Habitual physical activity and estradiol levels in women of reproductive age.

PubMed

Jasienska, Grazyna; Ziomkiewicz, Anna; Thune, Inger; Lipson, Susan F; Ellison, Peter T

2006-10-01

Variation in the risk of breast cancer observed among women and among populations may be explained by variation in lifetime exposure to estrogens. The suppressive effect of exercise on estradiol levels in women is well documented, but it is unknown whether habitual (i.e. typical daily) physical activity has a similar effect. Epidemiological data suggest that physical activity is one of the few modifiable factors capable of reducing the risk of breast cancer in women. We investigated whether variation in the amount of habitual activity corresponds to variation in estradiol levels in women of reproductive age. One hundred and thirty-nine regularly menstruating women 24-37 years of age collected daily saliva samples for one complete menstrual cycle and kept a daily log of physical activity. Saliva samples were analyzed for concentration of estradiol. We observed a negative relationship between habitual physical activity and salivary levels of estradiol. Mean estradiol was 21.1 pmol/l in the low, 17.9 pmol/l in the moderate and 16.6 pmol/l in the high activity group (all pairwise differences were statistically significant at P<0.009). A strong association exists between physical activity and levels of estradiol among women of reproductive age. A modern lifestyle, characterized by reduced physical activity, may therefore contribute to a rise in the levels of estradiol produced during menstrual cycles and thus to higher cumulative lifetime exposure to estradiol, resulting in a higher risk of breast cancer.

Intensity of habitual guilt in men and women: differences in interpersonal sensitivity and the tendency towards anxious-aggressive guilt.

PubMed

Etxebarria, Itziar; Ortiz, M José; Conejero, Susana; Pascual, Aitziber

2009-11-01

In this study we analyzed gender differences in the intensity of habitual guilt, as well as those in interpersonal sensitivity and the tendency towards experiencing feelings of guilt with a high anxious-aggressive component. The 360 participants (adolescents, young adults and adults) were asked to relate one of the situations that most frequently caused them to experience guilt and to rank its intensity and that of 9 other emotions they may have experienced at the same time on a 7-point scale. These scales were used to obtain the scores for the anxious-aggressive component of guilt. Two interpersonal sensitivity measures were used: the IRI Empathic Concern scale and an ad hoc measure focusing on the guilt produced by interpersonal events (Interpersonal Guilt). Habitual guilt was found to be more intense in women than in men in all age groups. The results suggest that this difference is linked to differences in interpersonal sensitivity and the tendency to experience types of guilt with a high anxious-aggressive component.

Keep calm! Gender differences in mental rotation performance are modulated by habitual expressive suppression.

PubMed

Fladung, Anne-Katharina; Kiefer, Markus

2016-11-01

Men have been frequently found to perform more accurately than women in mental rotation tasks. However, men and women also differ with regard to the habitual use of emotion regulation strategies, particularly with regard to expressive suppression, i.e., the suppression of emotional expression in behavior. As emotional suppression is more often used by men, emotion regulation strategies might be a variable modulating gender differences in mental rotation performance. The present study, therefore, examined the influences of gender and emotion regulation strategies on mental rotation performance accuracy and feedback processing. Twenty-eight men and 28 women matched for relevant demographic variables performed mental rotation tasks of varying difficulty over a prolonged time. Emotional feedback was given immediately after each trial. Results showed that women reported to use expressive suppression less frequently than men. Women made more errors in the mental rotation task than men confirming earlier demonstrations of gender differences. Furthermore, women were more impaired by the negative feedback as indicated by the increased likelihood of subsequent errors compared with men. Task performance of women not habitually using expressive suppression was most inferior and most strongly influenced by failure feedback compared with men. Women using expressive suppression more habitually did not significantly differ in mental rotation accuracy and feedback processing from men. Hence, expressive suppression reduces gender differences in mental rotation accuracy by improving cognitive performance following failure feedback.

Habitual instigation and habitual execution: Definition, measurement, and effects on behaviour frequency.

