Ontogeny of behavioral sensitization to cocaine

The ontogeny of the behavioral effects of acute cocaine administration and behavioral sensitization to cocaine in rat pups was investigated. Acute behavior stimulating effects of cocaine were observed in pups as young as 7 postnatal days (PND) old, although they needed a higher dose of cocaine than adult rats to evoke the same motor effects. An adult dose-response curve pattern of stereotypy and locomotion to acute cocaine treatment was observed at PND 21, and of rearing at PND 28. Rats aged PND 7, 14, 21, 28, and 56 received repeated injections of saline or cocaine (15 mg/kg) twice a day for 5 consecutive days. After a 3-week period of abstinence, sensitization to a challenge dose of cocaine was assessed. Cocaine-induced stereotyped behavior was enhanced significantly only in rats in which cocaine pretreatment was initiated on PND 21, 28, and 56, but not earlier on PND 7 and 14. Adult female rats given repeated cocaine injections on PND 56–60 showed significantly greater sensitization than males, but no such sex difference was observed in pups given cocaine repeatedly on PND 21–25 or 28–32. These results show clearly that cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization in rats occurred only when subchronic cocaine administration was commenced on PND 21 or later.     

Competition for sucrose-pellets in triads of male wistar rats: effects of acute and subchronic chloridazepoxide

Within triads of male Wistar rats, some animals almost completely abstain from competition for palatable sucrose pellets (so-called poor-performing rats), whereas other rats consistently win the competition (so-called high-performing rats). Subchronic (5 mg/kg; 5 consecutive days), but not acute (0.1–20 mg/kg), treatment with chlordiazepoxide temporarily helped poor-performing rats to behave more competitively. This finding, considered together with parallel studies (using high-performing rats), suggested that chloridazepoxide's beneficial effect was only demonstrable when the poor-performing rats had become tolerant to the drug's initial sedative effect.     

阿尔茨海默病脑白质葡萄糖代谢异常分析

目的探讨阿尔茨海默病(AD)脑白质葡萄糖代谢异常的意义。方法纳入33例符合美国精神障碍诊断与统计手册-第四版(DSM-IV)AD诊断标准的患者和健康对照20名,进行脑正电子发射断层成像(PET)检查。应用SPM软件对PET图像进行分析。结果①与健康对照相比,AD患者有广泛的白质葡萄糖代谢减低,减低较为明显的区域有右侧额叶皮质下白质、左侧额叶上中回皮质下白质(P<0.001);另外,AD患者左侧额叶内侧回皮质下白质、左侧枕叶楔回皮质下白质葡萄糖代谢增强(P<0.001);②与不伴有精神行为症状(BPS)的AD患者(16例)相比,伴有BPS的AD患者(17例)在左右枕叶中回、右侧枕叶楔回、右侧顶下小叶、左侧颞叶梭形回、左侧额叶内侧回等脑区的皮质下白质葡萄糖代谢增强(P<0.001);而左右额叶中央旁回、右侧额叶上回和中回、左侧颞叶上回等脑区的皮质下白质葡萄糖代谢减低(P<0.001)。结论AD有广泛的白质脑葡萄糖代谢异常,有无BPS的AD白质代谢异常不同。     

Responses of tonically discharging neurons in the monkey striatum to primary rewards delivered during different behavioral states

In the primate striatum, the tonically discharging neurons respond to conditioned stimuli associated with reward. We investigated whether these neurons respond to the reward itself and how changes in the behavioral context in which the reward is delivered might influence their responsiveness. A total of 286 neurons in the caudate nucleus and putamen were studied in two awake macaque monkeys while liquid reward was delivered in three behavioral situations: (1) an instrumental task, in which reward was delivered upon execution of a visually triggered arm movement; (2) a classically conditioned task, in which reward was delivered 1 s after a visual signal; (3) a free reward situation, in which reward was delivered at irregular time intervals outside of any conditioning task. The monkeys′ uncertainty about the time at which reward will be delivered was assessed by monitoring their mouth movements. A larger proportion of neurons responsive to reward was observed in the free reward situation (86%) than in the classically conditioned (57%) and instrumental tasks (37%). Among the neurons tested in all situations (n = 78), 24% responded to reward regardless of the situation and 65% in only one or two situations. Responses selective for one particular situation occurred exclusively in the free reward situation. When the reward was delivered immediately after the visual signal in the classically conditioned task, most of the neurons reduced or completely lost their responses to reward, and other neurons remained responsive. Conversely, neuronal responses invariably persisted when reward was delivered later than 1 s after the visual signal. This is the first report that tonic striatal neurons might display responses directly to primary rewards. The neuronal responses were strongly influenced by the behavioral context in which the animals received the reward. An important factor appears to be the timing of reward. These neurons might therefore contribute to a general aspect of behavioral reactivity of the subject to relevant stimuli. Received: 16 September 1996 / Accepted: 1 April 1997     

