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Queen Elizabeth Behavioural Assessment Graphical System.

The Queen Elizabeth Behavioural Assessment Graphical Scale (QEBAGS) is presented as a new, descriptive rating method for documenting behavioural disturbances in a variety of clinical settings. The scale utilises three categories of behavioural disturbances which may occur in isolation or may co-exist. These are documented on a graphical plot across a 24 hours' time span. Neither diagnostic information nor severity of a particular behavioural disturbance needs to be interpreted before a rating on each parameter can be made, thus allowing its use by any intelligent observer, including a carer at home. Documenting of behavioural disturbance across day and night, by intermittent or regular observations, provides valuable information on the time, course and pattern of behavioural disturbance, from which diagnostic and therapeutic directions can be inferred. In preliminary clinical use, the scale has improved documentation of behavioural disturbance and communication between health professionals about such behaviour and its management. The scale also has the potential to provide supportive documentation for the Resident Classification Index in Nursing Homes and Personal Care Assessment Index in Hostels. The scale is most effective in situations where moderate to severe disturbance of behaviour is present. Where there is little or no disturbance, the system is unlikely to be of benefit. Clinical examples of its utility are presented.

Aged↗

PubMed1979

Spontaneous labour and elective induction--a prospective randomized study. Behavioural assessment and neurological examination in the newborn period.

The effect of induction of labour on the foetus and the newborn was investigated in a prospective randomized study. 41 neonates were studied after induction at full term by amniotomy and intravenous oxytocin infusion. The infusion rate was regulated by the intraamniotic pressure using the Cardiff infusion pump system. 39 neonates served as controls where the labour started spontaneously followed by amniotomy. In both groups foetal heart rate monitoring intraamniotic pressure recordings were performed. There were no differences in Apgar score and pH in cord blood between the groups. The newborns were evaluated the first and the fifth day of life with the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale and with a modified Prechtl neurological examination. There were no differences in behaviour and neurological state between the two groups. However, within the groups there were significant differences between the first and the fifth day concerning both neonatal behaviour and neurological state.

Anesthesia, Obstetrical↗

PubMed1978

Electroencephalogram study of mianserin in depressed patients.

1. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings and blood level assessments were included in a clinical comparison of the effects of mianserin (GB-94), imipramine and placebo in depressed, hospitalized patients during a 3-week observation period. 2. Temporal changes in behavioural ratings were observed, but these failed to be distinguished among the active drugs and placebo. EEG measures also showed temporal changes, but these also failed to distinguish among the drug conditions, except at 2 h after administration of the first dose. 3. Plasma levels of mianserin were obtained with EEG recordings in a temporal relationship to the behavioural assessments. There were no correlations between the changes in EEG variables and plasma levels of mianserin, or between EEG and behavioural variables, except on acute administration. The lack of discrimination for the EEG variables may be related to the quality of the EEG recordings and the poor control of the temporal relationships of behavioural assessments to EEG recording and drug dosing.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1977

The effect of testosterone and cyproterone acetate on the concentration of gamma-aminobutyric acid in brain areas of aggressive and non-aggressive mice.

Mice which had been housed in groups were introduced into the home cages of isolated mice and the aggressive defensive behaviour assessed. The grouped mice were chronically treated with testosterone, cyproterone acetate or arachis oil. The concentration of GABA was determined in 10 regions following the last behavioural assessment. The grouped mice which were treated with testosterone or with the anti-androgen, cyproterone acetate, were subjected to fewer aggressive attacks by the isolated mice thatn the grouped controls. The concentration of GABA in particular brain areas appears to depend on the degree of aggressive behaviour exhibited, the type of environment into which the mouse is introduced, the hormone treatment, and the housing conditions.

Aggression↗

PubMed1978

The behaviour of infants whose mothers smoke in pregnancy.

The Brazelton Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale was used to compare the behaviour patterns of infants of mothers who smoked during pregnancy and those whose mothers did not smoke. Smokers were mothers who had smoked more than 15 cigarettes/day throughout their pregnancy. Over a period of 9 mth, a total of 32 infants (15 of whose mothers smoked and 17 whose mothers did not smoke) between 4 and 6 days of age were examined and the results compared. The two groups were matched for maternal age, social class and parity. All infants were spontaneously delivered at term and of normal birthweight. Sex distribution was equal. Duration of labour and analgesia during labour were similar for smokers and non-smokers. Examinations were carried out in a warm, quiet semi-dark room, the examiner being unaware of which category the infant was in. There was evidence to suggest that the behavioural patterns of infants can be influenced by smoking in pregnancy and that in particular the auditory senses are affected.

