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The phenomenon of plasticity in the striatum, and its relation with the striatum-nigra neuronal circuit has clinical and neurophysiological relevance to Parkinson and epilepsy. High frequency stimulation (HFS) can induce neural plasticity. Furthermore, it is possible to induce plasticity in the dorsal striatum and this can be modulated by substantia nigra activity. But it has not been shown yet what would be the effects in the striatum-nigra circuit after plasticity induction in striatum with HSF. Literature also misses a detailed description of the way back loop of the circuit: the striatal firing rate after substantia nigrás inhibition. We here conducted: First Experiment, application of HFS in dorsomedial striatum and measure of spontaneous and longlasting behavior expression in the open field three days later; Second, application of single pulses on dorsomedial striatum and measure of the evoked potentials in substantia nigra before and after HFS; Third Experiment: inhibition of substantia nigra and recording of the firing rate of dorsomedial striatum. HFS in dorsomedial striatum caused increased locomotion behaviors, but not classical stereotypy. However, rats had either an increase or decrease in substantia nigrás evoked potentials. Also, substantia nigrás inhibition caused an increase in dorsomedial striatum firing rate. Present data are suggestive of a potential application of HFS in striatum, as an attempt to modulate behavior rigidity and hypokinesia of diseases involving the basal ganglia, especially Parkinson´s Disease.

In human neurodegenerative diseases, neurons undergo axonal degeneration months to years before they die. Here, we developed a system modelling early degenerative events in Drosophila adult photoreceptor cells. Thanks to the stereotypy of their axonal projections, this system delivers quantitative data on sporadic and progressive axonal degeneration of photoreceptor cells. Using this method, we show that exposure of adult female flies to a constant light stimulation for several days overcomes the intrinsic resilience of R7 photoreceptors and leads to progressive axonal degeneration. This was not associated with apoptosis. We furthermore provide evidence that loss of synaptic integrity between R7 and a postsynaptic partner preceded axonal degeneration, thus recapitulating features of human neurodegenerative diseases. Finally, our experiments uncovered a role of postsynaptic partners of R7 to initiate degeneration, suggesting that postsynaptic cells signal back to the photoreceptor to maintain axonal structure. This model can be used to dissect cellular and circuit mechanisms involved in the early events of axonal degeneration, allowing for a better understanding of how neurons cope with stress and lose their resilience capacities.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT:Neurons can be active and functional for several years. In the course of ageing and in disease conditions leading to neurodegeneration, subsets of neurons lose their resilience and start dying. What initiates this turning point at the cellular level is not clear. Here, we developed a model allowing to systematically describe this phase. The loss of synapses and axons represents an early and functionally relevant event towards degeneration. Utilizing the ordered distribution of Drosophila photoreceptors axon terminals, we assembled a system to study sporadic initiation of axon loss and delineated a role for non-cell-autonomous activity regulation in the initiation of axon degeneration. This work will help shedding light on key steps in the etiology of non-familial cases of neurodegenerative diseases.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of dietary nutrients on oral stereotypies and redirected behaviors among horse working groups. A cross-sectional study was designed with a total of 207 horses from 7 established equestrian facilities consisting of leisure, equestrian, patrolling, and endurance working groups to determine the proportion of oral abnormal behaviors within the same horse working group. The abnormal behaviors were either categorized as stereotypic: sham chewing, licking, lip-smacking, tongue-rolling, and crib-biting, or redirected behaviors: bedding eating, and coprophagy. Information on feeding practices and feedstuffs were collected to determine the nutritional composition and the total daily dietary intake of horses from each working group. Binary logistic regression models were built to predict the likelihood of oral stereotypy and redirected behaviors based on the daily dry matter (DM) intake, macronutrient intake, and digestible energy (DE). Endurance horses demonstrated the highest number of abnormal behaviors, followed by patrolling, leisure, polo, and equestrian working groups. Sham chewing and bedding eating were the most common oral stereotypy and redirected behaviors, respectively. Although meeting their standard energy requirements, the total dietary intakes varied significantly among working groups. The total daily dietary intake of endurance and polo horses contained the highest amount of DM, crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), ether extract (EE), nitrogen-free extract, ash, calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and DE compared to other horse working groups. Furthermore, CP and EE intakes were negatively associated with the likelihood of sham chewing. DM, CP, CF, EE, and DE were the significant predictors of bedding eating and coprophagy. These findings revealed that total daily dietary intake plays a vital role in the development of abnormal oral behavior in horses from different working groups.

5-HT7R belongs to a family of G protein-coupled receptors and is associated with a variety of physiological processes in the central nervous system via the activation of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HT). To develop selective and biased 5-HT7R ligands, we designed and synthesized a series of pyrazolyl-diazepanes 2 and pyrazolyl-piperazines 3, which were evaluated for binding affinities to 5-HTR subtypes and functional selectivity for G protein and β-arrestin signaling pathways of 5-HT7R. Among them, 1-(3-(3-chlorophenyl)-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1,4-diazepane 2c showed the best binding affinity for 5-HT7R and selectivity over other 5-HTR subtypes. It was also revealed as a G protein-biased antagonist. The self-grooming behavior test was performed with 2c in vivo with Shank3-/- transgenic (TG) mice, wherein 2c significantly reduced self-grooming duration time to the level of wild-type mice. The results suggest that 5-HT7R could be a potential therapeutic target for treating autism spectrum disorder stereotypy.