PubMed

Gardner, Benjamin; Phillips, L Alison; Judah, Gaby

2016-09-01

'Habit' is a process whereby situational cues generate behaviour automatically, via activation of learned cue-behaviour associations. This article presents a conceptual and empirical rationale for distinguishing between two manifestations of habit in health behaviour, triggering selection and initiation of an action ('habitual instigation'), or automating progression through subactions required to complete action ('habitual execution'). We propose that habitual instigation accounts for habit-action relationships, and is the manifestation captured by the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI), the dominant measure in health psychology. Conceptual analysis and prospective survey. Student participants (N = 229) completed measures of intentions, the original, non-specific SRHI, an instigation-specific SRHI variant, an execution-specific variant, and, 1 week later, behaviour, in three health domains (flossing, snacking, and breakfast consumption). Effects of habitual instigation and execution on behaviour were modelled using regression analyses, with simple slope analysis to test habit-intention interactions. Relationships between instigation, execution, and non-specific SRHI variants were assessed via correlations and factor analyses. The instigation-SRHI was uniformly more predictive of behaviour frequency than the execution-SRHI and corresponded more closely with the original SRHI in correlation and factor analyses. Further, experimental work is needed to separate the impact of the two habit manifestations more rigorously. Nonetheless, findings qualify calls for habit-based interventions by suggesting that behaviour maintenance may be better served by habitual instigation and that disrupting habitual behaviour may depend on overriding habits of instigation. Greater precision of measurement may help to minimize confusion between habitual instigation and execution. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Habit is often used to understand, explain

Impact of Interactions Between Self-Reported Psychological Stress and Habitual Exercise on the Dietary Intake of Japanese Men and Women: a Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study.

PubMed

Endoh, Kaori; Kuriki, Kiyonori; Kasezawa, Nobuhiko; Tohyama, Kazushige; Goda, Toshinao

2016-01-01

Modifying lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise can reduce the risk of cancer. Psychological stress (PS) might be indirectly associated with cancer because it alters lifestyle factors. However, the relationship among these variables has not been fully investigated. Thus, we examined interactions between self-reported PS (SRPS) and habitual exercise on diet. In all, 5,587 men and 2,718 women were divided into "exerciser" and "non-exerciser" groups, based on whether they exercised regularly, and classified into three SRPS levels: low, moderate and high. Diet was estimated using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Using a general linear model, food and nutrient consumption was estimated for each SRPS level in the 2 exercise groups, and the interactions between SRPS levels and exercise were calculated. In women, the intake of pork and beef, low fat milk and yogurt, natto (fermented soybean), carrots and squash, other root vegetables, mushrooms, seaweeds, and wine, along with the nutrients vegetable protein, soluble, insoluble and total dietary fiber, daidzein, genistein, carotene, retinol equivalents, vitamin B2, pantothenic acid, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron demonstrated significant interaction with SRPS and habitual exercise (p for interaction <0.05). In men, raw and green leafy vegetables and fruit and vegetable juice significantly interacted with SRPS and habitual exercise (p for interaction <0.05). We suggest that certain foods and nutrients, which are thought to have a protective effect against cancer, interact with SRPS and habitual exercise, especially in women. This information is valuable for understanding and improving interventions for cancer prevention.

Habitual physical activity levels are associated with performance in measures of physical function and mobility in older men

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objectives: To determine whether objectively measured physical activity levels are associated with measures of physical function and mobility in older men. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Academic research center. Participants: Eighty-two community-dwelling men >/= 65 years of age with self-report...

Relationships between habitual physical activity and osteoarthrosis in ageing women.

PubMed

White, J A; Wright, V; Hudson, A M

1993-11-01

The examination of middle-aged women specialist teachers of physical education, who have undertaken habitual physical activity over many years, demonstrated a lower prevalence of osteoarthrosis in the knee joints, a greater prevalence of degenerative joint disease in the lumbar spine and a similar prevalence of osteoarthrosis in the hips, compared with a closely age-matched group. A further review 12 years later revealed significantly less joint pain and joint stiffness in active women compared with less active controls.

Exploratory activity and habituation of Drosophila in confined domains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soibam, B.; Chen, L.; Roman, G. W.; Gunaratne, G. H.

2014-09-01

Animals use locomotion to find food, shelter, and escape routes as well as to locate predators, competitors, and mates. Thus, locomotion is related to many behavioral traits, and can be used to characterize these more complex facets of behavior. Exploratory behaviors are random and need to be assessed through stochastic analysis. By comparing ensembles of trajectories from Drosophila and a model animal, we identify a pair of principles that govern the stochastic motion of a specific species. The first depends on local cues and quantify directional persistence, i.e., the propensity of an animal to maintain direction; the second, its attraction to walls, is relevant for exploration in confined arenas. Statistical properties of exploratory activity in several types of arenas can be computed from these principles. A pair of spiral arenas are designed to demonstrate that centrophobicity, or fear of the center of an arena, is not a fundamental feature of exploration. xxxx We provide evidence to show that the decay in an animal's activity following its introduction into a novel arena is correlated to its familiarity with the arena. We define two measures, coverage and habituation, to quantify familiarity. It is found that the relationship between activity and coverage is independent of the arena size. Finally, we use an analysis of exploration of mutant species to infer that in Drosophila, habituation relies on visual cues.