Auditory Perception↗

PubMed1979

Shortening hospital stay for psychiatric care: effect on patients and their families.

A one-year cohort of patients from a defined catchment area with acute functional disorders were allocated at random to brief care (experimental group) or standard care (control group) in hospital to examine the effect of shortening hospital stay on the clinical and social functioning of patients and the distress abnormal functioning caused to others. A total of 127 patients were interviewed on entry to the study, and 106 were followed up. The brief care group had significantly shorter mean and median lengths of stay than the control group, but there was no difference between the groups in the number of days spent in hospital during subsequent admissions. The groups were well matched for clinical and social variables. Rates of improvement over 13 weeks were essentially the same by all measures of outcome, including the Present State Examination and Patient's Behaviour Assessment Scale, which was developed for the study to measure deterioration in behaviour and social functioning and adverse effects and distress on others. There was no difference between the two groups in burden to the community supporting services, social security requirements, or GP attendances. Improvement rates were nearly identical on all measures within and across diagnostic subgroups. Brief care resulted in a 33% reduction in average length of stay compared with the year before but was associated with a corresponding increase in day hospital use. The short-stay policy continued the year after the study finished.The findings confirm the value of shortening hospital stay and improving day care facilities for most localities.

Attitude↗

PubMed1992

Early symptoms in autism from family home movies. Evaluation and comparison between 1st and 2nd year of life using I.B.S.E. scale.

The analysis of 11 home movies taken by parents before the recognition of autistic or atypical disorders of their own child has confirmed the major value of this method for describing early pathological signs. Symptomatology analysis has revealed anomalies of eye contact, a deficiency and variability of emotional expression, a defect of attention and initiation of communication, as well as motor abnormalities. The comparison of the frequency of abnormal behaviour, assessed with a rating scale among three groups of children (autistic, pervasive developmental disorders and normal) revealed behavioural differences as a function of early age and diagnosis, which concern not only social and communicative behaviours, but those of emotion and attention as well. The limits and interest of this methodological approach are discussed and the possibilities of subsequently using these documents in a more complete method, such as blind examination and scoring by uninformed investigators, are suggested.

Autistic Disorder↗

PubMed1976

Geriatrics in relation to the social and behavioural sciences.

Social and behavioural gerontology is the scientific study of how men and women adapt to their environment as they grow older. It is a multidisciplinary area, comprising subjects each of which asserts an existence in its own right, as a scientific enterprise, apart from other subjects in the area, and apart from geriatrics. Social and behavioural gerontology, however, forms part of the total context within which geriatrics gets its meaning and value. Geriatrics, in turn, affects these other adjacent disciplines. Social and behavioural gerontology could help in a general way by putting geriatrics into this wide perspective and thus demonstrating the wider issues that might otherwise be neglected in the busy round of geriatric care. Social and behavioural gerontology could also help in numerous particular ways such as: the collection of normative data; improved conceptual analysis; better methods of observation, experimentation, measurement and data analysis; the integration of social and behavioural case-work with clinical geriatrics for both treatment and training purposes; improved techniques of social and behavioural assessment; improvements in communication; better social attitldes; increased self-help and understanding of the role of the elderly in society; more effective consumer behaviour; and more effective social policies incorporating long-range, broad-spectrum preventive measures.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

The neuroanatomical basis of anxiety.

This review details the neural systems that are important in anxiety-related behaviours. In particular, the role of the amygdaloid complex, Papez circuit, septohippocampal formation and raphe nuclei are described and discussed. Evidence is gathered from a variety of experimental approaches. These include behavioural assessment of anxiety in animals after intracerebral injection of pharmacological agents and following lesions of discrete brain nuclei and selective neurotransmitter pathways. Further evidence is provided by functional brain mapping studies applied to animals and humans. It is proposed that the neural systems recruited in different experimental conditions of anxiety may differ, supporting the notion that clinical anxiety exists in several forms. This has implications for the identification of new anxiolytic treatments. In particular, the findings suggest that approaches aimed at identifying new anxiolytic agents must take into account both the distribution of receptors for the drug and the neuronal systems activated by the experimental protocol.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Fetal mediators of the relationships between increased pregnancy and labour blood pressure and newborn irritability.

