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This study aimed to identify moderators of treatment effect (i.e. depressive symptoms and well-being) of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Positive Psychology Intervention (PPI) in patients with bipolar disorder. Data were drawn from two multicenter randomized controlled trials investigating effectiveness of MBCT vs treatment as usual (TAU; n = 144) and PPI vs TAU (n = 97) in bipolar disorder. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, posttreatment, and 12 months after baseline. Data were analyzed using separate linear regression models, comparing the pooled MBCT or PPI outcomes to TAU, and comparing MBCT to PPI. The exploratory analyses not corrected for multiple comparisons showed a number of variables that were associated with stronger response to the interventions, including higher baseline anxiety, lower well-being, and lower levels of self-focused positive rumination, well-being, and self-compassion, and variables associated with a stronger response to either MBCT (higher levels of depression and anxiety and being married) or PPI (being male). After correcting for multiple testing, depressive symptoms appeared to be the most robust variable associated with better response to MBCT than PPI. The RCTs handled slightly different enrollment criteria and outcome measures. The most robust finding is that patients with more severe symptomatology seem to benefit more from MBCT than PPI. This is a first step to improve personalized assignment of third-wave CBT interventions for patients with bipolar disorder. However, before definite treatment assignment criteria can be formulated and implemented in clinical practice, these findings should be replicated. • This is a first step to improve personalized assignment of third-wave CBT interventions for patients with bipolar disorder. • Findings show that both MBCT and PPI are more helpful than TAU in improving well-being at 12-months after baseline. • Patients with more severe symptomatology benefit more from MBCT than PPI at posttreatment and 12 months after baseline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key challenge in developing treatments for neuropsychiatric illness is the disconnect between preclinical models and the complexity of human social behavior. We integrate voluntary social self-administration into a rodent model of social stress as a platform for the identification of fundamental brain and behavior mechanisms underlying stress-induced individual differences in social motivation. Here, we introduced an operant social stress procedure in male and female mice composed of 3 phases: 1) social self-administration training, 2) social stress exposure concurrent with reinforced self-administration testing, and 3) poststress operant testing under nonreinforced and reinforced conditions. We used social-defeat and witness-defeat stress in male and female mice. Social defeat attenuated social reward seeking in males but not females, whereas witness defeat had no effect in males but promoted seeking behavior in females. We resolved social stress-induced changes to social motivation by aggregating z -scored operant metrics into a cumulative social index score to describe the spectrum of individual differences exhibited during operant social stress. Clustering does not adequately describe the relative distributions of social motivation following stress and is better described as a nonbinary behavioral distribution defined by the social index score, capturing a dynamic range of stress-related alterations in social motivation inclusive of sex as a biological variable. We demonstrated that operant social stress can detect stable individual differences in stress-induced changes to social motivation. The inclusion of volitional behavior in social procedures may enhance the understanding of behavioral adaptations that promote stress resiliency and their mechanisms under more naturalistic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic alcohol consumption can lead to tolerance and escalation of drinking in humans and animals, but mechanisms underlying these changes are not fully characterized. Preclinical models can delineate which mechanisms are involved. The chronic intermittent ethanol exposure (CIE) procedure uses forced exposure to vaporized alcohol that elicits withdrawal and increased responding for alcohol in operant tasks in C57BL/6J inbred mice. Chronic two-bottle choice (2BC) drinking in the same strain elicits abstinent-related depression-like behavior, suggestive of allostatic changes. Selected lines such as crossed High Alcohol Preferring (cHAP) mice voluntarily drink to blood alcohol concentrations comparable to those attained in CIE and could be used to assess how alcohol affects these same endpoints without the confounds of involuntary vapor inhalation. In three experiments, we assess how 2BC drinking in cHAP mice affects abstinence-related depressive- and anxiety-like behavior, operant responding for alcohol, and binge consumption using drinking-in-the-dark (DID). We hypothesized that cHAPs with home-cage drinking experience would exhibit more depressive behavior after abstinence, increased responding for alcohol in the operant box, and increased DID intake. Of these, a drinking history increased DID intake in female cHAPs only and increased sucrose preference and intake following abstinence, but had no effects on operant responding or NSFT latency and FST immobility following forced abstinence. These results are consistent with recent findings using slice electrophysiology showing tolerance to alcohol's actions on the dorsolateral striatum following 2BC drinking in female, but not male cHAP mice. Overall, these data suggest that cHAPs may require procedures allowing rapid intoxication, such as DID, to demonstrate changes in alcohol's rewarding effects. • Up to 3 weeks of abstinence from 2BC drinking did not induce affective disturbance. • Alcohol drinking experience did not change operant responding for alcohol. • Alcohol drinking experience did not change extinction responding for alcohol. • Alcohol experience increased intake in drinking-in-the-dark in female cHAPs only. • During DID, alcohol experience caused more persistent binge-like behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Göttingen minipig is fast becoming the standard for assessing dermal chemical hazards because, like most swine, its skin is predictive of human skin response and because this strain's smaller size makes laboratory manipulations and husbandry easier. Unfortunately, standard behavioral tests and apparatus have not been developed for behavioral assessments of this swine strain. Indeed, computer-controlled automated behavioral testing procedures are much needed. The present research advanced this goal by producing a home-cage behavioral testing system that could accommodate minipigs of various sizes (ages). An aluminum frame housed three levers for recording operant responses, and LEDs above and below each lever served as discriminative stimuli. A commercially available food pellet dispenser was attached to a specialized pellet receptacle capable of measuring pellet retrieval. Two behavioral tests were selected and adapted from our commonly used non-human primate behavioral assessments: delayed match-to-sample (a memory test) and temporal response differentiation (a time-estimation test). Minipigs were capable of learning both tests and attaining stable performance. Next, scopolamine was used to validate the sensitivity of the behavioral tests for gauging behavioral perturbations in this swine strain. Scopolamine dose-effect functions were comparable to those observed in other species, including non-human primates, wherein 37.5 µg/kg of scopolamine (administered intramuscularly) reduced responding approximately 50%. Thus, we were successful in developing the apparatus and automated operant behavioral tests necessary to characterize drug safety in this swine strain. This capability will be valuable for characterizing chemical agent toxicity as well as the safety and efficacy of medical countermeasures. • Swine may provide a good large animal research alternative to canines and monkeys. • Standard, automated behavioral tests for swine are needed. • We developed an adaptable system for testing operant behavior in swine. • Methods were validated using scopolamine on memory and timing tests. • Results demonstrated the success of the methods and sensitivity of both tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study endeavored to systematically integrate and quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of interpersonal psychological interventions for postpartum depression patients. Four electronic databases Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane and Web of Science were employed for literature retrieval, and the search time was from the inception of the database to May 30, 2022. Literature screening and data extraction were performed independently by two researchers. A total of 528 studies were screened, and 9 of them were finally included. There were 1012 subjects, 518 of them were assigned in experimental group and 494 in control. Evidence from interpersonal psychological interventions indicated that the data on postpartum depression, satisfaction with family, and social support in both groups after intervention included: depression score [MD = −2.80, 95%CI (−3.86 to −1.74), P < 0.05], satisfaction score [MD = 8.41, 95%CI (1.49 to −15.33), P < 0.05], and social support score [MD = 1.83, 95%CI (−2.10 to −5.76)] of postpartum depression patients. P values < 0.05 indicated substantial improvement as compared to control. During the research process, it is impossible for the experimental group and the researchers to use double-blind trials simultaneously, which may present a Hawthorne effect, but this can be avoided by general psychological intervention for the control. Interpersonal psychotherapy could improve depression in patients with postpartum depression, but the appropriate intervention time was between 4 and 8 weeks, and it also improved satisfaction with family of patients, and the longer the intervention, the higher the satisfaction with the family. • Evaluated the impact of interpersonal psychology interventions on PPD • Take an online and group format to provide guidance to clinicians • First comprehensive evaluation of the treatment cycle and frequency of PPD [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US-led, rules-based order enables China to pursue a peaceful international power transition by leveraging the agenda-setting power. The agenda that China proposes is development, and the lever to promote the agenda is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI helps China publicize the development agenda, co-opt the existing US-led system, showcase China's material success, legitimize its creation of new international institutions, and attract supporters of its calls to revise the current US-led order. Since Washington wants to avoid its competition with China turning apocalyptic, the most sensible US countermeasure is keeping China inside this rules-based order and competing to set its agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) paradigm measures the effects of Pavlovian conditioned cues on instrumental behavior in the laboratory. A previous study conducted by our research group observed activity in the left nucleus accumbens (NAcc) elicited by a non–drug-related PIT task across