High doses of the Cannabis constituent Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) increase the risk of psychosis in humans. Highly accessible animal models are needed to address underlying mechanisms. Using zebrafish with a conserved endocannabinoid system, this study investigates the acute effects of THC on adult zebrafish behavior and the mechanisms involved. A concentration-dependent THC-induced behavioral stereotypy akin to THC’s effect in rats and the psychotropics phencyclidine and ketamine in zebrafish was established. Distinctive circular swimming during THC-exposure was measured using a novel analytical method that we developed, which detected an elevated Repetition Index (RI) compared to vehicle controls. This was reduced upon co-administration of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor agonist NMDA, suggesting that THC exerts its effects via biochemical or neurobiological mechanisms associated with NMDA receptor antagonism. Co-treatment of γ‐aminobutyric acid receptor antagonist pentylenetetrazol also showed signs of reducing the RI. Since THC-induced repetitive behavior remained in co-administrations with cannabinoid receptor 1 inverse agonist AM251, the phenotype may be cannabinoid receptor 1-independent. Conversely, the inverse cannabinoid receptor 2 agonist AM630 significantly reduced THC-induced behavioral stereotypy, indicating cannabinoid receptor 2 as a possible mediator. A significant reduction of the THC-RI was also observed by the antipsychotic sulpiride. Together, these findings highlight this model’s potential for elucidating the mechanistic relationship between Cannabis and psychosis.

The finding that (quasi)identical, stereotyped B-cell receptor (BcR) immunoglobulins IGs) are expressed in a significant fraction of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) highlighted the importance of antigen selection in disease pathogenesis. Subsets of patients sharing the same stereotyped BcR IG display consistent biological features and, at least for certain subsets, clinical presentation and outcome, including the response to particular treatment. On these grounds, BcR IG stereotypy emerges as a useful tool for dissecting the pronounced heterogeneity of CLL toward refining risk stratification and therapeutic management aligned with the principles of precision medicine.

Introduction: Little is known about the effects of specific behavioral strategies to reduce stereotypy and self-injury for learners with sensory impairments and additional disabilities. Method: A single-subject, multi-treatment withdrawal design was used to test the isolated and combined effects of physical prompting to engage in object manipulation of preferred items, contingent reinforcement, and response blocking on target hand-related stereotypy and object manipulation for one 9-year-old boy with deafblindness and additional disabilities. Results: A functional relation was observed to show that hand-related stereotypy decreased due to prompting and reinforcement of object manipulation. Adding response blocking had inconsistent positive effects on stereotypy, and a functional relation was not observed. Prompting alone did not appear to increase object manipulation until contingent reinforcement was added, and response blocking did not appear to have an additive effect to increase object manipulation. Discussion: Results contradict findings of the replicated study and indicate need for further research, including research carried out in natural environments. Implications for Practitioners: Practitioners can use this research to justify the application of differential reinforcement of incompatible behavior using functional activities that result in meaningful reinforcement for students.

Purpose This study explored whether gastrodin (Gas) could attenuate the symptoms of Tourette syndrome(TS) via the regulation of glutamate (Glu), its transporters (EAAT1 and EAAT2) and its receptors (NMDAR1, NMDAR2A and NMDAR2B) in rats. Materials and Methods Seventy-five Wistar male rats were randomly divided into five groups (n=15 each): the control, TS, Tia (tiapride, 25mg/kg), Gas60 (gastrodin, 60mg/kg) and Gas120 groups (gastrodin, 120mg/kg). Rats in all groups except the control group received intraperitoneal injection of 3,3′-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) for 7 consecutive days to establish the TS model. Thereafter, rats in the Tia, Gas60, and Gas120 groups were gavaged with 25mg/kg Tia, 60mg/kg Gas and 120mg/kg Gas for 28 days. Rats in the control and TS groups were gavaged with 0.9% normal saline. Behavioral evaluation was performed by using stereotypy scoring, nodding experiment and autonomic activity test. The Glu level was measured by UPLC-QqQ-MS analysis. The expression of EAAT1, EAAT2, NMDAR1, NMDAR2A and NMDAR2B was measured by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analyses. Results The results showed that rats with IDPN-induced TS exhibited an increase in stereotypy score, nodding numbers, number of times to enter the central area and autonomic total distance, which could be improved by Tia and Gas treatments. Furthermore, Tia and Gas treatments significantly decreased the IDPN-induced the increase in Glu levels in rats with TS. Furthermore, the decreased expression of EAAT1 and EAAT2 and increased expression of NMDAR1, NMDAR2A, and NMDAR2B in rats with TS induced by IDPN could be substantially altered by Tia and Gas treatments. Conclusion Gas ameliorated the behavioral dysfunction of rats with TS by maintaining Glu at a normal level, upregulating the expression of EAAT1 and EAAT2, and downregulating the expression of NMDAR1, NMDAR2A and NMDAR2B.

