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At least 487 records · Page 27Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

A twin study of competence and behavioral/emotional problems among adolescents in taiwan.

This work reports on a study to evaluate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to both competence scales and behavioral/emotional syndromes as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). A total of 279 pairs of twins and same-sex sib-pairs aged 12-16 years were recruited from 51 junior high schools in Taipei City, Taiwan. Twins' zygosity was determined by a combination of DNA typing and physical similarity. The Mx program was used to estimate parameters for a full model that contains effects from sex-specific additive genes, shared environment, and nonshared environment for the majority of the scales. The shared environment in the full model was replaced with nonadditive genetic factors for some scales when indicated. All girls' competence and behavioral/emotional syndromes exhibited a substantial heritability (h2 > 0.4), except for Social Competence and Withdrawn. For boys, though the heritability was also >0.4 for some scales (Social and School Competence, Thought Problems, Attention Problems, Delinquent Behavior, and Total Behavior Problems), environmental influences, especially shared environment, were predominant for most of the scales (10 out of 15 scales). Genetic factors are important for explaining adolescent behavioral problems, especially for girls, while shared environmental influences cannot be ignored for boys. Gender differences in heritability exist for various CBCL-based competence and behavioral/emotional problems.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Psychosocial and environmental correlates of adolescent sedentary behaviors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine correlates of sedentary behaviors in adolescents through the examination of psychosocial and environmental variables. METHOD: The study used a cross-sectional design to evaluate an ethnically diverse clinic-based sample of 878 adolescents who were 11 to 15 years old. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were stratified by gender to assess correlates of sedentary behaviors occurring on the most recent nonschool day (television viewing, computer video games, sitting listening to music, and talking on the phone). RESULTS: For girls, age, family support, television/video rules, and hills in the neighborhood were associated with sedentary behaviors. Furthermore, psychological constructs such as self-efficacy, enjoyment, change strategies, and pros and cons of change emerged as correlates of sedentary behaviors. A moderator effect revealed that the proportion of girls in the low-BMI group decreased with increased self-efficacy, whereas the proportion of girls in the high-BMI group did not vary significantly by self-efficacy. For boys, age, ethnicity, BMI, cons of change, and self-efficacy were associated with sedentary behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of factors associated and not associated with adolescent sedentary behaviors. Similar to physical activity, measures of specific psychosocial constructs of sedentary behavior demonstrated important associations. The results highlight the need for additional examination of the correlates of sedentary behavior to determine which correlates are mechanisms of behavior change.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Human autonomy and the frontal lobes. Part II: Patient behavior in complex and social situations: the "environmental dependency syndrome".

Imitation and utilization behavior have previously been described in terms of a simple interaction between an examiner and a patient, and were interpreted as an excessive dependence on environmental cues. In this study, patient dependence was observed in complex situations of everyday life. Two patients with focal unilateral frontal lobe lesions were observed while in a doctor's office, a lecture room, a car, and a garden, while visiting an apartment where various activities were possible, and while in a gift shop. The patients' behavior was striking, as though implicit in the environment was an order to respond to the situation in which they found themselves. The term environmental dependency syndrome is proposed for this condition. It implies a disorder in personal autonomy. Individual psychological traits influenced the way in which loss of autonomy was manifested. This study does not offer a physiological model of autonomy, but it does provide clinical and behavioral observations on the loss of autonomy secondary to unilateral lesions of the frontal lobe.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed2004

Sexual behavior and sex-associated environmental cues activate the mesolimbic system in male rats.