patients with alcohol dependence (AD) and healthy control subjects, and the left NAcc PIT effect differentiated patients who subsequently relapsed from those who remained abstinent. In this study, we aimed to examine whether such effects were present in a larger sample collected at a later date. A total of 129 recently detoxified patients with AD (21 females) and 74 healthy, age- and gender-matched control subjects (12 females) performing a PIT task during functional magnetic resonance imaging were examined. After task assessments, patients were followed for 6 months. Forty-seven patients relapsed and 37 remained abstinent. We found a significant behavioral non–drug-related PIT effect and PIT-related activity in the NAcc across all participants. Moreover, subsequent relapsers showed stronger behavioral and left NAcc PIT effects than abstainers. These findings are consistent with our previous findings. Behavioral non–drug-related PIT and neural PIT correlates are associated with prospective relapse risk in AD. This study replicated previous findings and provides evidence for the clinical relevance of PIT mechanisms to treatment outcome in AD. The observed difference between prospective relapsers and abstainers in the NAcc PIT effect in our study is small overall. Future studies are needed to further elucidate the mechanisms and the possible modulators of neural PIT in relapse in AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We examine different intrapreneurial behavioral components in order to build an intrapreneurship intervention. • We draw on interviews with 94 employees and a quasi-experimental research design of 190 employees in existing teams. • Our analyses show that intrapreneurial behavior in the intervention group is higher immediately after the intervention and three months later, compared to the control group. • Our theorizing demonstrates the positive contribution of using positive psychology interventions to develop intrapreneurship in employees. Intrapreneurial behavior is more and more valued in today's society. However, actually instigating this behavior in individuals is challenging. Drawing upon the theory of planned behavior, we investigate which behavioral components in employees help develop positive intrapreneurial norms, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, intentions and behavior. This work comprises two studies: a first qualitative study with 94 employees to determine twenty intrapreneurial behavioral components. Then, we create and test an intervention in a second study in ten existing teams with 90 employees undergoing a one-month intervention and 100 in a control group. Our results show that our intervention group indeed becomes better in intrapreneurial attitudes, perceived behavioral control, intention, and behavior, compared to the control group, immediately and three months after the intervention. This while contextual turbulence causes a decrease in the intrapreneurial behavior of the control group. To our knowledge, this paper is the first to create an intrapreneurship intervention, and to investigate behavioral components of intrapreneurial behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resurgence is an increase in an extinguished operant response resulting from a worsening of conditions (e.g., extinction) for a more recently reinforced alternative behavior. Previous research has shown that exposure to cycles of alternative reinforcement available versus unavailable (i.e., on/off alternative reinforcement) across sessions can reduce subsequent resurgence. Most previous assessments of the procedure have examined target operant responding during only single-session resurgence tests, and it remains unclear if exposure to relatively few cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement can maintain low rates of target behavior across extended exposure to extinction. This experiment with rats examined the effects of 4 or 8 cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement on subsequent resurgence during a 10-session extinction test. The results show that exposure to 4 cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement is as effective as 8 cycles in producing low rates of target behavior during treatment and across extended extinction. This result is consistent with extant theories of resurgence and suggests that on/off alternative reinforcement could have translational utility following relatively few cycles of exposure. • Treatment with 4 and 8 on/off alternative reinforcement cycles similarly reduced target behavior • 4 and 8 cycles of on/off alternative reinforcement both reduced resurgence in extended extinction • On/off alternative reinforcement may have translational utility following relatively few cycles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various schedules of reinforcement have long been used in experimental psychology to establish and maintain operant behaviors. These reinforcement contingencies have also been widely applied in preclinical psycho- and neurobiology research. However, the differential reinforcement of low-rate response (DRL) schedule has received less attention than other schedules based on response ratios or different types of intervals. Hence, little is known about the neural basis of DRL schedule-controlled behavior. Herein, we review early and recent reports of rodent experiments utilizing brain lesions and intracranial drug infusions to respectively elucidate the neural substrates and neuropharmacological basis of DRL behavior. Overall, the available evidence implies that 1) certain cortical and subcortical areas are differentially involved in the DRL behavior and 2) disruption of dopamine or serotonin neurotransmission alters DRL behavior. We further identify remaining challenges in the field and suggest future work that will be helpful for understanding the neurobehavioral mechanisms of the DRL schedule of reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mouse models of social behavior fail to account for volitional aspects of social interaction, and current neurobiological investigation of social behavior is performed almost exclusively using C57BL/6J mice, the background strain of most transgenic mice. Here, we introduce a mouse model of operant social self-administration and choice, using a custom-made apparatus. First, we trained adolescent and adult female C57BL/6J and CD1 mice to self-administer palatable food pellets and then to lever press under increasing fixed-ratio response requirements for access to an age-matched female social partner. Next, we tested their motivation to seek social interaction using a progressive ratio reinforcement schedule, relapse to social seeking after social isolation, and choice between palatable food versus social interaction. We also tested social conditioned place preference in adult female CD1 and C57BL/6J mice. Adolescent and adult female mice of both strains showed similar rates of food self-administration. In contrast, CD1 mice demonstrated significantly stronger social self-administration than C57BL/6J mice under both reinforcement schedules. CD1 but not C57BL/6J mice demonstrated robust social seeking after social isolation. In the choice task, CD1 mice preferred social interaction, whereas C57BL/6J mice preferred food. CD1 but not C57BL/6J mice demonstrated robust social conditioned place preference. The strain differences were age independent. Our data show that CD1 mice are a better strain for studying female social reward learning. Our mouse operant social model provides a tool for research on neurobiological substrates of female social reward and disruption of social reward in psychiatric disorders using mouse-specific genetic tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to change initial decisions in the face of new or potentially conflicting information is fundamental to adaptive behavior. From perceptual tasks to multiple-choice tests, research has shown that changes of mind often improve task performance by correcting initial errors. Decision makers must, however, strike a balance between improvements that might arise from changes of mind and potential energetic, temporal, and psychological costs. In this review, we provide an overview of the change-of-mind literature, focusing on key behavioral findings, computational mechanisms, and neural correlates. We propose a conceptual framework that comprises two core decision dimensions – time and evidence source – which link changes of mind across decision contexts, as a first step toward an integrated psychological account of changes of mind. Changes of mind are observed during decision-making across a range of decision contexts. While changes of mind are relatively infrequent, they can serve to improve overall behavioral performance by correcting initial errors. Despite often improving performance, changes of mind incur energetic and temporal costs which can bias decision makers into keeping their original responses. Computational models of decision-making have demonstrated that changes of mind can result from continued evidence accumulation in the postdecisional period. Brain regions involved in metacognitive monitoring and affective processing are instrumental for change-of-mind behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Parameters to produce instrumental successive negative contrast (iSNC) were explored. • Spaced training (1 trial/session) and massed training (4 trials/session, 30-s ITIs) were used. • A massed-trial iSNC was most robust with 12 preshift sessions and a 16-to-2 pellet downshift. • The massed-trial iSNC led to increased c-Fos activation in the anterior cingulate cortex. • These procedures open a door to study the neural circuit underlying iSNC. Successive negative contrast (SNC) has been used to study reward relativity, reward loss, and frustration for decades. In instrumental SNC (iSNC), the anticipatory performance of animals downshifted from a large reward to a small reward is compared to that of animals always reinforced with the small reward. iSNC involves a transient deterioration of anticipatory behavior in downshifted animals compared to unshifted controls. There is scattered information on the optimal parameters to produce this effect and even less information about its neural basis. Five experiments with rats trained in a runway to collect food pellets explored the effects of trial distribution (massed or spaced), amount of preshift training, reward disparity, and reward magnitude on the development of an iSNC effect. Start, run, and goal latencies were measured. Using spaced trials (one trial per day), evidence of the iSNC effect was observed with 24 preshift trials and a 32-to-4 pellet disparity. With massed trials (4 trials per session separated by 30-s intertrial intervals), evidence of iSNC was found with 12 preshift sessions (a total of 48 trials) and a 16-to-2 pellet disparity. The massed-training procedure was then used to assess neural activity in three prefrontal cortex areas using c-Fos expression in animals perfused after the first downshift session. There was evidence of increased activation in the anterior cingulate cortex and a trend toward increased activation in the infralimbic and prelimbic cortices. These procedures open a venue for studying the neural basis of the instrumental behavior of animals that experience reward loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipids play key roles in the body, influencing cellular regulation, function, and signalling. Tolcapone, a