Restricted, repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBIs) occur commonly in young children in the course of typical development, but too frequent or persistent RRBIs have been linked to a variety of psychosocial and neurodevelopmental disorders. Unfortunately, a lack of psychometrically sound, feasible instruments stymies RRBI study and intervention in early childhood. Therefore, this study validated an extant RRBI measure (i.e., Repetitive Behavior Scale for Early Childhood; RBS-EC) for predominately neurotypical community children ages 2–7 years via an MTurk survey of 300 caregivers. Confirmatory factor analyses best supported a 4-factor model for the RBS-EC (i.e., repetitive motor, rituals and routines, restricted interests, self-directed behaviors). RBS-EC scores varied significantly with age and gender; namely, RRBIs were typically (1) less frequent but more problematic with older versus younger children and (2) more frequent and problematic with boys versus girls. Findings extend the RBS-EC’s utility in RRBI assessment and treatment during early childhood.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by the existence of subsets of patients with (quasi)identical, stereotyped B-cell receptor (BcR) immunoglobulins. Patients in certain major stereotyped subsets often display remarkably consistent clinicobiological profiles, suggesting that the study of BcR immunoglobulin stereotypy in CLL has important implications for understanding disease pathophysiology and refining clinical decision-making. Nevertheless, several issues remain open, especially pertaining to the actual frequency of BcR immunoglobulin stereotypy and major subsets, as well as the existence of higher-order connections between individual subsets. To address these issues, we investigated clonotypic IGHV-IGHD-IGHJ gene rearrangements in a series of 29 856 patients with CLL, by far the largest series worldwide. We report that the stereotyped fraction of CLL peaks at 41% of the entire cohort and that all 19 previously identified major subsets retained their relative size and ranking, while 10 new ones emerged; overall, major stereotyped subsets had a cumulative frequency of 13.5%. Higher-level relationships were evident between subsets, particularly for major stereotyped subsets with unmutated IGHV genes (U-CLL), for which close relations with other subsets, termed “satellites,” were identified. Satellite subsets accounted for 3% of the entire cohort. These results confirm our previous notion that major subsets can be robustly identified and are consistent in relative size, hence representing distinct disease variants amenable to compartmentalized research with the potential of overcoming the pronounced heterogeneity of CLL. Furthermore, the existence of satellite subsets reveals a novel aspect of repertoire restriction with implications for refined molecular classification of CLL. Key Points: • In a series of 29 856 CLL patients, the incidence of BcR stereotypy peaked at 41%. • Higher-order relations exist between stereotyped subsets, particularly for those from U-CLL, for which satellite subsets were identified.

Rationale Cytochrome P450 2D (CYP2D) enzymes metabolize many addictive drugs, including methamphetamine. Variable CYP2D metabolism in the brain may alter CNS drug/metabolite concentrations, consequently affecting addiction liability and neuropsychiatric outcomes; components of these can be modeled by behavioral sensitization in rats. Methods To investigate the role of CYP2D in the brain in methamphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization, rats were pretreated centrally with a CYP2D irreversible inhibitor (or vehicle) 20 h prior to each of 7 daily methamphetamine (0.5 mg/kg subcutaneous) injections. In vivo brain microdialysis was used to assess brain drug and metabolite concentrations, and neurotransmitter release. Results CYP2D inhibitor (versus vehicle) pretreatment enhanced methamphetamine-induced stereotypy response sensitization. CYP2D inhibitor pretreatment increased brain methamphetamine concentrations and decreased the brain p-hydroxylation metabolic ratio. With microdialysis conducted on days 1 and 7, CYP2D inhibitor pretreatment exacerbated stereotypy sensitization and enhanced dopamine and serotonin release in the dorsal striatum. Day 1 brain methamphetamine and amphetamine concentrations correlated with dopamine and serotonin release, which in turn correlated with the stereotypy response slope across sessions (i.e., day 1 through day 7), used as a measure of sensitization. Conclusions CYP2D-mediated methamphetamine metabolism in the brain is sufficient to alter behavioral sensitization, brain drug concentrations, and striatal dopamine and serotonin release. Moreover, day 1 methamphetamine-induced neurotransmitter release may be an important predictor of subsequent behavioral sensitization. This suggests the novel contribution of CYP2D in the brain to methamphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization and suggests that the wide variation in human brain CYP2D6 may contribute to differential methamphetamine responses and chronic effects.

