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PubMed1999

Permanent and transient effects of repeated preweaning stress on social and sexual behaviors of rats.

We have reported that exposure of preweaning male and female rats to a model of unpredictable mild physical stressors (Neo-A) can decrease the behavioral and hormonal responses to acute and chronic stress as adults. In this paper we have analyzed the effect of Neo-A on development of social behaviors, including aggressiveness, social dominance, and sexual behavior in adulthood. The subjects were divided into two groups: Neo-A (daily exposed to unpredictable mild stresses- from day 2 up to day 15 of suckling; n = 30 litters) and controls (C) (undisturbed rats, except for testing, during the same period of life; n = 26 litters). When day 6 pups were submitted to a social clustering test the Neo-A group showed a higher rate of litter-mate clustering than C. The 35 days Neo-A males and Neo-A females submitted to a social behavior test after 24 h of social isolation also showed higher scores of time spent in active social interaction than controls, as well as a higher ratio of animals showing aggressive playing. A second social behavior test performed after 48 h of social isolation at days 75-80 of age revealed that only Neo-A females displayed increased social behavior and aggressive behaviors, whereas controls did not. A water competition test performed at 24 and 48 h after water deprivation showed that Neo-A adult males spent more time in possession of the drinking device and drank more frequently than C. When adult proestrous females were exposed to a sexual behavior test, the Neo-A group showed shorter latency and higher scores of lordosis quotient. These results support the view that exposure to this model of repeated mild stress early in life stimulates the development of social behavior, dominance and sexual behavior.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

Social connections and risk for cancer: prospective evidence from the Alameda County Study.

The association between social connections and cancer incidence, mortality, and prognosis during 17 years of follow-up was examined in a population-based sample of 6,848 adults who lived in Alameda County, California, in 1965. Estimates of relative hazards were derived from Cox regression modeling, adjusting for age, smoking, physical health at baseline, alcohol consumption, and adjusted household income. Women who were socially isolated were at significantly elevated risk of dying of cancer of all sites and of smoking-related cancers. Social connections were not prospectively associated with cancer incidence or mortality among men, but men with few social connections showed significantly poorer cancer survival rates. These patterns of risk are consistent with the biology of different cancer outcomes. They also suggest a different role for social isolation in cancer among men and women.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Central administration of corticotropin releasing factor alters rat pup isolation calls.

Rat pups, when socially isolated, emit ultrasonic vocalizations which are believed to indicate distress. This study investigated the effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) on the production of ultrasonic isolation calls. Following a 2-minute baseline isolation test, rat pups (5-6 days old) were injected ICV with CRF or the CRF antagonist, alpha-helical CRF (9-41). Thirty minutes later, calls were significantly decreased following CRF (0.1 and 0.01 micrograms) and increased following the CRF antagonist (1.0 micrograms). These effects were not explained by changes in locomotor activity, thermoregulation, or plasma glucocorticoid levels following peptide administration. Peripheral administration of CRF (1.0 and 10.0 micrograms) did not alter the number of isolation calls.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Chronic oral treatment with diltiazem or verapamil decreases isolation-induced activity impairment in elevated plus maze.

Adult male Wistar rats were either socially isolated or group-housed for 6 weeks and then tested in an elevated plus maze. During isolation the rats received either water or two concentrations of the calcium channel inhibitors, diltiazem or verapamil, in drinking solutions (approximately 5 and 10 mg/kg daily). Isolated rats showed a significantly lower total number of arm entries, a lower percentage of open arm entries and negligible time spent therein than did group-housed animals. Verapamil, in the higher dose, prevented that effect of isolation. Treatment with diltiazem brought about a similar tendency, though the effect did not reach statistical significance. Chronic treatment of group-housed rats with either drug failed to influence their behavior in the plus maze. We conclude that certain calcium channel inhibitors may decrease the behavioral deficit in the elevated plus maze that follows chronic social isolation.

Animals↗
PubMed2003

Psychosocial factors predict coronary heart disease, but what predicts psychosocial risk in women.