The mesolimbic system plays an important role in the regulation of both pathological behaviors such as drug addiction and normal motivated behaviors such as sexual behavior. The present study investigated the mechanism by which this system is endogenously activated during sexual behavior. Specifically, the effects of sexual experience and sex-related environmental cues on the activation of several components of the mesolimbic system were studied. The mesolimbic system consists of a dopaminergic projection from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Previous studies suggest that these neurons are under tonic inhibition by local GABA interneurons, which are in turn modulated by mu opioid receptor (MOR) ligands. To test the hypothesis that opioids are acting in the VTA during sexual behavior, visualization of MOR internalization in VTA was used as a marker for ligand-induced activation of the receptor. Significant increases in MOR internalization were observed following copulation or exposure to sex-related environmental cues. The next goal was to determine if sexual behavior activates dopamine neurons in the VTA, using tyrosine hydroxylase as a marker for dopaminergic neurons and Fos-immunoreactivity as a marker for neuronal activation. Significant increases in the percentage of activated dopaminergic neurons were observed following copulation or exposure to sex-related environmental cues. In addition, mating and sex-related cues activated a large population of nondopaminergic neurons in VTA as well as neurons in both the NAc Core and Shell. Taken together, our results provide functional neuroanatomical evidence that the mesolimbic system is activated by both sexual behavior and exposure to sex-related environmental cues.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Behavioral persistence following switchovers between environmental enrichment and impoverishment in mice.

Weanling mice were reared in environmental enrichment and/or impoverishment conditions for 2 months. In the 1st experiment, mice were switched from 1 environment into the other after 1 month, and maintained in the opposite environment for 2 or 4 weeks. Switched and nonswitched groups were compared to establish whether the effects of the initial environmental exposure would persist through later opposite environmental experiences. The performance of switched groups tended to differ from that of all nonswitched groups: little behavioral persistence was found. In the 2nd experiment, mice were switched every 7, 14, or 28 days over a 2-month period. These procedures yielded several types of behavioral outcomes; however, no behavioral persistence was evidenced. The data indicate that early life experiences in a particular level of environmental complexity need not permanently modify behavior.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Nesting material as environmental enrichment has no adverse effects on behavior and physiology of laboratory mice.

Environmental enrichment may improve the quality of life of captive animals by altering the environment of animals so that they are able to perform more of the behavior that is within the range of the animal's species-specific repertoire. When enrichment is introduced into an animal's environment, it is important to evaluate the effect of the enrichment program and to assess whether the animal continues to use the enrichment in the long-term. Groups of mice were housed under either standard or enriched conditions for several weeks. Nesting material which was highly preferred in previous studies was used as enrichment. During the period of differential housing several behavioral parameters (behavioral tests and handling) and physiological parameters (urine and plasma corticosterone, food and water intake, body and adrenal weight) were monitored to determine the impact of environmental enrichment. Observations were made to determine whether or not the mice continued to use the enrichment. The results indicated that throughout the study all mice used the nesting material to build nests and that mice from enriched conditions weighed more than mice housed under standard conditions, although the latter consumed more food. No major differences for behavioral and physiological parameters were found between the groups of mice housed under different conditions. Therefore it is not likely that supply of nesting material will jeopardize the outcome of experiments.

Adrenal Glands↗
PubMed2002

Individual and environmental influences on adolescent eating behaviors.

Food choices of adolescents are not consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Food intakes tend to be low in fruits, vegetables, and calcium-rich foods and high in fat. Skipping meals is also a concern among adolescents, especially girls. Factors influencing eating behaviors of adolescents need to be better understood to develop effective nutrition interventions to change eating behaviors. This article presents a conceptual model based on social cognitive theory and an ecological perspective for understanding factors that influence adolescent eating behaviors and food choices. In this model, adolescent eating behavior is conceptualized as a function of individual and environmental influences. Four levels of influence are described: individual or intrapersonal influences (eg, psychosocial, biological); social environmental or interpersonal (eg, family and peers); physical environmental or community settings (eg, schools, fast food outlets, convenience stores); and macrosystem or societal (eg, mass media, marketing and advertising, social and cultural norms).

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Environmental complexity and central nervous system development and function.