The present study implemented an objective head pose tracking technique-OpenFace 2.0 to quantify the three dimensional head movement. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typical development (TD) were engaged in a structured conversation with an interlocutress while wearing an eye tracker. We computed the head movement stereotypy with multiscale entropy analysis. In addition, the head rotation range (RR) and the amount of rotation per minute (ARPM) were calculated to quantify the extent of head movement. Results demonstrated that the ASD group had significantly higher level of movement stereotypy, RR and ARPM in all the three directions of head movement. Further analyses revealed that the extent of head movement could be significantly explained by movement stereotypy, but not by the amount of visual fixation to the interlocutress. These results demonstrated the atypical head movement dynamics in children with ASD during live interaction. It is proposed that head movement might potentially provide novel objective biomarkers of ASD. LAY SUMMARY: Our study used an objective tool to quantify head movement in children with autism. Results showed that children with autism had more stereotyped and greater head movement. We suggest that head movement tracking technique be widely used in autism research.

The environment provided for animals in captivity is less complex than its natural habitat, which generates a stressful condition. Environmental enrichment tries to meet the animals’ ethological an...

Aims: This study was designed to investigate the effects of crude ethanol and partition extracts of Newbouldia laevis leaves on excitotoxin-induced stereotypy in mice. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Laboratory of the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria, between July and October, 2020. Methodology: Following pretreatment of mice with graded doses (150 - 600 mg/kg b.w) of crude extract (NLE) and partition fractions [n-butanol partition fraction (BPE), n-hexane partition fraction (HPE) and ethylacetate partition fraction (EAPE)] of Newbouldia laevis leaves, stereotypy was induced by the administration of methamphetamine (35 mg/kg b.w) and apomorphine (5mg/kg b.w.), and stereotypy scores were recorded thereafter. The effects of BPE and NLE on catalepsy were also determined. Statistical significance was taken at PNLE>EAPE>HPE. In the catalepsy test, BPE (600 mg/kg b.w) significantly potentiated haloperidol-induced catalepsy compared to control (P

Miejsce języka i kultury Romów w Polsce. Spostrzeżenia na bazie ankiety Celem artykułu jest prezentacja najważniejszych informacji dotyczących kultury Romów i języka romskiego w Polsce. Przedstawiona analiza oparta jest na wynikach ankiety przeprowadzonej przez autorkę wśród Polaków posiadających konto na Facebooku. Opis badania poprzedza wnikliwa dyskusja najistotniejszych elementów kultury romskiej oraz wydarzeń historycznych, które ukształtowały współczesne oblicze tej społeczności. Artykuł zawiera także charakterystykę języka romskiego, który bardzo różni się od polszczyzny. Celem przeprowadzonego badania było określenie stosunku Polaków do Romów, ich języka i kultury, odkrycie popularnych stereotypów, które funkcjonują w społeczeństwie polskim oraz próba odkrycia ich źródeł. Wiedza ta może bowiem w istotny sposób pomóc w budowaniu pozytywnych relacji między Polakami i Romami.

The antipsychotic properties of Myrica esculenta stem bark were evaluated. The stem bark was collected, shade dried, and pulverized. Extraction was carried out with 70% ethanol by occasional shaking. Preliminary phytochemical screening of the extract was investigated in this study. Antipsychotic activity was evaluated against apomorphine-induced stereotypy using cook’s pole climbing apparatus and haloperidol-induced catalepsy models. Bioamine determination of noradrenaline and dopamine was also performed. The extract contains phytochemicals, including glycosides, flavonoids, volatile oils, proteins, saponins, phenolics, and tannins. The result showed decreased apomorphine-induced stereotyped behavior. This study reported significant dose-dependent potentiation of haloperidol-induced catalepsy in rats and a longer time needed by the rat to climb the pole in a dose-dependent manner. Also, it significantly decreased brain dopamine and noradrenaline level. The ethanolic extract of M. esculenta exhibited significant antipsychotic activity in rats. Further neurochemical investigation is needed to explore the plant drug’s mechanism of action regarding anti-dopaminergic functions and establish the plant as an antipsychotic agent.

Competing stimulus assessments (CSAs) are used to empirically identify stimuli associated with low levels of problem behavior. For some individuals with automatically maintained behavior, it can be difficult to identify effective competing stimuli. Recent research shows that prompting engagement and response blocking can be employed during the CSA to obtain significant reductions in problem behavior. The purpose of the present study was to replicate and extend prior research on the use of these tactics not only with competing stimuli, but also competing tasks, which require the active completion of a discrete response or response sequence. In addition, the current study validated the results of these pretreatment assessments in an extended treatment analysis, and examined the isolated and combined effects of prompting and response blocking within a component analysis. Future research directions and implications for clinical practice are discussed.

Q What are the effects of noncontingent reinforcement with matched stimulation (NCR-M) compared to response interruption redirection (RIRD) on reducing levels of vocal stereotypy in adolescents wit...

Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), including autism, constitute a wide range of states and are associated with deficit to social communications, limited interests, and stereotypical behavior. The development of translational medicine and personalized approaches to the treatment of ASD combine the efforts of clinicians and basic scientists and push the direction of studies towards the molecular and genetic mechanisms of developmental disorders and the search for new marker molecules for targeted correction of these states, which are impossible without use of models of ASD in animals, especially rodents. This review describes the key genetic and pharmacological models of ASD in rodents which are actively utilized in experimental studies, along with the most important behavioral tests for assessing deficits in social behavior, stereotypy, and autism-like states in experimental animals.