A prospective study of primiparous English women and their newborns failed to replicate previous findings that greater irritability was related to higher maternal blood pressure during pregnancy and labour. This apparent lack of replication prompted a search for fetal variables capable of mediating the blood pressure--irritability relationships. Relative fetal growth retardation was found in newborns of women whose peak antenatal blood pressure occurred from 20 to 32 wk gestation. Prenatal growth retardation and exposure to either oxytocin-stimulated labour or higher maternal blood pressure during spontaneous labour were associated with lower intrapartum fetal heart rate. Lower heart rate, in turn, was associated with greater crying and more frequent changes of state during behavioural assessments on the first and fifth days. It is suggested that intrapartum hypoxia is an immediate antecedent of newborn irritability. The blood pressure--irritability relationships may therefore reflect the influence of growth retardation, attributable to increased pregnancy blood pressure, and higher labour blood pressure, respectively, on the ability of the fetus to withstand hypoxia and the degree of hypoxia encountered during labour.

Anesthesia, Obstetrical↗

PubMed1977

Increased thirst and hunger in adult rats undernourished as infants: an alternative explanation.

1. Rats were undernourished in early life by feeding their mothers a restricted quantity of a good-quality diet throughout lactation. Their undernutrition continued postweaning from 25 to 42 d of age, after which they were fed ad lib. Control rats were well nourished at all times. 2. Behavioural assessment of thirst was carried out on adult males. These were deprived of water for 23 h/d throughout the period of testing. Compared to control rats, previously-undernourished (PU) rats pressed a lever at a higher rate in a Skinner box to gain a water reward, drank more frequently during their first 5 min in an unfamiliar cage, and tended to run more quickly down an alleyway for water. PU rats also drank more (/kg body-weight 0-75) of a quinine solution (I g/l) when this was available to them ad lib. as their only source of fluid. 3. A second group of rats was growth-retarded during gestation and the suckling and early postweaning periods. The rats had free access to food from 42 d of age. In adulthood their ad lib. food and water consumption was measured. PU males ate and drank more (/kg body-weight 0-75) than control males. 4. These results indicate that adult rats which have been undernourished in early life display increased thirst. An attempt is made to explain this finding, together with their previously-demonstrated enhanced hunger drive, purely in terms of gross anatomical and physiological differences.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Occupationally relevant vibrations and the brain: frequency-dependent proteomics signatures in a rat model.

INTRODUCTION: Occupational exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV), particularly in agricultural environments, has been associated with adverse cognitive and physiological effects. This study examined the neurophysiological impact of WBV in a rat model at 4 Hz and 30 Hz, frequencies representative of off-road and on-road vehicle operation. METHODOLOGY: Forty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to control (0 Hz), low-frequency (4 Hz), or high-frequency (30 Hz) vibration conditions. After three days of exposure, brain tissues were collected and analyzed using mass spectrometry-based proteomics to identify differentially expressed proteins. RESULTS: Proteomic profiling revealed distinct, frequency-dependent alterations in brain protein expression. Compared with controls, 32 cognition-related proteins were differentially regulated at 4 Hz and 29 at 30 Hz, with 13 differing between the two vibration conditions. Principal component analysis showed clear separation among groups, indicating unique proteomic signatures for each exposure frequency. Functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction analyses demonstrated involvement of synaptic plasticity, cytoskeletal organization, calcium regulation, and neurotransmitter release. Exposure to 4 Hz was associated with the upregulation of proteins involved in calcium homeostasis and synaptic integrity, suggesting potential disruption of cognitive processes. In contrast, 30 Hz increased the expression of proteins related to axonal guidance and neuroprotection, indicating a less clearly adverse response that may reflect adaptive or potentially beneficial effects. DISCUSSION: These findings provide new insight into biological mechanisms underlying WBV-induced cognitive changes and underscore the importance of vibration frequency in shaping neurophysiological outcomes. They also establish a foundation for future studies integrating proteomics with behavioural assessments in animals and humans.

Animals↗

PubMed1978

Spontaneous variations in level of arousal among aged individuals. Correlations with functional abilities and mental performances.