potent catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor described to enhance cognitive performance in healthy subjects, was previously shown to impact fatty acid β-oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation. However, its impact on the brain lipidome remains unexplored. Hence, this study aimed to assess how tolcapone affects the lipidome of the rat pre-frontal cortex (PFC), a region of the brain highly relevant to tolcapone therapeutic effect, while evaluating its influence on operant behaviour. Tolcapone at 20 mg/kg was chronically administered to Wistar rats during a behavioural task and an untargeted liquid chromatography high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HR/MS) approach was employed to profile lipid species. The untargeted analysis identified 7227 features, of which only 33% underwent statistical analysis following data pre-processing. The results revealed an improved cognitive performance and a lipidome remodelling promoted by tolcapone. The lipidomic analysis showed 32 differentially expressed lipid species in tolcapone-treated animals (FC ≥ 1.2, p-value ≤ 0.1), and among these several triacylglycerols, cardiolipins and N-acylethanolamine (NAE 16:2) were found upregulated whereas fatty acids, hexosylceramides, and several phospholipids including phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanolamines were downregulated. These preliminary findings shed light on tolcapone impact on lipid pathways within the brain. Although tolcapone improved cognitive performance and literature suggests the significance of lipids in cognition, this study did not conclusively establish that lipids directly drove or contributed to this outcome. Nevertheless, it underscores the importance of lipid modulation and encourages further exploration of tolcapone-associated mechanisms in the central nervous system (CNS). • Tolcapone-induced hepatotoxicity is associated to lipid metabolism. • Assessment of brain lipidome is important due to repurposing of tolcapone as a cognitive enhancer. • Tolcapone induces lipidome remodelling in triglycerides, phospholipids and glycosphingolipids classes of lipids. • Lipidomics analysis may bring an added value to support pharmacological and toxicokinetic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dopamine (DA) transporter (DAT) is part of a presynaptic multiprotein network involving interactions with scaffold proteins via its C-terminal PDZ domain-binding sequence. Using a mouse model expressing DAT with mutated PDZ-binding sequence (DAT-AAA), we previously demonstrated the importance of this binding sequence for striatal expression of DAT. Here, we show by application of direct stochastic reconstruction microscopy not only that the striatal level of transporter is reduced in DAT-AAA mice but also that the nanoscale distribution of this transporter is altered with a higher propensity of DAT-AAA to localize to irregular nanodomains in dopaminergic terminals. In parallel, we observe mesostriatal DA adaptations and changes in DA-related behaviors distinct from those seen in other genetic DAT mouse models. DA levels in the striatum are reduced to ~45% of that of WT, accompanied by elevated DA turnover. Nonetheless, fast-scan cyclic voltammetry recordings on striatal slices reveal a larger amplitude and prolonged clearance rate of evoked DA release in DAT-AAA mice compared with WT mice. Autoradiography and radio-ligand binding show reduced DA D2 receptor levels, whereas immunohistochemistry and autoradiography show unchanged DA D1 receptor levels. In behavioral experiments, we observe enhanced self-administration of liquid food under both a fixed ratio of one and progressive ratio schedule of reinforcement but a reduction compared with WT when using cocaine as reinforcer. In summary, our data demonstrate how disruption of PDZ domain interactions causes changes in DAT expression and its nanoscopic distribution that in turn alter DA clearance dynamics and related behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rats were stratified into 3 distinct noise induced deficit groups by ABR thresholds. • ABR threshold accurately predicts behavioral performance on multiple tasks. • Moderate hearing loss rats with 30 dB ABR shifts were behaviorally unimpaired. • Severe hearing loss rats with 55 dB shifts were impaired at speech-in-noise. • Profound rats with 70 dB shifts were unable to detect or discriminate sounds. Intense noise exposure is a leading cause of hearing loss, which results in degraded speech sound discrimination ability, particularly in noisy environments. The development of an animal model of speech discrimination deficits due to noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) would enable testing of potential therapies to improve speech sound processing. Rats can accurately detect and discriminate human speech sounds in the presence of quiet and background noise. Further, it is known that profound hearing loss results in functional deafness in rats. In this study, we generated rats with a range of impairments which model the large range of hearing impairments observed in patients with NIHL. One month after noise exposure, we stratified rats into three distinct deficit groups based on their auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds. These groups exhibited markedly different behavioral outcomes across a range of tasks. Rats with moderate hearing loss (30 dB shifts in ABR threshold) were not impaired in speech sound detection or discrimination. Rats with severe hearing loss (55 dB shifts) were impaired at discriminating speech sounds in the presence of background noise. Rats with profound hearing loss (70 dB shifts) were unable to detect and discriminate speech sounds above chance level performance. Across groups, ABR threshold accurately predicted behavioral performance on all tasks. This model of long-term impaired speech discrimination in noise, demonstrated by the severe group, mimics the most common clinical presentation of NIHL and represents a useful tool for developing and improving interventions to target restoration of hearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Acute stress may influence reinforcement learning processes in female rats. • Insensitivity to outcome devaluation is found in stressed, but not unstressed rats. • Acute stress before instrumental training or testing prompted habitual behavior. • Non-stressed rats exhibited goal-directed behavior. • Future work should assess a possible sex difference directly. Instrumental behavior can reflect the influence of goal-directed and habitual systems. Contemporary research suggests that stress may facilitate control by the habitual system under conditions where the behavior would otherwise reflect control by the goal-directed system. However, it is unclear how stress modulates the influence of these systems on instrumental responding to achieve this effect, particularly in females. Here, we examine whether a mild psychogenic stressor experienced before acquisition training (Experiment 1), or prior to the test of expression (Experiment 2) would influence goal-directed and habitual control of instrumental responding in female rats. In both experiments, rats acquired an instrumental nose-poke response for a sucrose reward. This was followed by a reinforcer devaluation phase in which half the rats in Stressed and Non-Stressed conditions received pairings of the sucrose pellet with illness induced by lithium chloride until they rejected the pellet when offered. The remaining rats received a control treatment consisting of pellets and illness on separate days (Unpaired). Control by goal-directed and habitual systems was evaluated in a subsequent nonreinforced test of nose poking. The results of Experiment 1 indicated that the Non-Stressed Paired group reduced nose-poking compared to the Unpaired controls, identifying the response as goal directed, whereas the Stressed Paired and Unpaired groups made a similar number of nose pokes identifying the response as habitual despite a similar amount of training. Results from Experiment 2 indicated habitual control of nose-poke responding was present when stress was experienced just prior to the test. Collectively, these data suggest that stress may facilitate habitual control by altering the relative influence of goal-directed and habitual processes underpinning instrumental behavior. These results may be clinically relevant for understanding the contributions of stress to dysregulated instrumental behavior in compulsive pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extinction and positive contrast effects were assessed on a multiple schedule with lever pressing as the operant in one component and wheel running as the operant in the other component. FR 15 schedules produced 15% sucrose reinforcement in each component. Contrast for both operants was generated by placing responding in the alternate component on extinction. Results showed that extinction decreased and contrast increased both lever-pressing and wheel-running rates. However, the magnitude of the changes was greater for lever pressing. Extinction increased and contrast decreased postreinforcement pause (PRP) duration for lever pressing, but for wheel running, extinction decreased PRP duration while contrast did not change PRP duration. Finally, outcomes for lever pressing decreased with extinction and increased with contrast, but for wheel running, outcomes did not change with extinction and increased with contrast. These differences in contrast and extinction effects were explained by an automatic reinforcement effect generated by wheel-running, but not lever pressing. These findings provide further support for an automatic reinforcement effect generated by wheel running. • Operant lever pressing and wheel running on a multiple schedule with fixed ratio schedules and sucrose reinforcement. • Extinction decreases and contrast increases lever pressing and wheel running, but changes were greater for lever pressing. • Extinction increases lever-pressing postreinforcement pauses (PRPs), but decreases wheel-running PRPs. • Contrast decreases lever-pressing PRPs, but does not change wheel-running PRPs. • Differences can be explained by an automatic reinforcement effect generated by wheel running, but not lever pressing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabinoids have been proposed as therapeutics for pain mitigation. Therefore, the antihyperalgesic effects of a proprietary cannabis-derived mixture, Non-Euphoric Phytocannabinoid Elixir #14 (NEPE14), were examined in a persistent Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA)-induced model of inflammatory pain. The acute antinociceptive and operant behavioral effects of NEPE14 were then compared with single cannabinoid preparations of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), Δ8-THC, the synthetic cannabinoid (−)-CP 55,940 (CP), and cannabidiol (CBD). The THC isomers and CP were also administered with cannabinoid-type-1 receptor (CB1R) antagonist, AM251, and NEPE14 was administered in combination with THC or CP. To induce inflammation, CFA or saline was administered into the paw of male and female Wistar rats. After injections, mechanical hypersensitivity was assessed with Von Frey filaments, and thermal hyperalgesia with a thermal probe. Nine Sprague Dawley rats were also trained to respond under a fixed-ratio 30 schedule for food reinforcers during a 60-min session. Response rates were recorded during the session and