Although behavioral interventions have been known to effectively reduce stereotypy in children with ASD, these types of interventions are not accessible to all families. In response to this issue, we evaluated the effects of the iSTIM, an iOS application designed to support parents in the reduction of stereotypy in their child with ASD. We used a series of AB designs to determine the effectiveness of the iSTIM on stereotypy using parents as behavior change agents. The use of iSTIM by the parents led to a reduction in stereotypy for six of seven participants. Our results suggest that the use of technology may be a cost effective and easily accessible method for parents to reduce stereotypy in their child with ASD.

This article addresses issues associated with the perception of obesity and being overweight in the labour market, and the issue of weight discrimination. Excess body weight has become a very serious social problem. The increase in rates of obesity and being overweight is a serious problem both for individuals and social policies in advanced societies. In some countries, over 50% of the population have excess body weight. The literature to date indicates that people struggling with being overweight and obesity are discriminated at work. Research shows that these individuals are believed to have lower leadership potential, a lower IQ and lower effectiveness compared to individuals of normal weight. For this reason, people with excess body weight are subjected to stigmatisation and discrimination, have limited chances of occupying managerial positions, and earn lower incomes. The article also shows whether and how overweight and obese people can defend their rights. Artykuł dotyczy postrzegania nadwagi i otyłości na rynku pracy oraz dyskryminacji związanej z tym zjawiskiem. Nadmierna masa ciała stała się bardzo poważnym problemem społecznym. Wzrost wskaźników nadwagi i otyłości stanowi istotny problem dla osób i polityki społecznej w krajach rozwiniętych. W niektórych krajach już ponad 50 proc. społeczeństwa ma problemy z nadmierną masą ciała. Dotychczasowa literatura podaje, że osoby zmagające się z nadwagą i otyłością są dyskryminowane w miejscu pracy. Badania wykazują, że osoby te są postrzegane jako mające mniejszy potencjał przywódczy, niższy iloraz inteligencji i skuteczność w porównaniu z osobami o normalnej wadze. Z tego też powodu osoby z nadmierną masą ciała są narażone na stygmatyzację i dyskryminację, mają mniejsze szanse na zatrudnienie na wyższych stanowiskach i niższe dochody. Artykuł pokazuje również, czy i jak osoby z nadwagą i otyłością mogą bronić swoich praw.

In 2 experiments, using a within-subjects alternating-conditions design, we measured our participants' stereotypic and verbal behavior under 2 audience conditions. Our participants were 8 children, ages 10 and 11 years, diagnosed with autism and related developmental disabilities. We measured the percentage of intervals with occurrences of stereotypy (Experiment 1) and the number of verbal operants emitted per minute (Experiment 2) in the presence of 2 types of audiences: members of the participants' own special education class and typically developing peers from general education classes. Results from both experiments demonstrated that participants emitted a lower percentage of intervals with stereotypy and higher rates of social verbal operants in the presence of their typically developing peers than in their self-contained special education classrooms.

W artykule nakreślono możliwe reperkusje większej obecności przedstawicieli islamu w Europie na początku XXI stulecia . Odsetek muzułmanów w Europie wzrósł z 2% w 1950 r. do 6% w 2020 roku. W recepcji nowej fali napływu muzułman na Stary kontynent przedstawiono przewidywalne konsekwencje. Rozważono zaistnienie dwu scenariuszy. Jednym z nich jest narastające wciąż przekonanie o zagrożeniu ze strony wzrastającej w Europie populacji muzułman. Innym możliwym rozwiązaniem jest ich sukcesywna integracja. Dla obu wersji rozwoju wydarzeń przedstawiono wyraźne przesłanki opierające się na znanych faktach, decyzjach społeczno-politycznych, ratyfikowanych umowach oraz deklaracjach decydentów. Podjęto dyskusje z pojawiającymi się stereotypami znamionującymi niechętne nastawienie do wzrastającej obecności islamu na Starym kontynencie. Przedstawiono też wdrażane praktyki na rzecz integracji społeczności muzułmańskiej.

Glutamate is a crucial neurotransmitter of the mammalian central nervous system, a molecular component of our diet, and a popular food-additive. However, for decades, concerns have been raised about the issue of glutamate's safety as a food additive; especially, with regards to its ability (or otherwise) to cross the blood-brain barrier, cause excitotoxicity, or lead to neuron death. Results of animal studies following glutamate administration via different routes suggest that an array of effects can be observed. While some of the changes appear deleterious, some are not fully-understood, and the impact of others might even be beneficial. These observations suggest that with regards to the mammalian brain, exogenous glutamate might exert a double-sided effect, and in essence be a two-faced molecule whose effects may be dependent on several factors. This review draws from the research experiences of the authors and other researchers regarding the effects of exogenous glutamate on the brain of rodents. We also highlight the possible implications of such effects on the brain, in health and disease. Finally, we deduce that beyond the culinary effects of exogenous glutamate, there is the possibility of a beneficial role in the understanding and management of brain disorders.

