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Biomedical subjects

J Panksepp

Publications and source records attributed to J Panksepp.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

An examination of the phenomenology and the reliability of ratings of compulsive behavior in autism.

To clarify the nature of compulsive behavior in autism, staff reports of behavioral patterns of 17 young autistic adults living in a farmstead residential facility were analyzed. Three staff members, who had worked most closely with each resident for at least 3 months completed three questionnaires, including Quantitative and Qualitative compulsive behavior scales, and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). The questionnaires were completed on two occasions with a 2-week interval between administrations. Test-retest and interrater consistencies were examined for each of the scales. Both the Qualitative and Quantitative questionnaires show promise as instruments that could be used as objective baselines or descriptors for compulsive behavior in autism. Information gathered from these scales could be utilized to determine how to intervene in the behavior, and to assess progress in treatment programs.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Clinical case report: opiate antagonist and event-related desynchronization in 2 autistic boys.

Event-related desynchronization and visual orientational behavior were examined in 2 autistic boys to determine if blockade of endogenous opioid activity facilitates cognitive processing at a cortical level. Before naltrexone, the boys showed no selective alpha blocking during exposure to either mother's pictures or white light. Unlike normals, they exhibited strong alpha band enhancement at temporocentral recording sites. Two hours after administering 0.5 mg/kg naltrexone, mother-as well as light-related alpha blocking appeared at occipital, occipitotemporal, and prefrontal sites. These effects were gone 24 h after dosing in one child, but persisted in the other. A parallel increase in visual pursuit in a social context was observed. These results affirm that autistic gaze aversion can be caused by excessive opioid activity interfering with corticothalamocortical processing of visual stimuli.

Alpha Rhythm↗
PubMed1994

The relationship between self-stimulation and sniffing in rats: does a common brain system mediate these behaviors?

The relationship between brain self-stimulation and brain-stimulation induced sniffing behavior was examined at three brain sites (frontal cortex, hypothalamus and lower brain stem). In the first experiment, sniffing was elicited in the prefrontal cortex and pontine reticular formation (PRF) of anesthetized rats. These sites corresponded to reported self-stimulation sites. In non-anesthetized animals (Expt. 2), all self-stimulation sites in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPC) and lateral hypothalamic-medial forebrain bundle (LH-MFB) also supported sniffing. In the PRF, this was also the case except for one subject which exhibited self-stimulation and jaw movements without sniffing. After unilateral lesions either in the MPC or PRF, stimulation-induced sniffing from the ipsilateral LH-MFB was not influenced. While MPC lesions did not affect self-stimulation either, medial PRF lesions disrupted ipsilateral self-stimulation. In summary, stimulation-induced sniffing and self-stimulation behavior appear to share strikingly similar anatomical loci, but the PRF appears to be differentially involved in these behaviors. The results were discussed from an appetitive motivational hypothesis of self-stimulation.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Effects of neonatal decortication on the social play of juvenile rats.

The effects of radical neonatal decortication on the social play of juvenile rats, as well as the effects of neonatal ablation of frontal or parietal cortex, were examined in this series of experiments. When total decorticates were tested in like-lesioned pairs, the frequency of pinning was reduced by about 50% and their average pin durations were shorter. Nevertheless, the play of decorticates appeared essentially normal in general appearance, and did not differ from controls in a measure of overall play vigor using an electronic activity platform. Further, there were no differences in pin frequencies when controls and decorticates were paired together in cross-lesion testing. Separate tests of play solicitation behaviors did not detect any differences between controls and decorticates suggesting that play motivation was essentially intact after decortication. No deficits in pinning resulted from frontal ablations; however, pin durations were shorter in like-lesion testing. In cross-lesion testing, there was an increase in dorsal contacts and a trend toward shortening of pin durations. Parietal aspirations resulted in a 65% reduction in pin frequency, without substantially altering dorsal contacts. Anesthetization of the anterior surface of the animal's back with xylocaine reduced pinning in controls but eliminated pinning in parietals. Although the results generally indicate little participation of the neocortex in the instigation of rough-and-tumble play, the reliable numerical changes that were observed may be explained by apparent motor changes as well as reduced somatosensory sensitivity.