warm-water tail-withdrawal latency post session. In CFA-administered rats, mechanical and thermal paw-withdrawal thresholds significantly decreased compared to vehicle, indicating hyperalgesia. Both i.p. (6.6–20.7 ml/kg) and o.m. (30–300 μL) NEPE14 significantly reduced the mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia. In contrast, neither NEPE14 (3.7–20.7 mL/kg i.p., 100–1000 μL o.m.) nor CBD (10–100 mg/kg) significantly decreased response rates or increased tail-withdrawal latency. Acute Δ9-THC, Δ8-THC (1–5.6 mg/kg), and CP (0.032–0.18 mg/kg) significantly and dose-dependently decreased overall response rate and increased tail-withdrawal latency compared to vehicle. AM251 significantly antagonized the rate-decreasing effects of THC, and CP, as well as the antinociceptive effects of CP. Combinations of NEPE14 with Δ9-THC or CP were not significantly different from these cannabinoids alone. In summary, while NEPE14 significantly reduced CFA-induced hyperalgesia, it was more similar to CBD than Δ9-THC, Δ8-THC, and CP for significantly reducing thermal nociception and disrupting conditioned behavior. • The cannabis-derived mixture NEPE14 was compared to individual cannabinoids. • CFA-induced thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia were reduced by NEPE14. • At antihyperalgesic doses, NEPE14 did not reduce nociception or conditioned behavior. • Two THC isomers and (−)-CP 55,940 reduced thermal nociception and operant behavior. • CB1R antagonist AM251 was ineffective at antagonizing THC-induced antinociception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Neurobehavioral effects of rat paternal cannabis exposure was assessed in their offspring. • On the elevated plus maze, offspring of cannabis exposed males had greater risk-taking. • In novel object recognition, male offspring of cannabis-exposed males had a greater drop-off in novelty preference. • In the 16-arm maze. female offspring cannabis-exposed males had more working memory errors in early training. • There are long-lasting behavioral consequences of preconception paternal cannabis exposure in rats. Maternal toxicant exposure during gestation can have deleterious effects on neurobehavioral development of the offspring. The potential risks engendered by paternal toxicant exposure prior to conception have been largely understudied. Recently, we found that chronic THC exposure prior to conception in male rats causes long-lasting behavioral impairment in their offspring. The current study examined the effects of chronic preconception exposure to cannabis smoke extract in Sprague-Dawley rats at two different phases in sperm development. One group received daily subcutaneous (sc) injections of THC in cannabis extract at 4 mg/kg/day for 28 days until three days prior to mating with untreated females (late exposure group). Another group received the same regimen except they underwent 56 days of drug abstinence prior to mating (early exposure group). These were compared with a control group treated with vehicle. The offspring underwent a battery of tests for behavioral function to assess motor, emotional and cognitive function. On the elevated plus maze test, the offspring of both paternal cannabis smoke extract (CSE) exposure groups had significantly more time on the open arms than control offspring, indicative of greater risk-taking behavior. No significant main effects of CSE exposure were seen on adolescent or adult locomotor activity in the figure-8 apparatus. In the novel object recognition test, there was a significantly greater drop-off in novel object preference across the session in the male, but not female offspring of the late exposure group. There was also a sex-selective effect of paternal CSE treatment in the 16-arm radial maze test of memory function. Female offspring of the late exposure group had significantly more working memory errors than control females in the first half of the 12-session training sequence. No significant effects were seen in the operant visual signal sustained detection test of attention. This study shows that there are long-lasting behavioral consequences of preconception CSE exposure through the paternal lineage in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A telephone-administered, group positive psychology intervention was feasible and well received by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation survivors. Despite advances in transplantation medicine, psychological distress and quality of life and functional deficits continue to compromise survivorship after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). With increasing numbers of HSCT survivors, supportive oncology interventions that target health-related outcomes in HSCT survivorship are needed. Here we aimed to test the feasibility and acceptability of a group format phone-delivered positive psychology (PP) intervention in HSCT survivors. This is a one-arm pilot study design that adapted and tested an individual PP intervention used in cardiac disease to a phone-delivered group-based program for HSCT survivors who were.4 to 39 years post-transplantation. All participants received an 8-session weekly PP intervention. We assessed feasibility by the enrollment and intervention completion rates. We examined acceptability on a 10-point Likert scale of ease and utility. Unstructured qualitative interviews were used to obtain participant feedback on the intervention for future application in a larger trial. Self-reported assessments on psychological, functional, and quality of life outcomes were administered at baseline and at follow-up (the end of the intervention). Of 64 eligible participants, 29 (45%) enrolled in the study. For the main aim of intervention feasibility and acceptability, participants completed 96% of all PP sessions and rated the ease (7.6 ± 1.7) and utility (8.1 ± 1.1) of sessions highly. Of the self-reported assessments obtained, the PP intervention resulted in improvements in the resilience scale (mean difference, 2.4 ± 5.4; P =.03). From unstructured qualitative interviews, participants reported the PP exercises and intervention helped them to focus on positive emotions and the group format fostered a sense of community and social support. An 8-week phone-delivered group format PP intervention is feasible and acceptable in HSCT survivors. The piloted intervention could be tested with minor modifications in a randomized study to definitively examine the impact of the group format PP intervention on health-related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While ethanol-paired stimuli are frequently postulated to increase drinking motivation and thus increase ethanol responding and precipitate relapse, no study has demonstrated increases in ethanol-reinforced responding following presentation of an ethanol-paired stimulus that had not previously been part of a contingent relationship. Previous studies have shown that food-paired stimuli can increase food responding that is at low rates and increase food consumption in food-sated rats. In Experiment 1, we show that an ethanol-paired stimulus can increase ethanol responding that is at low levels late in the experimental session, presumably due to satiation. However, these increases may have resulted from either associative or non-associative mechanisms. In Experiment 2, we compared the effects of an ethanol-paired stimulus to those of the same stimulus in a Truly-Random-Control group. In a Truly-Random-Control, the stimulus and ethanol each are presented on independent random schedules, and thus any differences between the effects of the stimulus in the experimental and control groups is likely attributable to the association between the stimulus and ethanol. The stimulus increased ethanol-reinforced responding in both the experimental and control groups, but these increases were greater in the experimental than the control group. Thus, both stimulus-change and the pairing of the stimulus with ethanol may result in increases in ethanol-reinforced responding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mice trained in a single-trial olfactory fear conditioning task maintain associative memory for at least two weeks. • Both hippocampal and olfactory granule cells express c-Fos mainly during fear memory retrieval but not during acquisition. • In the dentate gyrus, retrieval-induced c-Fos expression is limited to the suprapyramidal blade. • Adult-born olfactory neurons show little c-Fos activity during acquisition and retrieval of odor-associated fear memory. The production of new neurons and their incorporation into preexisting neuronal circuits occur throughout adulthood in the olfactory bulb and the hippocampal dentate gyrus of the mammalian brain. To determine whether the adult-born neurons are engaged in the acquisition and retrieval of olfactory associative memory, we developed and validated a single-trial olfactory fear conditioning protocol in mice which allows to detect activation of newborn neurons during a specific episode of memory acquisition. Using c-Fos mapping of neuronal activity, we then examined the activation of new and preexisting neurons during training and testing sessions. We found that a single trial of olfactory fear conditioning did not lead to a significant increase in the number of c-Fos-positive granule cells (GCs) of the olfactory bulb and the dentate gyrus. However, the activity of these two cell populations was dramatically increased during memory retrieval. Activation of neurons in the dentate gyrus during memory retrieval was observed mainly in the suprapyramidal blade. In the olfactory bulb, 1.6–2.7% of newborn GCs marked with thymidine analogues (2, 4, and 6 weeks old) expressed c-Fos during memory retrieval, while in the dentate gyrus no newborn neurons were found among the c-Fos-positive cells. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that adult-born GCs of the olfactory bulb are less involved in odor-cued associative fear memory than in odor-cued operant behavior memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) describes the influence of conditioned stimuli on instrumental behaviors and is discussed as a key process underlying substance abuse. Here, we tested whether neural responses during alcohol-related PIT predict future relapse in alcohol-dependent patients and future drinking behavior in adolescents. Recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients (n = 52) and young adults without dependence (n = 136) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during an alcohol-related PIT paradigm, and their drinking behavior was assessed in a 12-month follow-up. To predict future drinking behavior from PIT activation patterns, we used a multivoxel classification scheme based on linear support vector machines. When training and testing the classification scheme in patients, PIT activation patterns predicted future relapse with 71.2% accuracy. Feature selection revealed that classification was exclusively based on activation patterns in medial prefrontal cortex. To probe the generalizability of this functional magnetic resonance imaging–based prediction of future drinking behavior, we applied the support vector machine classifier that had been trained on patients to PIT functional magnetic resonance imaging data from adolescents. An analysis of cross-classification predictions revealed that those young social drinkers who were classified as abstainers showed a greater reduction in alcohol consumption at 12-month follow-up than those classified as relapsers (Δ = −24.4 ± 6.0 g vs. −5.7 ± 3.6 g; p =.019). These results suggest that neural responses during PIT could constitute a generalized prognostic marker for future drinking behavior in established alcohol use disorder and in at-risk states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mouse critical flicker fusion frequency (CFF) was estimated by behavioral performance using an operant system. • Two different types of psychological methods were employed, the ascending method of limit and method of constant stimuli. • We estimated the mouse CFF to be about 14 Hz. • Our results highlight the usefulness of the operant conditioning method for measuring mouse visual temporal resolution. The critical flicker-fusion frequency (CFF), defined as the frequency at which a flickering light is indistinguishable from a continuous light, is a useful measure of visual temporal resolution. The mouse CFF has been studied by electrophysiological approaches such as recordings of the electroretinogram (ERG) and the visually evoked potential (VEP), but it has not been measured behaviorally. Here we estimated the mouse CFF by using a touchscreen based operant system. The test with ascending series of frequencies and that with randomized frequencies resulted in about 17 and 14 Hz, respectively, as the frequency which could not be distinguished from steady lights. Since the ascending method of limits tend to overestimate the threshold than the descending method, we estimated the mouse CFF to be about 14 Hz. Our results highlight usefulness of the operant conditioning method in measurement of the mouse visual temporal resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caffeine is widely consumed for its psychoactive effects worldwide. No pre-clinical study has established reliable caffeine self-administration, but we found that caffeine can enhance the reinforcing effects of non-drug rewards. The goal of the present studies was to determine if this effect of caffeine could result in reliable caffeine self-administration. In 2 experiments rats could make an operant response for caffeine delivered in conjunction with an oral 'vehicle' including saccharin (0.2% w/v) as a primary reinforcer. In Experiment 1, intravenous (IV) caffeine infusions were delivered in conjunction with oral saccharin for meeting the schedule of reinforcement. In control conditions, oral saccharin alone or presentations of IV caffeine alone served as the reinforcer. In Experiment 2, access to caffeine was provided in an oral vehicle containing water, decaffeinated instant coffee (0.5% w/v), or decaffeinated coffee and saccharin (0.2%). The concentration of oral caffeine was then manipulated across testing sessions. Oral and IV caffeine robustly increased responding for saccharin in a manner that was repeatable, reliable, and systematically related to unit IV dose. However, the relationship between oral caffeine dose and operant behavior was less systematic; the rats appeared to titrate their caffeine intake by reducing the consummatory response (drinking) rather than the appetitive response (lever pressing). These studies establish reliable volitional caffeine self-administration in rats. The reinforcement enhancing effects of caffeine may help to explain widespread caffeine use by humans, who ingest caffeine in complex vehicles with reinforcing properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How obesity exacerbates migraine and other pain disorders remains unknown. Trigeminal nociceptive processing, crucial in migraine pathophysiology, is abnormal in mice with diet induced obesity. However, it is not known if this is also true in genetic models of obesity. We hypothesized that obese mice, regardless of the model, have trigeminal hyperalgesia. To test this, we first evaluated trigeminal thermal nociception in leptin deficient (ob/ob) and control mice using an operant thermal assay. Unexpectedly, we found significant hypoalgesia in ob/ob mice. Because thermal hypoalgesia also occurs in mice lacking the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 channel (TRPV1), we tested capsaicin-evoked trigeminal nociception. Ob/ob and control mice had similar capsaicin-evoked nocifensive behaviors, but ob/ob mice were significantly less active after a facial injection of capsaicin than were diet-induced obese mice or lean controls. Conditioned place aversion in response to trigeminal stimulation with capsaicin was similar in both genotypes, indicating normal negative affect and pain avoidance. Supporting this, we found no difference in TRPV1 expression in the trigeminal ganglia of ob/ob and control mice. Finally, we assessed the possible contribution of hyperphagia, a hallmark of leptin deficiency, to the behavior observed in the operant assay. Ob/ob and lean control mice had similar reduction of intake when quinine or capsaicin was added to the sweetened milk, excluding a significant contribution of hyperphagia. In summary, ob/ob mice, unlike mice with diet-induced obesity, have trigeminal thermal hypoalgesia but normal responses to capsaicin, suggesting specificity in the mechanisms by which leptin acts in pain processing. • Obese leptin deficient mice (ob/ob) are insensitive to thermal stimulation of the face. • Ob/ob mice have normal nocifensive responses to trigeminal stimulation with capsaicin. • Leptin deficiency, but not diet-induced obesity, is associated with capsaicin-evoked immobility. • These finding suggest that leptin deficiency decreases thermal nociception without affecting responses to capsaicin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethanol-paired conditioned stimuli (CSs) are widely thought to invigorate ethanol responding, and thus, precipitate relapse to drinking. However, preclinical studies investigating this issue using Pavlovian-Instrumental-Transfer (PIT) procedures have had mixed results, with some studies finding PIT while others did not. The studies failing to show PIT used Lewis rats and induced ethanol drinking using a post-prandial drinking procedure. The present experiments examined whether either of these two variables influenced the magnitude of PIT observed. In the first experiment, ethanol drinking in Lewis rats was induced using either sucrose fading or post-prandial drinking. In the second experiment, ethanol drinking was induced using post-prandial drinking in either Long-Evans Hooded or Lewis rats. In both experiments, rats were trained to respond for ethanol under a random interval schedule. Subsequently with the lever removed, 2-min light presentations were paired with ethanol deliveries. Finally, with the lever returned, the effect of light presentations on responding was tested while responding was in extinction. Light presentations similarly affected responding in Lewis rats regardless of the method of drinking induction. Likewise, light presentations similarly affected responding in both Lewis and Long-Evans Hooded rats. Neither ethanol induction method nor rat strain affected the magnitude of PIT observed, and thus, neither likely explains previous failures to observe PIT with ethanol-maintained behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, classrooms in many countries have become more culturally diverse. However, students from ethnic minorities and students with immigrant backgrounds are at greater risk of lower social, psychological, and academic adjustment than their native peers. Therefore, schools all over the world are challenged by the question of how to help diverse students adjust to school independent of their ethnic background and family resources. The current special issue focuses on how schools and school psychologists can support positive interethnic attitudes and positive relationships in ethnically diverse classrooms as well as individual well-being, belonging, and academic achievement as different facets of school adjustment. The special issue includes three studies with empirical findings on the role of contextual and individual factors for school adjustment among minority and majority youth in diverse school contexts: Geerlings, Thjis, and Verkuyten study the modeling of outgroup attitudes via teachers' attitudes and more or less consistent behavior, Guerra, Rodrigues, Aguiar, Carmona, Alexandre, and Costa Lopes focus on the interplay of acculturation strategies and of perceived discrimination with school achievement and well-being. Caravita, Strohmeier, Salmivalli, and Di Blasio compare bullying and moral disengagement processes in majority and minority children. Five other studies report evaluations of evidence-based interventions that were tested among ethnically diverse youth in different school settings in two European countries, in Israel, and in the US – two on prejudice reduction (Brenick, Lawrence, Carvalheiro & Berger; Mäkinen, Liebkind, Jasinskaja-Lahti, & Renvik), and three on the effects of 'wise interventions' - self-affirmation and belonging interventions - on trust in teachers and behavioral conduct (Binning et al.), on students' sense of belonging and academic outcomes (Marksteiner, Janke, & Dickhäuser), and on math performance of students (Lokhande & Müller). The evaluation studies show differential effects across contexts and samples that point toward important mechanisms and moderators that may help practitioners adjust these programs to specific contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binge eating is characterized by the consumption of a large amount of palatable food in a short period of time and is a core feature of many eating disorders. Patients with eating disorders are also known to display impairments in inhibitory control, cognition and decision-making, which may promote and maintain binge eating symptomology. In the current study, we examined whether rats that were subsequently characterized as displaying a higher propensity to binge eat would show pre-existing deficits in reinforcer devaluation—a paradigm used to examine decision-making following reductions in the value of a food reinforcer. Female rats were first trained to respond on two levers for the delivery of two food reinforcers (sucrose and maltodextrin solutions). At the test stage, rats were provided 1 h access to one of the two reinforcers to allow for devaluation via sensory specific satiety, immediately followed by an extinction test with both levers. Normal rats typically show reductions in responding on the lever associated with the devalued reinforcer (i.e., intact goal-directed responding). Subsequently, we used intermittent access to palatable food to identify high (BE prone [BEP]; n = 14), intermediate (BE neutral [BEN]; n = 48), and low (BE resistant [BER]; n = 13) phenotypes of binge eating. Prior reinforcer devaluation performance showed BEN and BER rats suppressed responding on the lever associated with the devalued reinforcer while BEP rats did not. This insensitivity to instrumental reinforcer devaluation in BEP rats did not reflect impaired sensory-specific satiety as during a food choice test, BEP rats showed a more robust alteration in food preferences following devaluation. Additionally, across all rats sensory specific satiety was correlated with subsequent intake of palatable food. Collectively, these findings suggest dissociable effects of devaluation procedures on instrumental actions and consummatory behaviors in BEP rats, and may indicate that pre-existing differences in goal-directed behavior and sensory-specific satiety contribute to the propensity to overeat palatable food. • Female rats