Instructive feedback (IF) is a strategy for increasing the efficiency of targeted instruction. Previous research has demonstrated the success of IF with learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but limited research exists regarding the efficacy of the intervention with individuals with ASD who engage in vocal stereotypy. The effects of 2 forms of IF were examined with a learner with ASD who engaged in vocal stereotypy. In Study 1, no intervention for vocal stereotypy was implemented. In Study 2, response interruption and redirection (RIRD) was implemented contingent on vocal stereotypy. IF before the praise statement resulted in faster acquisition of secondary targets, but only when RIRD was implemented. These results extend the IF literature by providing evidence that individuals who engage in vocal stereotypy may require concurrent intervention to increase the opportunity for indiscriminable contingencies to be established and the acquisition of secondary targets via IF.

Across the lifespan, autistic individuals experience symptomatology concomitant with their diagnosis including increased rates of daytime behavior (e.g. stereotypy, self-injurious behavior, and aggression) and psychopathology (e.g. attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depression). In addition to this inter-related behavior and psychopathology, autistic children, adolescents, and adults consistently exhibit a wide variety of sleep problems (e.g. insomnia, reduced total sleep time, increased sleep onset latency, night waking, etc.). Early research and current research continue to describe the inter-relatedness among these daytime behaviors, psychopathology, and sleep problems for autistic individuals. Although descriptions of these issues appear in research, only preliminary suggestions exist for the causes and contributors toward the sleep problems or the interactions of sleep problems with psychopathology, although current research suggests a possible biopsychosocial interaction.

Aims: In this original research communication, we assess the impact of shifting the window of glial HMOX1 overexpression in mice from early-to-midlife to mid-to-late life, resulting in two disparate conditions modeling schizophrenia (SCZ) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Mesolimbic hyperdopaminergia is a widely accepted feature of SCZ, while nigrostriatal hypodopaminergia is the sine qua non of idiopathic PD. Although the advent of parkinsonian features in SCZ patients after treatment with antidopaminergic agents is intuitive, subtle features of parkinsonism commonly observed in young, drug-naive schizophrenics are not. Similarly, emergent psychosis in PD subjects receiving levodopa replacement is not unusual, whereas spontaneous hallucinosis in nonmedicated persons with idiopathic PD is enigmatic. Investigations using GFAP.HMOX1 mice may shed light on these clinical paradoxes. Results: Astroglial heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) overexpression in mice throughout embryogenesis until 6 or 12 months of age resulted in hyperdopaminergia, hyperkinesia/stereotypy ameliorated with clozapine, deficient prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response, reduced preference for social novelty, impaired nest building, and cognitive dysfunction reminiscent of SCZ. On the contrary, astroglial HO-1 overexpression between 8.5 and 19 months of age yielded a PD-like behavioral phenotype with hypodopaminergia, altered gait, locomotor incoordination, and reduced olfaction. Innovation: We conjecture that region-specific disparities in the susceptibility of dopaminergic and other circuitry to the trophic and degenerative influences of glial HMOX1 induction may permit the concomitant expression of mixed SCZ and PD traits within affected individuals. Conclusion: Elucidation of these converging mechanisms may (i) help better understand disease pathogenesis and (ii) identify HO-1 as a potential therapeutic target in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.

Effective therapies for Methamphetamine (METH) induced stereotyped behavior are still being explored. It is unclear whether Neuropeptide S (NPS) is involved in the mechanism of METH-induced stereotyped behavior. In the contemporary behavioral study, pretreatment with NPS reduces stereotyped circling significantly, but didn’t have any impact on the total incidence of stereotypy and stereotyped sniffing and biting induced by METH (10 mg/kg). When METH (10 mg/kg) was administered to rats, the level of NPS in the cerebrospinal fluid was not affected, but pretreatment with NPS reversed METH-induced glutamate release in the hippocampus and striatum. The findings suggest that NPS receptor system is likely to involve in the METH-overdose-induced behaviors.

Q (1) What are the effects of 5-min response interruption and redirection (RIRD) procedure on vocal stereotypy across settings?(2) What are the immediate and subsequent effects of RIRD on vocal ste...