Aging↗
PubMed1994

The effects of melatonin on isolation distress in chickens.

Melatonin (0.1-1.0 mg/kg) reduced isolation-induced distress vocalizations (DVs) in young domestic chickens in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was unaffected by the administration of d-amphetamine (1.0 mg/kg) suggesting that melatonin's effects were not merely due to fatigue. The melatonin reduction in DVs was not naloxone reversible, indicating an action independent of the endogenous opioid system. However, chronic pretreatment with naltrexone facilitated the melatonin effect, suggesting a complex relationship between melatonin and the endogenous opioids in regulating distress vocalizations. Chickens exhibited a marked reduction in DVs when isolation chambers were darkened, suggesting endogenous, as well as exogenous, melatonin mediation of isolation distress; however; pinealectomy only partially reversed the darkness effect. Pinealectomized animals, like control animals, exhibited a reduction in DVs following melatonin treatment; however, the melatonin effect was shorter lasting. The implications that these results may have for socialization and emotional distress are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Brain opioids and mother-infant social motivation.

Brain opioids were the first neurochemical system to be implicated in the elaboration of social-bonding processes. Although a variety of neurochemical systems help elaborate social rewards and specific social behaviors, the role of opioids in the control of maternal behavior remains controversial. Although a great deal of data indicate that intermediate doses of morphine can reduce maternal behavior, the evidence, taken together, suggests that endogenous opioids promote the regulatory control of maternal behavior, probably by providing feedback concerning the satisfaction that can be had from indulging in various maternal behaviors. Thus opioid blockade with naltrexone can reduce maternal competence in animals, while at the same time increasing maternal motivation. Opiate blockade likewise appears to increase the social motivation of rat pups, but reduces the reinforcing quality of interaction with the mother, suggesting that opioids provide feedback concerning the pleasurable qualities of social interaction in both mothers and infants. The clinical implications of this knowledge are not straightforward, but they generally suggest that clinically deficient social bonding might be capable of being strengthened via manipulation of brain opioid systems.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Difference between plasma N- and C-terminally directed beta-endorphin immunoreactivity in infantile autism.

OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated whether there is excessive opioid activity in infantile autism by measuring plasma beta-endorphin in patients with autism compared with patients who had Rett's syndrome and normal comparison subjects. METHODS: Radioimmunoassays for beta-endorphin using C-terminally and N-terminally directed antisera were applied to plasma samples from 67 children who met both DSM-III-R and ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for infantile autism, 22 girls with Rett's syndrome, and 67 normal children matched in age and sex with the children with autism. RESULTS: Median N-terminally directed beta-endorphin immunoreactivity appeared to be slightly lower in subjects with autism (7 pg/ml) and clearly higher in the girls with Rett's syndrome (40 pg/ml) than in the comparison subjects (9 pg/ml). Median C-terminally directed beta-endorphin immunoreactivity was higher in the girls with Rett's syndrome (35 pg/ml) and much higher in patients with autism (70 pg/ml) than in comparison subjects (8 pg/ml). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate the existence of a wide discrepancy between C- and N-terminally directed beta-endorphin immunoreactivity among children with autism. Despite the fact that the nature of the antigen recognized in the plasma of autistic children by the C-terminally directed anti-beta-endorphin serum remains to be characterized, the difference between C- and N-terminally directed beta-endorphin immunoreactivity might suggest an abnormal processing of the pro-opiomelanocortin gene in infantile autism.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Calcitonin gene-related peptide in the brain. Neurochemical and behavioral investigations.

CGRP in the amygdala is concentrated in an area close to the central nucleus. High potassium releases CGRP, and this release, as well as the tissue concentration of CGRP in the amygdala, can be influenced by neuroleptic drugs. Both molecular forms, alpha- and beta-CGRP, are present in the amygdala in a ratio of approximately 3:1. CGRP influences social behavior in chicken. Therefore, CGRP may have a prominent role in psycho-behavioral function and may be a target for action and/or side effects of antipsychotic drugs.

Amygdala↗
PubMed1992

The effects of early social isolation on the motivation for social play in juvenile rats.