were trained in an instrumental reinforcer devaluation task. • Intermittent access to palatable food was used to characterize binge eating proneness. • Binge eating prone (BEP) rats displayed pre-existing instrumental reinforcer devaluation deficits. • In BEP rats sensory-specific satiety was more effective at altering the preference for the reinforcers. • Devaluation procedures have a dissociable influence over consummatory and instrumental behaviors in BEP rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Translational research requires the use of relevant preclinical pain models and assessment tools. • Clinically relevant behavioral tests should focus on restoring function by reducing pathological pain in the absence of disruptive side effects. • Grimace, Operant Behavior, Wheel Running, Burrowing, Nesting, Home Cage Monitoring, Gait Analysis, CPP and CPA are described. • Analysis of the advantages and limitations of these tests will help researchers identify appropriate tests for their particular goal. Abstract The primary objective of preclinical pain research is to improve the treatment of pain. Decades of research using pain-evoked tests has revealed much about mechanisms but failed to deliver new treatments. Evoked pain-tests are often limited because they ignore spontaneous pain and motor or disruptive side effects confound interpretation of results. New tests have been developed to focus more closely on clinical goals such as reducing pathological pain and restoring function. The objective of this review is to describe and discuss several of these tests. We focus on: Grimace Scale, Operant Behavior, Wheel Running, Burrowing, Nesting, Home Cage Monitoring, Gait Analysis and Conditioned Place Preference/ Aversion. A brief description of each method is presented along with an analysis of the advantages and limitations. The pros and cons of each test will help researchers identify the assessment tool most appropriate to meet their particular objective to assess pain in rodents. These tests provide another tool to unravel the mechanisms underlying chronic pain and help overcome the translational gap in drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Skinner's analogy with natural selection has both an empirical and a metaphysical interpretation. • The empirical interpretation implies reasons are not causes and there are no autonomous agents. • The empirical interpretation rests upon extreme assumptions criticized by other behavior analysts. • The metaphysical interpretation describes a mode of causation. • This mode of causation is the basis of a research strategy for systematically exploring operant behavior. Abstract Beginning in the 1950s, B.F. Skinner made increasing reference to an analogy between operant conditioning and natural selection. This analogy is the basis of an argument that, in contrast to Skinner's other critiques of cognitive science, is neither epistemological nor pragmatic. Instead, it is based on the claim that ontogenetic adaptation is due to a special mode of causation he called "selection by consequences." He argued that this mode of causation conflicts with explanations that attribute action to an autonomous agent with reasons for acting. This argument dismisses ordinary explanations of action, and has implications not only for cognitive science but also for morals. Skinner cited the latter implications to counter objections to the application of behavior analysis to the reform of society and its institutions. Skinner's critique, however, rests upon empirical assumptions that have been criticized by other behavior analysts. Although for Skinner the major role of the analogy was to propose an empirical thesis, it also can play a metaphysical role—namely, to demonstrate the possibility of ontogenetic adaptation without reference to agents who have reasons for acting. These two roles, empirical and metaphysical, are the mirror image of the empirical and metaphysical roles of the computer analogy for cognitive science. That analogy also can be (and has been) interpreted as an empirical thesis. Its empirical implications, however, have been difficult to confirm. It also, however, has played a metaphysical role—namely, to demonstrate the possibility that a physical process could perform logical operations on states having propositional content. Neither analogy provides a well-confirmed, general answer to the question of how to explain the process of ontogenetic adaptation. But together they show there are two metaphysically coherent, but conflicting, answers to this question. Depending upon one's epistemology, the analogy with natural selection may provide a useful point of departure for a strategy of research. Such a pragmatic grounding for a research strategy does not, however, provide sufficient reason to abandon for purposes of ethics the concept of persons as autonomous agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Orofacial muscle pain is a significant clinical problem because it affects eating, speaking, and other orofacial functions in patients. • However, mechanisms underlying orofacial muscle pain are not fully understood. • In the present study we induced orofacial muscle pain by injecting Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) into masseter muscle of rats and assessed pain by the orofacial operant test. • We also retrogradely labeled trigeminal ganglion neurons that innervated masseter muscles, and performed in situ patch-clamp recordings from these neurons. • A main finding is that orofacial muscle pain in our CFA model is accompanied by significant changes of electrophysiological properties and background K+ currents in trigeminal ganglion neurons that innervate masseter muscles. Abstract Orofacial muscle pain is a significant clinical problem because it affects eating, speaking, and other orofacial functions in patients. However, mechanisms underlying orofacial muscle pain are not fully understood. In the present study we induced orofacial muscle pain by injecting Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) into masseter muscle of rats and assessed pain by the orofacial operant test. In comparison with the control group, CFA-injected animals (CFA group) showed decreases in operant behaviors, suggesting the presence of orofacial pain. Trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons innervating masseter muscles were retrograde-labeled with DiI and their electrophysiological properties studied using patch-clamp recordings. About 20% of DiI-labeled TG neurons showed spontaneous action potentials (APs) in the CFA group but none in the control group. AP rheobase levels were significantly lower in DiI-labeled TG neurons of the CFA group than in the control group. Membrane input resistance of DiI-labeled TG neurons was significantly higher in the CFA group than in the control group. Several other membrane parameters were also different between DiI-labeled TG neurons of the CFA and control groups. Voltage-dependent currents were examined and the most significant changes following CFA were background K+ currents, which showed significantly smaller in DiI-labeled TG neurons of CFA group compared to the control group. Collectively, orofacial muscle pain in CFA model is accompanied with changes of electrophysiological properties and background K+ currents in TG neurons that innervate masseter muscles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Research in aggression has distinguished two major subtypes of aggressive behavior: hostile and instrumental. Previous research has examined these subtypes in healthy individuals and forensic samples but not in intermittent explosive disorder (IED), a disorder characterized by recurrent and severe aggressive behavior. We examined aggression subtypes in individuals with IED, healthy subjects, and psychiatric control subjects. We also considered the relationship between aggression subtypes and measures of trait anger and impulsivity to evaluate whether the hostile/instrumental dichotomy adequately captures the heterogeneity of aggressive behavior in this sample. Finally, we consider the implications of these results for research on aggression, including neuroscience research on aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Adults completed a 50-min resurgence procedure with 2 or 4 control responses. • Target responding increased during resurgence tests for all participants. • Responding to one control was greater than other controls for most participants. • Adult human and nonhuman responding differs in some resurgence procedures. Abstract Behavior that was previously extinguished may reoccur, or resurge, when an alternative response contacts extinction or when reinforcement conditions worsen. Researchers have studied resurgence of human responding in laboratory settings with procedures commonly used with nonhumans. In contrast to nonhuman responding, researchers have failed to observe resurgence of the target response at rates that differ from an inactive control response with verbally competent humans. But this may have been the result of using a single control response. The current study examined this possibility by randomly allocating participants (N = 20) to a condition with either two or four control responses. When the alternative response contacted extinction, having more control responses did not reduce overall responding to control options, and aggregated responding to control options were similar to target response rates. Interestingly, most participants responded more to one control response over all other control responses when the alternative response contacted extinction. This study provides additional support for previous research that finds consistent differences between human and nonhuman responding during resurgence procedures. Two potential reasons for variability in human responding during resurgence tests include less time in experimental sessions and the influence of verbal behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In patients with diabetes, psychological well-being constructs (e.g., optimism, positive affect) have been associated with superior medical outcomes, including better glucose control and lower mortality rates. Well-being interventions may be well-suited to individuals with diabetes, as they are simple to deliver, broadly applicable across a range of psychological distress, and may help increase self-efficacy and motivation for diabetes self-care. This systematic review, completed using PRISMA guidelines, examined peer-reviewed studies indexed in PubMed, PsycINFO, and/or Scopus between database inception and October 2017 that investigated the effects of well-being interventions (e.g., positive psychology interventions, mindfulness-based interventions, resilience-based interventions) on psychological and physical health outcomes in individuals with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. The search yielded 34 articles (N = 1635 participants), with substantial variability in intervention type, measures used, and outcomes studied; the majority found the intervention to provide benefit. Overall, results indicate that a range of well-being interventions appear to have promise in improving health outcomes in this population, but the literature does not yet provide definitive data about which specific interventions are most effective. The variability in interventions and outcomes points to a need for further rigorous, controlled, and well-powered studies of specific interventions, with well-accepted, clinically