The aim of this study was to assess whether spontaneous interindividual variations in arousal level appreciated by telemetric recordings of physiological variables were related to mental performance and functional ability in institutionalized aged subjects. The sample studied was made up of 18 subjects (16 women and 2 men) aged 82-97, living in an old age home in Paris. Telemetric recordings of EEG, EKG, EMG and EOG were obtained over 8-hour periods, during the subjects' normal daily activity schedule. The Stockton Geriatric Rating Scale (SGRS), Benton's Visual Retention Test (VRT) and the Trail Making Test (TMT) were independently used to assess behaviour and mental performance of these aged persons. All correlations between telemetric data and psychological evaluations (the psychometric tests as well as the rating scale) were highly significant, even once the influence of the cultural level was controlled.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1992

Magnetic resonance studies on brain dysfunction induced by organic solvents.

A 38-year-old layer of parquet flooring was referred because of memory impairment, tiredness and diffuse headaches. His work involved using several neurotoxic organic solvents. Extensive laboratory, neuropsychological, clinical neurophysiological, neuroadiological, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and spectroscopy studies were performed. The neuropsychological and behavioural assessments showed an organic brain syndrome. MR imaging and CT scanning of the brain revealed enlarged ventricles and generalized atrophy. 31P and 1H MR spectroscopic measurements did not show any abnormalities. Owing to recent improvements regarding sensitivity and facilitated assignment, MR spectroscopy may provide in the near future significant additional information on brain metabolism in patients with brain dysfunction presumably induced by organic solvents.

Adult↗

PubMed1977

Direct assessment of social behaviour from videotape recordings.

A number of frequency and duration measures, and also general ratings, were made to assess specified aspects of interpersonal behaviour. These were taken from videotape recordings of interviews, or informal conversations, involving psychiatric patients. The frequency and duration measures were found to have high inter-rater reliability. Pearsonian correlations were in the range of 0-88--0-99. The general ratings were less reliable (0-42--0-86). The patients were divided into two groups. The first were patients whose major difficulties were interpersonal problems. The second contained patients with other psychiatric problems. Comparisons between these groups revealed a number of significant differences in the behavioural frequency and duration measures. Significant differences were also found in the general ratings, but there were disagreements between the two raters which made the interpretation of these differences difficult. When, within the interpersonal problem group, informal conversations were compared with formal interviews, it was found that subjects spent longer looking at the other person during the conversation. No other differences were evident. The implications of the results for social skills research are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1977

[Initial assessment of a behavioural therapy anti-tobacco programme (author's transl)].

The principle of behavioural therapy was used in anti-tobacco treatment. An assessment of the first 100 patients is given here. From the beginning of treatment, which was individual and lasted for one week, the subjects, with three exceptions, stopped smoking between the treatment sessions. After treatment was completed, 93 subjects maintained this abstinence for at least 15 days; 74 patients have not started to smoke again, with a follow-up period ranging from 2 to 18 months. The degree of motivation of the patients would seem to be the only parameter related to relapse.

Adult↗

PubMed1977

The development of a scale for the assessment of sexual behaviour in Australian women.

The aim of this study was to develop a simple method of assessing female sexual response, suitable for use in clinical investigations. Following a review of interview, physiological and psychological methods, a Scale of Sexual Response was developed. Sexually dysfunctional women and women who stated they had no sexual problems completed the Scale. The results demonstrated that 11 of the 15 subscales had concurrent validity. The 4 subscales relating to auto eroticism did not distinguish between groups. Significant changes were demonstrated in 4 subscales following successful therapy of the sexual dysfunction. The scale was shown to be reliable.

Australia↗

PubMed1975

The accuracy and correlates of psychiatric patients' self-assessment of their work behaviour.

A preliminary study demonstrated that psychiatric patients' evaluation of their work behaviour was unrelated to assessments made by experienced supervisors. Patients involved in clerical work were shown to be more accurate in self-assessment than patients in the manual assembly section of a rehabilitation unit; clerical patients underestimated, and manual patients overestimated their performance. These findings were confirmed in a second study, which also identified some of the differences between the 'clerical' and 'manual' groups, and showed that underestimation was associated with higher intelligence, a general tendency to admit to undesirable behaviours, and a relatively long period of contact with psychiatric services. Neuroticism was also related to underestimation, and schizophrenic patients overestimated their performance. Work satisfaction was found to be unrelated to work performance.

Adult↗