Environmental restriction or deprivation early in development can induce social, cognitive, affective, and motor abnormalities similar to those associated with autism. Conversely, rearing animals in larger, more complex environments results in enhanced brain structure and function, including increased brain weight, dendritic branching, neurogenesis, gene expression, and improved learning and memory. Moreover, in animal models of CNS insult (e.g., gene deletion), a more complex environment has attenuated or prevented the sequelae of the insult. Of relevance is the prevention of seizures and attenuation of their neuropathological sequelae as a consequence of exposure to a more complex environment. Relatively little attention, however, has been given to the issue of sensitive periods associated with such effects, the relative importance of social versus inanimate stimulation, or the unique contribution of exercise. Our studies have examined the effects of environmental complexity on the development of the restricted, repetitive behavior commonly observed in individuals with autism. In this model, a more complex environment substantially attenuates the development of the spontaneous and persistent stereotypies observed in deer mice reared in standard laboratory cages. Our findings support a sensitive period for such effects and suggest that early enrichment may have persistent neuroprotective effects after the animal is returned to a standard cage environment. Attenuation or prevention of repetitive behavior by environmental complexity was associated with increased neuronal metabolic activity, increased dendritic spine density, and elevated neurotrophin (BDNF) levels in brain regions that are part of cortical-basal ganglia circuitry. These effects were not observed in limbic areas such as the hippocampus.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

The influence of environmental factors in incidents of disruptive behavior.

1. Disruptive behavior is an annoying and potentially dangerous problem in most nursing homes. Disruptive behaviors can be both physical and verbal. 2. Changes associated with termination of disruptive behaviors included the reduction of external environmental stimuli, reduction of perceived threats to the patient's personal freedom and fulfillment of basic physical needs, fulfillment of needs for interpersonal support, a simple request to the disruptive person that the behavior be discontinued, provision for increased freedom by releasing the person from a gerichair or wheelchair with rollbar, separation of residents involved in disputes, and resolution of disputes over belongings. 3. In order to initiate changes that will reduce the frequency of such behavior or mitigate its harmful effects, nurses must have a better understanding of how environmental factors influence the evolution of disruptive episodes and plan appropriate and specific nursing interventions.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

The effects of dietary fatty acid composition combined with environmental enrichment on brain and behavior in mice.

In this study we investigated the effects of dietary fatty acid (FA) composition combined with postweaning environmental enrichment on brain fatty acid composition and behavior in mice. There were three dietary conditions: a saturated fat group deficient in essential fatty acids, a group deficient in n-3 fatty acids only, and a control group containing both n-3 and n-6 fatty acids in a ratio of 0.27. Animals were fed these diets during pregnancy and lactation and after weaning. Brain fatty acid composition was determined on days 1, 9, 17 and 25 after birth and in adult animals at 3 months. At weaning two females from each litter were assigned randomly to either an enriched or standard environmental condition. After six weeks in these environments they were tested in the Morris water maze and open field. Adult percentages of 22:6n-3 were present in the brain within the first week after birth. These values were reduced by 50% in the n-3 deficient diet and by 80% in the saturated fat diet; adult animals on the saturated fat diet were also severely retarded in growth. Animals fed the saturated fat diet were initially slightly slower in locating the hidden platform in the Morris maze relative to the control group, but this was not apparent in the reversal learning phase; a cued learning task using a visible platform indicated that these effects did not appear to be related to differences in motor or motivational capacities. The n-3 deficient group did not differ from either the saturated fat group or the controls. All dietary groups showed beneficial effects of environmental enrichment in decreasing their latency to locate the hidden platform, and these effects appeared to be partially independent of the increased swimming speed of the enriched animals. Enriched animals in all groups showed less rearing activity in the open field and spent more time stationary; the animals fed saturated fat reared less and travelled shorter distances more slowly. In all cases the effects of diet and environment were additive, thereby providing little support for the hypothesis that dietary fatty acid composition would affect the animals' capacity to benefit from the functional effects of environmental enrichment.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Pain in arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders: the role of coping skills training and exercise interventions.

There is growing recognition of the limitations of conventional, biomedical approaches to the management of pain in individuals having arthritis and musculoskeletal disorders. This article provides an overview of newly developed biopsychosocial approaches to the management of pain in this population. The presentation is divided into three sections. In the first section, a biopsychosocial model of pain is presented. This model highlights the role that biological factors (eg., disease severity, comorbid conditions), cognitive-behavioral factors (eg., thoughts, emotions, and behaviors), and environmental factors (eg., spouse or family responses to pain behavior) can play in influencing the pain experience. In the second section, we provide an overview of two newly developed treatment protocols based on the biopsychosocial model of pain: a pain coping skills training protocol and an exercise training protocol. Practical aspects of implementing these protocols are illustrated by highlighting how they are applied in the management of patients having persistent osteoarthritic pain. In the final section of the article, we pinpoint several important future directions for research in this area. Future studies need to explore the utility of combining pain coping skills and exercise training protocols. In addition, there is a need to identify variables that predict patients' response to biopsychosocial treatments.