OBJECTIVES: Psychosocial factors, including depression, anger, and social isolation, have been associated with increased morbidity and mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD), but predictors of psychosocial burden among women with CHD are poorly defined. The purpose of this study was to determine whether readily measured demographic and risk factors could identify women with psychosocial risk factors that are more difficult to assess in a clinical setting. METHODS: Baseline data on 304 women (mean age 62 years, 52% minority) hospitalized with CHD at 3 academic medical centers participating in a clinical study of adherence to prevention guidelines were evaluated. Standardized questionnaires were used to measure depression (4-item self-report tool from the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders questionnaire) and anger (Spielberger Trait Anger Scale). One self-report question was used to assess social isolation. RESULTS: Thirty-seven percent of women with CHD reported depression, 50% reported anger, and 41% reported social isolation. In a logistical model controlling for confounders, independent predictors of depression were having dependents (odds ratio [OR] = 2.27, p = .006), age (< or = 65 years) (OR = 1.91, p = .02), and exercise (< 3 days/week) (OR = 3.92, p < .001). Anger was associated with having dependents (OR = 3.16, p < .001), age (< or = 65 years) (OR = 1.95, p = .02), and smoking (OR = 2.05, p = .04). Subjects who had dependents (OR = 2.24, p = .005), were unemployed (OR = 1.93, p = .03), and who did not get enough exercise (< 3 days/week) (OR = 2.07, p = .03) reported higher isolation in adjusted models. Differences in prevalence of psychosocial factors by ethnicity were not statistically significant. However, there was a trend toward increased prevalence of psychosocial risk factors among white women, possibly reflecting the need for more culturally sensitive screening tools. CONCLUSION: These data may be helpful in identifying women who are at risk of increased CHD morbidity and mortality because of psychosocial burden.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

The effects of social environment on adult neurogenesis in the female prairie vole.

In the mammalian brain, adult neurogenesis has been found to occur primarily in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus (DG) and to be influenced by both exogenous and endogenous factors. In the present study, we examined the effects of male exposure or social isolation on neurogenesis in adult female prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Newly proliferated cells labeled by a cell proliferation marker, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU), were found in the SVZ and DG, as well as in other brain areas, such as the amygdala, hypothalamus, neocortex, and caudate/putamen. Two days of male exposure significantly increased the number of BrdU-labeled cells in the amygdala and hypothalamus in comparison to social isolation. Three weeks later, group differences in BrdU labeling generally persisted in the amygdala, whereas in the hypothalamus, the male-exposed animals had more BrdU-labeled cells than did the female-exposed animals. In the SVZ, 2 days of social isolation increased the number of BrdU-labeled cells compared to female exposure, but this difference was no longer present 3 weeks later. We have also found that the vast majority of the BrdU-labeled cells contained a neuronal marker, indicating neuronal phenotypes. Finally, group differences in the number of cells undergoing apoptosis were subtle and did not seem to account for the observed differences in BrdU labeling. Together, our data indicate that social environment affects neuron proliferation in a stimulus- and site-specific manner in adult female prairie voles.

Aging↗
PubMed1990

Infant's response to social separation reflects adult differences in affiliative behavior: a comparative developmental study in prairie and montane voles.

As part of a comparative study of affiliative behavior, pups of two different vole species, Microtus ochrogaster (prairie voles) and M. montanus (montane voles), were compared for their responses to social isolation during the first 2 weeks of postnatal life. Previous studies have demonstrated that under both laboratory and field conditions, adult prairie voles show higher levels of affiliation than adult montane voles, although the species closely resemble each other morphologically. In the current study, prairie vole and montane vole pups showed profound differences in the behavioral and physiologic responses to social isolation. During 5 minutes of isolation, prairie vole pups emitted 314 +/- 60 (days 4-6) and 601 +/- 55 (days 8-10) ultrasonic vocalizations. At these same ages, plasma corticosterone increased 4-6 fold within 30 minutes of separation. The increase in corticosterone was highly correlated with the number of calls (r = .66). In contrast, most montane vole pups emitted no isolation calls under identical conditions. Moreover, montane vole pups had equivalent baseline corticosterone concentrations, but showed only a minor increase in corticosterone following separation at 4-6 days with no increase apparent at 8-10 days. As montane vole pups were capable of producing high levels of ultrasonic vocalizations and increased concentrations of plasma corticosterone in response to known stressors (tail suspension and halothane vapors), these results suggest that social isolation evokes less distress for montane vole pups than for prairie vole pups. The developmental difference in the amount of parent-young contact was not a sufficient explanation for the differences in the response to separation as cross-fostered montane voles failed to show an increase in ultrasonic vocalizations (although a slight increase in corticosterone was observed). Taken together, these studies indicate that species-typical adult patterns of affiliation may be apparent early in development in the response of infants to social separation.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1998

Who suffers most from leg ulceration?