relevant outcome measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addiction is characterized by compulsive drug use despite negative consequences. Here we review studies that indicate that compulsive drug use, and in particular punishment resistance in animal models of addiction, is related to impaired cortical control over habitual behavior. In humans and animals, instrumental behavior is supported by goal-directed and habitual systems that rely on distinct corticostriatal networks. Chronic exposure to addictive drugs or stress has been shown to bias instrumental response strategies toward habit learning, and impair prefrontal cortical (PFC) control over responding. Moreover, recent work has implicated prelimbic PFC hypofunction in the punishment resistance that has been observed in a subset of animals with an extended history of cocaine self-administration. This may be related to a broader role for prelimbic PFC in mediating adaptive responding and behavioral flexibility, including exerting goal-directed control over behavior. We hypothesize that impaired cortical control and reduced flexibility between habitual and goal-directed systems may be critically involved in the development of maladaptive, compulsive drug use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Parent attributions about the causes of their children's behaviour problems are a known predictor of problematic parenting and ongoing child problems. However, their importance in parenting interventions remains unknown as research has not addressed whether parental attributions predict outcomes associated with parenting training. The current study examined whether problematic pre-treatment and change resistant parental attributions during treatment uniquely predict child behaviour outcomes. Method Participants were 250 families with children aged from 3 to 16 referred to specialist clinics for the treatment of conduct problems. Measures of family demographic information, parental attributions, and severity of child conduct problems were collected as part of pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up assessments. Results Linear regression showed that mothers' pre-treatment parental attributions uniquely predicted severity of conduct problems at the post-treatment and 3-month follow-up assessments. Fathers' pre-treatment parental attributions uniquely predicted severity of conduct problems at the 3-month follow-up assessment. Reductions in problematic pre-treatment parental attributions were recorded at post-treatment for both parents. However, smaller reductions or increases in mothers' problematic attributions uniquely predicted worse child behaviour outcomes, a result not replicated for fathers. Conclusions Findings that pre-treatment and change resistant parental attributions predict poorer child behaviour outcomes after controlling for other predictors and treatment effects recommend that parental attributions should be assessed prior to and after treatment and possibly included in treatment to maximise treatment gains for children with conduct problems. Highlights • Parents differ in the attributions they make about their child and his/her behaviours. • Little is known about whether parental attributions predict parenting intervention outcomes. • Negative and change resistant parental attributions uniquely predicted poor treatment outcomes in the current study. • Parental attributions may be possibly inlcuded in treatment to maximise treatment gains for children with conduct problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Operant learning is learning based on reinforcement of behaviours. We propose a new hypothesis for operant learning at the single neuron level based on spontaneous fluctuations of synaptic strength caused by receptor dynamics. These fluctuations allow the neural system to explore a space of outputs. If the receptor dynamics are altered by a reinforcement signal the neural system settles to better states, i.e., to match the environmental dynamics that determine reward. Simulations show that this mechanism can support operant learning in a feed-forward neural circuit, a recurrent neural circuit, and a spiking neural circuit controlling an agent learning in a dynamic reward and punishment situation. We discuss how the new principle relates to existing learning rules and observed phenomena of short and long-term potentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Cocaine administration has been shown to produce immediate positive (rewarding) and subsequent negative (anxiogenic) effects in humans and animals. These dual and opposing affective responses have been more difficult to demonstrate with administration of methamphetamine (meth). While animal studies have reliably demonstrated the positive reinforcing effects of the drug, reports of negative aftereffects following acute exposure have been few in number and contradictory in nature. The current research was devised to assess the effects of acute meth using a runway model of self-administration that is uniquely sensitive to both the positive and negative effects of a drug reinforcer in the same animal on the same trial. Male rats were allowed to traverse a straight alley once a day for 16 consecutive days/trials where entry into the goal box resulted in a single IV injection of meth (0.25, 0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg/inj.). The chosen doses were confirmed to be psychoactive as they produced dose-dependent increases in motoric/locomotor activation in these same subjects. The results demonstrated a U-shaped dose-response curve for the reinforcing effects of meth in that the intermediate dose group (0.5 mg/kg) produced the strongest approach behavior in the runway. Unlike other psychomotor stimulants, like cocaine, animals running for IV meth exhibited no evidence of any significant approach-avoidance behaviors reflective of the drug's negative anxiogenic effects. These results suggest that the abuse potential for meth is likely higher than for other shorter-acting psychomotor stimulants and reaffirms the utility of the runway procedure as a screen for a substance's abuse potential. Highlights • Rats learned to traverse a runway for daily i.v. infusions of methamphetamine. • The motivation to seek meth was reflected in faster start latencies and run times. • There was no evidence of aversive/anxiogenic actions of the drug. • Strong positive without aversive effects reflect meth's high abuse potential. • The runway model provides an effective screen for a substance's abuse potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective To determine if low-cost air-quality monitors providing personalised feedback of household second-hand smoke (SHS) concentrations plus standard health service advice on SHS were more effective than standard advice in helping parents protect their child from SHS. Design A randomised controlled trial of a personalised intervention delivered to disadvantaged mothers who were exposed to SHS at home. Changes in household concentrations of fine Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) were the primary outcome. Methods Air-quality monitors measured household PM 2.5 concentrations over approximately 6 days at baseline and at one-month and six-months post-intervention. Data on smoking and smoking-rules were gathered. Participants were randomised to either Group A (standard health service advice on SHS) or Group B (standard advice plus personalised air-quality feedback). Group B participants received personalised air-quality feedback after the baseline measurement and at 1-month. Both groups received air-quality feedback at 6-months. Results 120 mothers were recruited of whom 117 were randomised. Follow up was completed after 1-month in 102 and at 6-months in 78 participants. There was no statistically significant reduction in PM 2.5 concentrations by either intervention type at 1-month or 6-months, nor significant differences between the two groups at 1-month (p = 0.76) and 6-month follow-up (p = 0.16). Conclusions Neither standard advice nor standard advice plus personalised air-quality feedback were effective in reducing PM 2.5 concentrations in deprived households where smoking occurred. Finding ways of identifying homes where air-quality feedback can be a useful tool to change household smoking behaviour is important to ensure resources are targeted successfully. Highlights • Health professionals can successfully deliver personalised air quality information in home settings. • We found no evidence that air-quality feedback helps create a smoke-free home. • Finding parents for whom this intervention may work requires a targeted approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The level of mother's education has a significant negative effect on college students' depression but positive effect on family function. • Family function has a negative effect on depression of college students. • General family function mediates the relation between mother's education and depression of college students. • The findings of the current study provide implications for depression prevention and intervention among college students. Abstract The aim of this study is to examine the mediating role of family function on the association between mother's education and their offspring's depression in college (M age = 19.19, SD = 1.60). A sample of 1177 student respondents was systematically sampled from 12 universities that include both generalist universities and specialist institutions in Beijing. The Family Assessment Device (FAD) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) were used to measure family function and students' depression level, respectively. Multiple regression analysis indicated that mother's education was positively associated with college students' depression and negatively associated with general family function. Mediation analysis indicated that mother's education significantly influenced students' depression but the effect was not statistically significant when taking family function into account. General family function mediates the association between mother's education and depression of college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We present a meta-analysis of 24 studies on procrastination interventions (total k = 44, N = 1173) in order to find out 1) whether people can reduce their level of procrastination, and 2) if so, which type of intervention leads to the strongest reduction. We compared four different types of interventions: Self-regulation, cognitive behavioral therapy, other therapeutic approaches, and interventions focusing on individuals' strengths and resources. A large reduction in procrastination after the interventions was found, and the effects remained stable in follow-up assessments. The findings so far suggest that cognitive behavioral therapy reduced procrastination more strongly than the other types of interventions. Other moderator variables, such as the duration of the intervention, had no significant effects. We propose future research that may help to build stronger evidence for the effects of interventions, as well as some guidelines for interventions. Highlights • Four different types of interventions were included. • A large reduction in procrastination after the interventions was found. • The effects of the interventions remain stable in follow-up assessments. • Cognitive-behavioral therapy reduced procrastination most. • Other moderators (e.g., duration, sample characteristics) had no effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Although contemporary treatments for anxiety disorders are very efficient in reducing anxiety, return of fear after successful treatment is common which signifies a need for interventions that have a more enduring outcome. A recent laboratory study suggested that novelty-facilitated extinction, a simple modification of standard extinction which involves presenting a novel non-aversive stimulus during extinction, prevents spontaneous recovery, one laboratory analogue of return of fear. The current study assessed whether novelty-facilitated extinction can also prevent reinstatement, a second laboratory analogue of return of fear. Following differential fear conditioning, one group of participants underwent standard extinction training whereas the second was presented with a novel tone after the conditional stimulus that previously predicted the aversive unconditional stimulus (US). Three presentations of the USs alone reinstated differential electrodermal fear responses after standard extinction, but not after novelty-facilitated extinction. Moreover, replicating previous findings, the extent of return of fear was correlated with self-reported intolerance of uncertainty after standard extinction, but not after novelty-facilitated extinction. These results support the proposal that novelty-facilitated extinction training can reduce the extent of return of fear. Highlights • Novelty enhanced extinction (NFE) training reduces fear reinstatement. • Intolerance of uncertainty predicts reinstatement only after standard extinction. • NFE training does not affect self reported CS valence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Suicide is more highly stigmatized than most mental health conditions; however, no interventions have aimed to modify the stigma of suicide in the general population. This study tested the efficacy of two brief web-based interventions—psychoeducation and interpersonal exposure—in reducing suicide-related stigma in a student/community sample. A sample of 266 adults completed baseline measures of suicide-related stigma, were randomized into one of three conditions (psychoeducation, interpersonal exposure, control), in which they browsed an assigned website for twenty minutes, and completed post-intervention and one-month follow-up stigma measures. Results indicated that the two interventions were more efficacious than the control in reducing suicide-related stigma; this effect was accentuated for individuals without prior exposure to suicide. Although future research is needed to understand the mechanisms of change and the generalizability of these findings, it is possible that web-based interventions could be a cost- and time-effective avenue of targeting the widespread stigma of suicide. Highlights • Suicide is highly stigmatized, increasing isolation and decreasing help-seeking. • This study tested two brief web-based interventions: psychoeducation and exposure. • Both psychoeducation and interpersonal exposure reduced stigma of suicide. • These results were strongest among those with no prior exposure to suicide. • Web-based interventions may be a cost-/time-effective method of reducing stigma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested the hypothesis that the motivation to behaviorally thermoregulate in humans is dependent on the magnitude of changes in mean skin temperature. Ten healthy subjects (22 ± 3 y, 5 females) underwent 60 min of seated rest in a 32±1 °C or 42±1 °C environment (20% relative humidity). Trials were completed in a counterbalanced order. The motivation to behaviorally thermoregulate was measured using an operant behavior task on a fixed ratio schedule, in which subjects received thermal reinforcement after clicking a button 100 times. The reinforcer was 30 s of cooling on the dorsal aspect of the neck. The motivation to behave was defined as the cumulative number of button clicks over time and behavioral thermoregulation was defined as the change in neck skin temperature. Mean skin temperature was higher throughout the 42 °C versus the 32 °C trial (at 60 min: 36.3±0.5 °C vs. 34.5±0.5 °C, P  < .01) and core temperature became higher in this trial 40 min into heat exposure (at 60 min: 37.2±0.2 °C vs. 37.1±0.1 °C, P  ≤ .04), but did not differ from pre- heat exposure ( P  = .81). Neck skin temperature was lower in the 42 °C compared to the 32 °C trial starting at 30 min (33.7±0.8 °C vs. 35.3±0.5°C, P  < .01), which was maintained thereafter ( P  ≤ .04). Cumulative responding for thermal reinforcement was greater in the 42 °C trial compared to the 32 °C trial at 20 min (180±155 clicks vs. 0±0 clicks, P  < .01), which persisted thereafter (P < .01). These data indicate that the motivation to behaviorally thermoregulate during passive heat exposure in humans is dependent on the magnitude of increases in skin temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The effects of parent-based interventions on adolescent alcohol use are unclear, including what factors moderate intervention effects. This study examines the effects of parent-based interventions on adolescent alcohol use and whether the treatment effects vary by participants' characteristics and intervention characteristics.Methods: Eleven electronic databases and relevant studies' references were searched for eligible studies published before March 2017. Randomized controlled trials investigating the efficacy of any parent-based intervention for alcohol use outcomes among adolescents up to 18 years old were eligible for review. Two reviewers independently conducted screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. Robust variance estimation in meta-regression was used to analyze treatment effect size estimates and to conduct moderator analysis.Results: Twenty studies were included in the meta-analysis. The average treatment effect size across all drinking outcomes, with 44 effect sizes from 20 studies, was g = -0.23 with a 95% confidence interval [-0.35, -0.10] which is statistically significant. Parent-based interventions appreared to have larger mean effect sizes on adolescent drinking intention than binge drinking. Interventions targeting both general and alcohol-specific parenting strategies had larger average effect sizes than interventions targeting alcohol-specific parenting only.Conclusions: This meta-analysis found evidence of parent-based interventions' efficacy in preventing or reducing adolescent alcohol use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To 1) estimate changes in the prevalence of daily and non-daily cigarette smoking among current (past 30-day) daily, non-daily, and non-cannabis users in the United States (U.S.) population; 2) examine time trends in current (past 30-day) cigarette smoking in daily, non-daily, and non-cannabis users ages 12+ from 2002 to 2015.Methods: Data collected annually from the 2002 to 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) were employed. Linear time trends of daily and non-daily cigarette smoking were assessed using logistic regression with year as the predictor.Results: In 2015, the prevalence of current (past 30-day) cigarette smoking was highest among daily (54.57%), followed by non-daily (40.17%) and non-cannabis users (15.06%). The prevalence of non-daily cigarette smoking increased among daily cannabis users from 2002 to 2015, whereas non-daily cigarette smoking declined among non-daily cannabis users and non-cannabis users from 2002 to 2015. Daily cigarette smoking declined among both cannabis users and non-users; the most rapid decline was observed among daily cannabis users, followed by non-daily and then by non-cannabis users. However, the relative magnitude of the change in prevalence of daily cigarette smoking was similar across the three cannabis groups.Conclusions: Despite ongoing declines in cigarette smoking in the U.S., non-daily cigarette smoking is increasing among current cannabis users, a growing proportion of the U.S.Population: Daily and non-daily cigarette smoking continue to decline among those who do not use cannabis. Efforts to further tobacco control should consider novel co-use-oriented intervention strategies and outreach for the increasing population of cannabis users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) experience low levels of positive psychological well-being (PPWB), interventions that specifically boost PPWB in this population are lacking. To describe the methods of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a positive psychology intervention (PATH) tailored to the unique needs of HSCT survivors and aimed to decrease anxiety and depression symptoms and boost quality of life (QOL). We will conduct a single-institution RCT of a novel nine-week phone-delivered manualized positive psychology intervention compared to usual transplant care in 70 HSCT survivors. Allogeneic HSCT survivors at 100 days post-HSCT are eligible for the study. The PATH intervention, tailored to the needs of HSCT survivors in the acute recovery phase, focuses on gratitude, strengths, and meaning. Our primary aims are to determine feasibility (e.g., session completion, rate of recruitment) and acceptability (e.g., weekly session ratings). Our secondary aim is to test the preliminary efficacy of the intervention on patient-reported outcomes (e.g., anxiety symptoms, QOL). If the PATH intervention is feasible, a larger randomized, controlled efficacy trial will be indicated. Additionally, we anticipate that the results from this RCT will guide the development of other clinical trials and larger efficacy studies of positive psychology interventions in vulnerable oncological populations beyond HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young adults experience high rates of cannabis use and consequences. Cross-sectional work has linked positive psychological constructs (e.g., savoring) to less cannabis use and consequences, and positive psychological interventions (PPIs) have shown promise in targeting other substance use behaviors. This pilot study sought to provide an initial test of PPIs to reduce young adult cannabis use and consequences. Adults (18–25 years old) who endorsed at least weekly past-month cannabis use (N = 59, 69.6% men, 41.1% White) reported their baseline cannabis use and consequences. Participants were randomized to complete one of three daily exercises (Savoring, Three Good Things, or a control) along with daily text message surveys for two weeks, then completed a follow-up survey at the end of the two weeks. Paired samples t -tests indicated that participants in the Three Good Things group showed medium to large reductions in frequency of weekly cannabis use (p =.08, g av = −0.57) and cannabis-associated consequences (p =.08, g av = −0.57) from baseline to follow-up. In the Savoring and control groups, there were not significant changes in frequency of weekly cannabis use (Savoring: p =.39, g av = 0.20; Control: p =.96, g av = 0.01) nor cannabis-associated consequences (Savoring: p =.84, g av = 0.05; Control: p =.45, g av = −0.18). Participants in both positive psychology conditions reported the exercises were easy to complete, providing evidence for acceptability. Results provide initial support for the feasibility and potential promise of a text-message based PPI as a harm reduction approach for cannabis users. A larger clinical trial is warranted to test the effects of such interventions with adequate statistical power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]