Fifteen-day-old rats were subjected to one of three housing conditions: mother-and-peer (family), peer, and isolation conditions. At 24 days of age, all subjects were rehoused individually. In Experiment 1, play behaviors were monitored in like-raised pairs. Despite their gross lack of social experience, isolation-reared subjects did not exhibit a deficit in frequencies of rough-and-tumble play. It is concluded that the fundamental motivation for rough-and-tumble play is relatively independent of prior learning in rats. Indeed, their elevated dorsal contacts suggested that isolation-raised subjects may have higher appetitive motivation for play. In Experiment 2, the levels of social motivation were compared between family- and isolation-raised animals, using a T-maze. The isolation-raised animals made reliably more choices for social interaction reward over food reward than family-raised animals. Although inconclusive, the results from the two experiments suggest that prolonged social isolation increases the appetitive motivation for social play.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Analysis of the relationships between self-stimulation sniffing and brain-stimulation sniffing.

Determination of current thresholds for self-stimulation and electrically elicited sniffing from electrodes placed into lateral hypothalamic and ventral tegmental areas of rats revealed a tight correlative relationship between the two phenomena (r values of approx 0.9 at both sites). Thresholds for sniffing were never higher than those for self-stimulation, while approximately half the animals had higher self-stimulation than sniffing thresholds, suggesting that electrically elicited sniffing may better index the underlying psychobiological process that mediates self-stimulation. That both phenomena reflect the same basic process was suggested by the fact that 48 h of food deprivation consistently reduced the thresholds for both self-stimulation and sniffing, while 24 h of food deprivation had only marginal effects on both. The implications for understanding the nature of self-stimulation processes is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Naltrexone open trial with a 5-year-old-boy. A social rebound reaction.

The neurobiological rationale for an opiate antagonist pharmacotherapy of autism is presented. Naltrexone efficacy in decreasing autistic behaviour and in increasing social-affiliative behaviour was explored in a 5-year-old autistic boy. Naltrexone (0.5 mg/kg 3 times peer week) was effective in immediately decreasing gross motor activity and stereotyped behaviour and caused a delayed increase of crying, smiling and rough-and-tumble play. This single case presents preliminary evidence that a therapeutically valuable rebound reaction is possible and that the human opioid system modulates social-affective processes. The possibility of psychological factors being instrumental in achieving this effect is discussed as being suitable for future clinical trials.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
PubMed1991

Social isolation effects on the "behavioral despair" forced swimming test: effect of age and duration of testing.

Social loss is considered to be one of the major precipitants of depression. Prior work with the Porsolt forced swimming test (FST) has failed to demonstrate increases in despair-like immobility as a result of prior social isolation in adult animals. In the present work, increased immobility was observed in young Swiss Webster mice that had been socially isolated for 24 h prior to a 15-minute FST. The effect was not apparent until after the first five minutes of testing. The increase in immobility as a result of social isolation was apparent in 17-21-day-old animals but not in 26-30-day-old ones. Control experiments indicated that the increase in immobility was not due to the slightly higher weight loss of the socially isolated animals. Administration of reserpine (0.25 mg/kg) induced a marginal increase in immobility in the youngest animals but decreased immobility at later ages. These data suggest that the mouse only exhibits a short period of time during early development where social isolation can promote despair-like immobility in the FST and suggest that analyses of depressive processes which result from social variables may be best studied during a limited age range in this species.

Aging↗
PubMed1990

Effects of morphine and naloxone on play-rewarded spatial discrimination in juvenile rats.

Juvenile rats were trained on a spatial discrimination task (T-maze) rewarded by the opportunity to play with a conspecific. Neither morphine (MS; 1 mg/kg) nor naloxone (NX; 1 mg/kg) administration affected choice or running time during the acquisition of the task, even though in the goal box, MS-treated animals played more than and NX-treated animals less than vehicle-treated controls. Thus, brain opioid systems seem to influence the expression of play without affecting the apparent appetitive strength of play motivation. When play reward was no longer available in the goal box, animals that continued to be treated with MS were more resistant to extinction than either vehicle- or NX-treated animals. They continued to complete the task more often and in less time than the controls. NX-treated rats, on the other hand, extinguished faster than controls. The evidence supports the conclusion that opioid systems are important in the maintenance of social habits.

Animals↗