This study examines health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with leg ulceration and determines which patient groups are affected most by this condition. A cross-sectional study using the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and age/sex-matched normal scores in patients entering six clinical audit cycles was carried out. The 758 patients included in the study (mean age 74.6 years, 64% women) had been affected by leg ulceration for a median of 10.5 months (range 0.5 to 708). Patients produced significantly higher scores than age/sex-matched normal values for all domains of the NHP, indicating poorer HRQoL (all p < 0.001). Increasing age led to greater deficits in energy (p < 0.001) and mobility (p < 0.001) with greater social isolation (p = 0.044). Women experienced poorer energy, sleep patterns, mobility and emotional reactions (all p < 0.001), and increased physical pain and social isolation (p < 0.05) compared to men. However, higher scores may be expected for older women based on age/sex-matched normal values. After adjustment for age/sex-matched normal values, it was the younger patients who experienced a greater deficit in HRQoL over all domains of the NHP, with men scoring higher than women in the domains of bodily pain, sleep and social isolation (p < 0.001) and energy (p = 0.015). Leg ulceration has a major impact on patients' HRQoL as detected by the NHP. The excess in scores compared with age/sex-matched normal values indicate that it is younger male patients in whom ulceration makes a greater impact on HRQoL.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

Quality of life at three months following admission to intensive and coronary care units.

OBJECTIVE: Measurement of quality of life three months following critical illness, to assess impact on health expectations. DESIGN: Continuous quantitative study of patients admitted to a combined intensive and coronary care unit during a nine-month period. Questionnaires giving baseline information were completed soon after admission, and postal questionnaires incorporating the Nottingham Health Profile were sent to surviving patients three months following discharge from the unit. SETTING: District General Hospital. SUBJECTS: ICU sample included 60 patients, male n = 31, female n = 29. Twenty-nine patients received surgical treatment, 31 patients received medical treatment. Coronary Care Unit (CCU) sample included 112 patients, male n = 74, female n = 38. Fifty-four patients admitted following acute myocardial infarction (MI), 58 patients non-MI admission. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Hospital mortality for ICU patients was 31%, increasing to 34% at three months. Hospital mortality for CCU patients was 14%, increasing to 19% at three months. Significant differences in mean NHP scores between ICU and CCU patients were noted with higher CCU scores in the areas of sleep (p = 0.04), and social isolation (p = 0.01). Within the ICU group surgical patients had a higher mean NHP score in the area of pain (p = 0.02). There were no significant differences in the scores of male and female ICU patients. Within the CCU group non-MI patients had significantly higher mean scores than MI patients in the areas of energy (p = 0.007), pain (p = 0.04), emotion (p = 0.05), social isolation (p = 0.01) and physical ability (p = 0.003). Female CCU patients had higher mean NHP scores than male patients with significant differences in the areas of pain (p = 0.04), sleep (p = 0.009) and physical ability (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: ICU patient quality of life three months after admission compares favourably with a corresponding group of CCU patients, particularly in areas of sleep and social isolation. CCU patients' general functional status deteriorated significantly compared to their pre-admission status. Critical illness is a costly area of medicine, but the results suggest that outcomes are beneficial in terms of quality of life for those surviving acute illness.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

Quality of life in chronic leg ulcer patients. An assessment according to the Nottingham Health Profile.