Arthritis↗
PubMed1992

Treatment of behavioral symptomatology of Alzheimer's disease, with emphasis on aggression: current clinical approaches.

A scientific information base is developing which focuses on understanding and managing behavior problems in geriatric populations, especially those with dementing illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease. Many of these behavior problems occur in long-term care settings, which have a high prevalence of residents exhibiting emotional and behavioral disorders, often secondary to psychiatric illness. Prior to beginning treatment, behavior disorders must be systematically evaluated and understood to insure optimum care planning. One approach to effectively treating these disorders is to first separate them into two categories: those not amenable to psychotherapeutic medication treatment (nonpsychiatric disorders) and those that are amenable (psychiatric disorders). Specific nonpharmacological treatments may benefit those nonpsychiatric behavioral disorders and include behavioral and environmental paradigms. The psychiatric disorders, especially aggression and assaultive behavior, may be treated beneficially using a variety of psychopharmacological agents, including antianxiety agents, neuroleptics, carbamazepine, beta-blockers, and lithium. The most effective approach toward treating the psychiatric behavior disorders often combines both medication and nonmedication strategies.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2003

Temporal and spatial aspects of an environmental stimulus influence the dynamics of behavioral regulation of the Aplysia siphon-withdrawal response.

Exposure to turbulence, an environmental stimulus, produces behavioral adaptation in the Aplysia siphon-withdrawal response (SWR). The authors show that the duration and spatial extent of turbulence influence adaptation recovery. In terms of duration, recovery in whole animals and reduced preparations (tail, siphon, and CNS) was more rapid after longer exposures to turbulence (10 min) than after briefer exposures (10 s-5 min). In terms of spatial extent, recovery in reduced preparations was more rapid after diffuse turbulence (tail and siphon together) compared with focal turbulence (siphon alone). Furthermore, spatial extent and duration interact: Duration regulates recovery only when turbulence is diffuse. Results suggest that SWR adaptation reflects a composite of cellular processes, including short-term synaptic enhancement in L30 inhibitory interneurons.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Social interactions, stress, and immunity.

This review summarizes the endocrine and immune changes induced by an experimental model for social stress that is termed SDR. Further, the differences between this stressor and other chronic stress models in mice are compared and contrasted. Individual differences in the response to SDR are described and discussed in the context of the unique characteristics of this stressor and the importance of a variety of behavioral and environmental factors in modulating the response to social stress. The collection of data indicates that mice facing a social stressor may use different behavioral coping responses based on the environmental conditions and previous experiences. These different adaptational responses are reflected in their behavioral, endocrine, and immune changes in response to the stressor [7], [8]. In conclusion, although generally it is understood that chronic stressors suppress immune function and increase a host's susceptibility to disease, this may not be dogma. For example, under conditions in which individuals face the chance of being injured, which may be a chronic or reoccurring likelihood, it may be an adaptive advantage to maintain or even enhance an immune response. The development of GCR after SDR may be such a mechanism, allowing animals to heal injuries and clear invading bacteria in the presence of the anti-inflammatory stress hormones. Thus, individual differences in response to SDR are associated with specific behavioral strategies that can have substantive implications for host resistance to infectious disease.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Associations of perceived social and physical environmental supports with physical activity and walking behavior.

We evaluated perceived social and environmental supports for physical activity and walking using multivariable modeling. Perceptions were obtained on a sample of households in a southeastern county. Respondents were classified according to physical activity levels and walking behaviors. Respondents who had good street lighting; trusted their neighbors; and used private recreational facilities, parks, playgrounds, and sports fields were more likely to be regularly active. Perceiving neighbors as being active, having access to sidewalks, and using malls were associated with regular walking.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Reproductive and sexual behavioral problems in dogs.

This paper reviews the influence of genetics on canine sexual behavior, the causes of common sexual and reproductive behavioral problems in dogs as well as treatment approaches, including environmental management, behavior modification, and pharmacological intervention.

Aggression↗