispheres. For the left-ear stimuli, the MMN was significantly smaller in the patient group than in the control group over the left hemisphere, whereas no group differences were obtained over the right hemisphere. In addition, the N1 amplitude was reduced bilaterally for the right-ear stimulation (with the reduction being larger over the left hemisphere), whereas no significant effects on the N1 amplitude were found for the left-ear stimulation. Behaviorally, the patients detected significantly fewer deviant tones than did the control subjects irrespective of the stimulated ear. The present results thus suggest that the long-latency ERPs can be used to probe such auditory processing deficits that are difficult to define with behavioral measures. Especially by recording MMN to monaural stimuli, the discrimination accuracy can be separately determined for the left and right temporal lobes. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||