Chronic leg ulcer is a disease of long duration, occurring predominantly in elderly people. Traditionally, little interest has been devoted to the study of the impact of this disease on life quality. In the present study the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) was used to assess disease influence on six areas of daily life, namely: pain, physical mobility, sleep, energy, emotional reactions and social isolation. Standard questionnaires were distributed to patients with chronic leg ulcers of venous, arterial or mixed venous-arterial origin, treated at the Department of Dermatology. Complete data were obtained from 125 patients. The disease had a marked impact on the patient's subjectively perceived health. Males exhibited remarkably elevated scores, compared to the normative scores for men, especially in the areas of pain, emotional reactions, social isolation and physical restrictions. For women the impact of leg ulcer disease, although obvious, seems much less marked than for males. An exceptionally long median duration of leg ulcer disease was found among shop-assistants. It is possible that preventive measures should be undertaken in this group. The duration of leg ulcer disease did not seem to influence the quality of life. Patients with long disease duration in fact reported fewer problems than those with shorter duration, suggesting adaptive mechanisms. This study indicates that male leg ulcer patients should be more closely observed for symptoms of emotional stress, pain, social isolation and impaired physical mobility. More efforts should be made to alleviate pain. Above all this study underlines the importance of considering not only the ulcer but the whole patient.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Loneliness, lack of emotional support, lack of companionship, and the likelihood of having a heart condition in an elderly sample.

Social isolation has been linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease. Researchers have attributed this association to the feelings of loneliness that accompany social isolation, but they have rarely assessed loneliness directly. In a sample of 180 older adults, feelings of loneliness and two kinds of social deficits that underlie loneliness--limited emotional support and limited companionship--were examined in relation to the likelihood of having a coronary condition. Potential physiological, behavioral, and affective mediators were examined as well. Greater loneliness was found to be associated with an increased probability of having a coronary condition, as were low levels of both emotional support and companionship. Mediators of these links were not identified, however, in this sample. These results underscore the value of examining the specific social deficits that underlie loneliness in investigations of the relation between loneliness and cardiovascular health in later life.

Affect↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessment of quality of life with the Nottingham Health Profile among women with coronary artery disease.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the differences in the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Finnish women with coronary artery disease (CAD) (n = 91) in comparison with Finnish men with CAD (n = 189). Healthy women (n = 990) served as a control group. DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Surgical and medical clinics at the University of Oulu, Finland. PATIENTS: Twenty-one women underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 40 women underwent percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), and 30 women received medication for treatment of CAD. The patients in the medication group were taking beta blockers (81%), long-acting nitrates (86%), calcium channel blockers (43%), aspirin (79%), and lipid-lowering drugs (18%). OUTCOME MEASURES: The Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), which consists of six dimensions: energy, sleep, pain, emotional reactions, social isolation, and physical mobility. Higher mean indexes signify lower HRQOL. INTERVENTION: The patients referred to CABG and PTCA procedures were interviewed and asked to fill in the questionnaire on the day before the operation. They were instructed to describe their HRQOL over the preceding 3 months. The patients in the medication group were mailed the NHP questionnaire. RESULTS: Women with CAD reported significantly poorer HRQOL than age-matched women in the healthy sample, as measured by the following dimensions of the NHP: energy, sleep, pain, emotional reactions, and physical mobility. This indicates the NHP dimensions affected by CAD among women. HRQOL for women with CAD was lower than that of men with CAD. The mean indexes of four of the six NHP dimensions, energy, sleep, emotional reactions, and physical mobility were higher for women with CAD than men with CAD in the two youngest age groups. Social isolation was most common in the youngest age group among both women and men with CAD. In women with CAD, emotional reactions and social isolation were most clearly related to demographic characteristics such as traumatic life experiences, depression, financial situation, and smoking. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the subjective HRQOL should be considered along with the clinical severity of the disease in the evaluation of CAD. The findings further shed light on the HRQOL of especially young women with CAD, the female and male patients' referral for treatment, and the use of the NHP instrument among patients with CAD.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1982

A comparison of dendritic spine number and type on pyramidal neurons of the visual cortex of old adult rats from social or isolated environments.