Active behaviors in the rat forced swimming test differentially produced by serotonergic and noradrenergic antidepressants

This study demonstrated that distinct patterns of active behaviors are produced by antidepressants that selectively inhibit norepinephrine (NE) or serotonin (5-HT) uptake in the rat forced swimming test (FST). A behavior sampling technique was developed to score the active behaviors swimming, climbing and diving, as well as immobility. The rat's behavior was recorded at the end of each 5-s period during the test session. The sampling technique was both reliable, as demonstrated by test-retest reliability and inter-rater reliability, and valid, as shown by comparison to the timing of behavior durations. Five different antidepressant drugs which block monoamine uptake and two 5-HT_1A receptor agonists were shown to decrease immobility in the FST; however, they produced distinct patterns of active behaviors. The selective NE uptake inhibitors desipramine and maprotiline selectively increased climbing, whereas the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) fluoxetine, sertraline and paroxetine selectively increased swimming. The 5-HT_1A receptor agonists 8-OH-DPAT and gepirone also selectively increased swimming. These results show that:1) SSRIs are not false negatives in the FST; 2) at least two behaviorally distinct processes occur in the FST; and 3) enhancement of NE neurotransmission may mediate climbing in the FST, whereas enhancement of 5-HT neurotransmission may mediate swimming.     

Economic appraisal of laser applications in health care. Report of a project

This article reports on the results of a project evaluating effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of laser applications in health care. The literature was collected, emphasizing well-designed clinical trials and cost-effectiveness analyses. Few randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have been done outside the specialty of ophthalmology. Even fewer cost-effectiveness studies have been done, despite the frequent claims of cost-effectiveness in the medical literature. Review papers were commissioned, and a group of laser experts, economists, and policy-analysts met for 2 days to discuss the policy implications of lasers. The main conclusion from the conference is that inappropriate and unskilled use of lasers is presently the greatest problem with their application in health care.     

心血管病流行病学研究必需的基础和专业知识

本文从心血管病流行病学研究工作的实际体会中提出:当前要提高科研工作水平的关键是提高研究防治队伍的科学素质.其中包括:应具备流行病学和生物统计学的基本知识,必要的心血管病临床知识和实践经验,关心常见心血管病的基础研究进展,和学习有关专业的知识,如营养学、行为医学、遗传学等.解决的办法除集中培训,个人努力学习外,更需组织有不同专业基础而有志于心血管病流行病学研究工作的人员密切合作,相互学习,取长补短,以达到共同提高.     

Schedule-controlled brain self-stimulation: Has it utility for behavioral pharmacology?

We review evidence that schedule-controlled intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) has properties in common with conventional reinforcements, such as food and water, but unlike the latter, animals will respond for ICSS for long periods of time at a near-constant rate. Schedule-controlled ICSS has proven to be more sensitive to drug-induced changes than has ICSS on a continuous reinforcement schedule, and it permits a more fine-grained analysis of the pattern of responding that results in the reinforcement. Evidence is accumulating that the schedule of ICSS itself leads to neurochemical changes in areas of the brain, such as the nucleus accumbens, in which reward processes occur. Results obtained from schedule-controlled ICSS would complement those obtained by drug self-administration studies which generally use intermittent reinforcement. A systematic examination of ICSS schedules at different brain sites would greatly facilitate our interpretation of drug effects and this would have utility for behavioral pharmacology.     

Economic perspectives on diagnosis and treatment planning in periodontology

Abstract Economic factors in diagnosis and treatment planning in periodontology may be considered from several points of view. A first perspective is that of government responsibility. Because of the explosion in health care expenditure in the last decade, public funding of dental care programmes may become static or even reduced. Most governments try to curb the ever growing public health expenditure. Consequently, terms like effectiveness, efficiency and accountability are now becoming common words also in relation to periodontal health care. Moreover, private insurance companies, which have entered this area, may be individual patient who, explicitly or implicitly, would like to consider the services individual patient, who explicitly or implicitly, would like to consider the sendees rendered in periodontal therapy and prevention as cost-effective. Features of supply of and demand for care on an individual basis should also be considered. Finally, the periodontist or general practitioner has to consider economic factors. In professional life, there should be a balance between good working conditions providing satisfactory care, and the demands and priorities of individual patients and the community at large.