Motor stereotypies occurring in early-onset neuropsychiatric diseases are associated with dysregulated basal ganglia direct-pathway activity. Disruptions in network connectivity through impaired neuronal structure have been implicated in both rodents and humans. However, the neurobiological mechanisms leading to direct-pathway neuron disconnectivity in stereotypy remain poorly understood. We have a mouse line with Tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) receptor deletion from D1-expressing cells (D1-Cre-flTrkB) in which a subset of animals shows repetitive rotations and head tics with juvenile onset. Here we demonstrate these behaviors may be associated with abnormal direct-pathway activity by reducing rotations using chemogenetic inhibition of dorsal striatum D1-medium spiny neurons (D1-MSNs) in both juvenile and young-adult mice. Taking advantage of phenotypical differences in animals with similar genotypes, we then interrogated the D1-MSN specific translatome associated with repetitive behavior by using RNA sequencing of ribosome-associated mRNA. Detailed translatome analysis followed by multiplexed gene expression assessment revealed profound alterations in neuronal projection and synaptic structure related genes in stereotypy mice. Examination of neuronal morphology demonstrated dendritic atrophy and dendritic spine loss in dorsal striatum D1-MSNs from mice with repetitive behavior. Together, our results uncover phenotype-specific molecular alterations in D1-MSNs that relate to morphological adaptations in mice displaying stereotypy behavior.

In this study we focused on gene expression and behavioral differences in mice with brain-specific Commd1 knockout. Commd1 is an imprinted gene with preferential maternal expression, residing within a larger genomic region previously found to affect sensorimotor gating. In this study, individuals harboring a conditional Commd1 mutant allele were bred with Syn1-Cre animals, paying special attention to the parent of origin of the Commd1 mutation. Analysis of mRNA levels of Commd1 and phenotypic tests, including the open field, sensorimotor gating, and the forced swim test, were conducted on offspring with either maternally or paternally derived Commd1 knockout. We found that measurable Commd1 mRNA knockout occurred only in the maternally derived line and affected stereotypy and depressive-like behavior without differences in total locomotion compared to controls. Interestingly, we found that maternal knockout animals exhibited decreased time swimming and increased time immobile when compared to maternal and paternal wild type, and paternal knockout animals. However, there were no differences in climbing behavior between genotypes. This study demonstrates an in vivo behavioral role for Commd1 for the first time and demonstrates the need for careful interpretation of experimental results involving Cre-based knockout systems.

This study used a multiple probe design to evaluate the effects of a teacher-implemented video-schedule intervention on the mathematical skills and untargeted challenging behaviors of five elementary-school students with autism. Results indicated that the intervention was effective in improving participants' academic performance, and a decrease in the level of challenging behaviors and stereotypy was observed for participants following the introduction of intervention. Additionally, academic gains generalized across academic problems and to a small group setting, suggesting that this technology-based intervention is an efficient use of instructional time. Future research targeting a variety of academic skills and examining intervention implementation by additional practitioners (e.g., teaching assistants) is warranted.

All operant behaviors have multiple characteristics in addition to those criterial for reinforcement, and variation occurs across all. All such characteristics can also reflect topographic bias due...

The ichnofossil Sanctum laurentiensis from the Late Ordovician (Cincinnatian) of Laurentia is a domichnium tunneled into live colonies of ramose and frondose trepostome Bryozoa. A preferred entranc...

Breeding and welfare problems confront many conservation breeding programs. Stereotypies—repetitive, unvarying, functionless behaviours —are common abnormal behaviours that often arise in suboptimal conditions. While the role of stereotypies in welfare assessment is well studied, few investigations address the relationship between stereotypic behaviour and reproduction. We examined the correlation between stereotypic behaviour and reproductive performance in 101 giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). High stereotyping males copulated more and produced more cubs, suggesting that highly sexually motivated males were prone to stereotypy but also had high reproductive competence. Female stereotypies were negatively associated with all reproductive measures closely tied to behavioural competence: high stereotyping females were less likely to copulate, less likely to mother-rear cubs, and—probably a result of poor maternal care—had lower cub survival. However, females that exhibited stereotypies were more likely to produce a cub, suggesting stereotypies are tied to behavioural but not physiological competence. High stereotyping female pandas also displayed strong and consistent bias toward production of female offspring while paternal relationship to sex allocation was the reverse. These results are consistent with stress-mediated sex allocation theory. Our findings raise concern about differential reproductive success among high and low stereotyping pandas, and possible genetic adaptation to captivity.

Unconstrained human movement can be broken down into a series of stereotyped motifs or ‘syllables’ in an unsupervised fashion. Sequences of these syllables can be represented by symbols and characterized by a statistical grammar which varies with external situational context and internal neurological state. By first constructing a Markov chain from the transitions between these syllables then calculating the stationary distribution of this chain, we estimate the overall severity of Parkinson’s symptoms by capturing the increasingly disorganized transitions between syllables as motor impairment increases. Comparing stationary distributions of movement syllables has several advantages over traditional neurologist administered in-clinic assessments. This technique can be used on unconstrained at-home behavior as well as scripted in-clinic exercises, it avoids differences across human evaluators, and can be used continuously without requiring scripted tasks be performed. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this technique using movement data captured with commercially available wrist worn sensors in 35 participants with Parkinson’s disease in-clinic and 25 participants monitored at home.