The present study determined the effect of the housing condition experienced by old adult male rats on the appearance and number of dendritic spines. Specifically, 20-month-old rats were killed following 6 months of living in either a social environment (three to a cage) or living alone. The total number of dendritic spines per unit length was examined along segments of oblique, basal, and apical dendritic branches of pyramidal cells from layers II, III, Va, and Vb of the visual cortex. In addition to determining the total spine number, the spines were differentiated into two topographical categories: those with a lollipop configuration (type L) and those with a nubbin configuration (type N). Our results show that neither the total spine density nor the type L spine density were generally influenced by the two housing conditions. However, the density of type N spines was almost always greater on neurons from rats which had been living alone irrespective of the cortical layer or the dendritic segment counted. Some differences in total spine density and type L spine density were noted when neurons from the same environment but different cortical layers were compared, and these findings are discussed. However, the major focus of this paper was to extend our previous report of a selective increase in type N spines with age. We now show that in addition to increasing with age, type N spine density is also selectively increased by the condition of social deprivation.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Susceptibility of artificially reared rat pups to social influences on food choice.

Using techniques developed by Hall (1975) and modified by Diaz (1991), we maintained rat pups in total social isolation from the time they were 2 or 3 days of age until they were 42 days old. We found that rat pups reared in social isolation exhibited susceptibility to social enhancement of food preference indistinguishable from that exhibited by normally reared rat pups. These data suggest that development of a tendency to use conspecifics as sources of information about what foods to eat does not depend upon previous experience either of interaction with conspecifics or of feeding in social situations.

Aging↗
PubMed1976

The problem of medical officer recruitment in agricultural industry.

All developing countries have difficulty in persuading doctors to opt for service in rural areas. This problem is shared by the agricultural industries. Two factors play a major role in this: isolation and the lack of a career structure. Isolation is an unavoidable accompaniment to rural practice. It can be considered as isolation from amenities, social isolation and professional isolation. The doctor in the rural area is often deprived of all urban amenities e.g. suitable shopping facilities, entertainment, cultural amenities and suitable leisure pursuits. Most of all, perhaps, he has major difficulties in educating his children. The maintenance of friendships and family connections is made difficult. There is a lack of suitable social intercourse for himself and his wife, a lack which very often leads to his wife's unhappiness and his own resignation. Professional isolation is serious and reflects adversely after a time on his professional ability. It may be that he only sees a colleague at long intervals and there is no stimulus towards keeping up to date professionally, and no opportunity to talk out professional and ethical problems. In many agricultural industries there is no career structure and therefore no scope for the good, ambitious doctor. This is particularly true of small, single-ownership plantations. It is clear that there is nothing to attract a good doctor to a place where he may remain at the same status for the rest of his professional career. It is suggested that only by the creation of a service structure within agricultural industries, which will create opportunities and within which means can be found to alleviate the effects of isolation, can a solution be found to the recruitment problem.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2003

The relationship between social networks and occupational and self-care functioning in people with psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Relatively few studies have examined relationships between the social networks of people with psychotic disorder and other aspects of their functioning. The aim of this paper is to describe the social networks of people with psychosis and to investigate relationships between social networks and personal and occupational functioning, taking account of illness course. METHODS: A two-phase epidemiological survey of persons with psychosis was conducted in four predominantly urban areas of Australia. A census and screen for psychosis was followed by a semi-structured interview of a stratified random sample of participants to assess their functioning. Data relating to functioning and social networks from 908 individuals (most with a diagnosis of schizophrenia) were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). RESULTS: The majority of people with psychosis (67 %) had a network comprising of family and friends, 15 % were defined as having a family-dominated network, 11 % a friends-dominated network and 7 % of participants were defined as socially isolated (no family or friends). Participants who had friends and family in their network (12 %) or who had a family-dominated network (7 %) were more likely to be in full-time employment compared with those with a friends-dominated network (4 %) or those who were socially isolated (5 %). Dysfunction in self-care was more frequently reported among socially isolated people (50 %) and those with family-dominated networks (47 %) than among those with friends-dominated networks (35 %) and those who had friends and family in their social network (23 %). SEM revealed a strong association between social integration and functioning (r = 0.71), even after controlling for illness course. Social integration was defined as having contact with family and/or friends and functioning was defined as having employment and no difficulties in self-care. Male gender was associated with poorer self-care, and female gender was slightly, but significantly, associated with a greater likelihood of having friends. CONCLUSION: There is a strong relationship between social networks and functioning after taking account of course of illness. That is, the presence of family and friends is generally associated with better self-care and employment. Interventions that are targeted at improving social relationships are likely to have a positive impact on self-care and occupational functioning (and vice versa).

Employment↗