RATIONALE: With repeated administration the psychomotor activating effects of drugs such as cocaine or amphetamine can change in very different ways – showing sensitization or tolerance – depending on whether they are administered more or less intermittently. This behavioral plasticity is thought to reflect, at least in part, changes in dopamine (DA) neurotransmission, and therefore, may provide insights into the development of substance use disorders. Indeed, the most widely used preclinical model of cocaine addiction, which involves Long Access (LgA) self-administration procedures, is reported to produce tolerance to cocaine’s psychomotor activating effects and effects on DA activity. In contrast, Intermittent Access (IntA) cocaine self-administration is more effective than LgA in producing addiction-like behavior, but sensitizes DA neurotransmission. There is, however, very little information concerning the effects of IntA experience on the psychomotor activating effects of cocaine. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether IntA experience produces psychomotor sensitization with similar characteristics to that produced by the intermittent, noncontingent administration of cocaine. RESULTS: IntA to cocaine did indeed produce psychomotor sensitization that (1) was greater after a long (30 days) vs short (1 day) period of withdrawal; (2) was greater in females than males; and (3) resulted in cross-sensitization to another psychomotor stimulant drug, amphetamine. CONCLUSION: The tolerance sometimes associated with LgA cocaine self-administration has been cited in support of the idea that, in addiction, drug-seeking and –taking is motivated to overcome a DA deficiency and associated anhedonia. In contrast, the neurobehavioral sensitization associated with IntA cocaine self-administration favors an incentive-sensitization view.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to display stereotypic behaviors in contexts where play and social interactions are typically expected. We sought to replicate and extend previous research involving the use of prompting and lag schedules of reinforcement to improve variability in play behavior and decrease stereotypy for children with ASD. We also sought to evaluate the claim that improved play would occasion an increase in opportunities for social interaction. The study occurred on a public playground during an inclusive summer camp. During intervention, participants were prompted to vary play behaviors and received praise contingent on changes in play behavior. Effects on play, stereotypy, and opportunities for social interaction were assessed in a concurrent multiple baseline across participants’ design. An increase in play and a decrease in stereotypy for all three children were observed. However, corresponding changes in opportunity for social interaction with peers were not detected. Intervention was effective in improving play variability and occasioned a decrease in stereotypic behavior across participants. However, additional intervention components would likely be necessary to occasion an increase in social play behavior.

Stereotypy wywierają wpływ na funkcjonowanie grup stanowiących mniejszość. Dorośli klasyfikują osoby z niepełnosprawnościami jako oddzielną grupę, przypisując jej negatywne cechy, takie jak: bezradność, trudności z ekspresją emocji, zależność od innych czy izolowanie się. Powszechnie uważa się osoby z ograniczeniem sprawności jako nieszczęśliwe. Przeprowadzone przez autorkę badania na grupie uczniów klas szóstych mają odpowiedzieć na pytanie: Czy ten sposób postrzegania dotyczy również dzieci wchodzących w okres dojrzewania? Głównym problemem artykułu jest obraz osoby z niepełnosprawnością.

Elopement is a common and potentially dangerous form of problem behavior. Results of a functional analysis found that the elopement of a child with autism was maintained by access to stereotypy in the form of door play. We implemented functional communication training and contingency-based delays dependent on the absence of elopement and increased the amount of time the participant waited prior to engaging in stereotypy. We also conducted treatment-extension probes, with the participant waiting up to 10 min without elopement.

The paper deals with the boundaries between linguistic creativity and linguistic stereotyping in relation to advertising discourse. Advertising discourse borrows language techniques and units from other discourses that allow defining the “secondary” nature of its semiosis and language. Taking it into account, the study compares advertising with the avant-garde artistic discourse which is genetically and typologically one of the main discourses-“donors” of advertising which can be described as discourse-“logophagus”. In the comparison of discourses, the paper reveals two types of linguistic creativity: linguistic and discourse creativity. Linguistic creativity is the creation of new linguistic units with the aim of forming a new language or updating existing one. Dis- course creativity is updating at the “microstructure level” of discourse aimed at the most successful achievement of discourse goals and increasing the effectiveness of communication. Discourse creativity is basic to advertising discourse. The study proposes a two-stage model of language manipulation. The aim of the first stage is “deautomatization” of the recipient’s perception that meets the criteria of linguistic creativity, while the aim of the second one is recipient’s “automazation” that corresponds to stereotyping. The paper explores the features of linguistic creativity and stereotyping in poetry and advertising on the basis of three text types: the avant-garde poetic text (“In the Car” (1913) by Mayakovsky), the hybrid avant-garde and advertising texts (“The White Red Wedge of White” (1920) by Lisitzky and “Soviet Alphabet” (1919) by Mayakovsky and Jakobson) and the contemporary advertising text. As a result, the study models a scale of linguistic creativity in advertising discourse. Linguistic creativity is a gradual phenomenon, the degree of which can increase or decrease depending on the existence, frequency and degree of manifestation of a particular parameter in the discourse. The main features of linguistic creativity are structural (the existence or not of linguistic anomalies), semantic (the existence or not of polysemy; explicit / implicit expression of information) and pragmatic (“strong” / “weak” communication) criteria.