Secular Trends in Habitual Physical Activities of Mozambican Children and Adolescents from Maputo City

PubMed Central

dos Santos, Fernanda Karina; Maia, José A. R.; Gomes, Thayse Natacha Q. F.; Daca, Timóteo; Madeira, Aspacia; Damasceno, Albertino; Katzmarzyk, Peter T.; Prista, António

2014-01-01

Social and economic changes occurring in the last two decades in Mozambique may have induced lifestyle changes among youth. This study aimed to document secular changes in habitual physical activities of Mozambican youth between 1992, 1999 and 2012. A total of 3393 youth (eight–15 years), were measured in three different time periods (1992, 1999, 2012). Habitual physical activity (PA) was estimated with a questionnaire, including items related to household chores, sport participation, traditional games and walking activities. Biological maturation was assessed. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare mean differences in PA across the years. Significant decreases between 1992–1999 and 1992–2012 were observed for boys in household chores, games and walking, and a significant decline between 1999 and 2012 was found in sport participation.Among girls, a significant and consistent decline (1992 > 1999 > 2012) was observed for household chores, a decline between 1992–1999 and 1992–2012 for games and walking, and a significant increase between 1992 and 1999 in sport participation. In general, a negative secular trend was found in habitual PA among Mozambican youth. Interventions aimed at increasing PA represent important educational and public health opportunities. PMID:25337941

Habituation of Salmonella spp. at Reduced Water Activity and Its Effect on Heat Tolerance

PubMed Central

Mattick, K. L.; Jørgensen, F.; Legan, J. D.; Lappin-Scott, H. M.; Humphrey, T. J.

2000-01-01

The effect of habituation at reduced water activity (aw) on heat tolerance of Salmonella spp. was investigated. Stationary-phase cells were exposed to aw 0.95 in broths containing glucose-fructose, sodium chloride, or glycerol at 21°C for up to a week prior to heat challenge at 54°C. In addition, the effects of different aws and heat challenge temperatures were investigated. Habituation at aw 0.95 resulted in increased heat tolerance at 54°C with all solutes tested. The extent of the increase and the optimal habituation time depended on the solute used. Exposure to broths containing glucose-fructose (aw 0.95) for 12 h resulted in maximal heat tolerance, with more than a fourfold increase in D54 values. Cells held for more than 72 h in these conditions, however, became as heat sensitive as nonhabituated populations. Habituation in the presence of sodium chloride or glycerol gave rise to less pronounced but still significant increases in heat tolerance at 54°C, and a shorter incubation time was required to maximize tolerance. The increase in heat tolerance following habituation in broths containing glucose-fructose (aw 0.95) was RpoS independent. The presence of chloramphenicol or rifampin during habituation and inactivation did not affect the extent of heat tolerance achieved, suggesting that de novo protein synthesis was probably not necessary. These data highlight the importance of cell prehistory prior to heat inactivation and may have implications for food manufacturers using low-aw ingredients. PMID:11055944

Child-caregivers' body weight and habitual physical activity status is associated with overweight in kindergartners.

PubMed

Hoffmann, Sascha W; Tug, Suzan; Simon, Perikles

2014-08-09

The aim of this study was to examine whether child-caregivers', both parents and kindergarten teachers, health parameters (age, weight status, habitual physical activity score) are significantly associated with the risk of overweight in young children. We assessed the individual body mass index standard deviation score in a regional cross-sectional health study and matched a representative sample of 434 kindergartners aged 3 to 6-years with their caregivers' weight and habitual physical activity status. Furthermore, we identified factors associated with the general ability of child-caregivers to identify overweight in children, and the awareness to classify a child within the correct weight category. Our study confirmed most of the known associations between parental anthropometrics and psychosocial factors with childhood overweight and obesity. A significantly higher proportion of boys tended to be overweight or obese (p = 0.027) and parents were more likely to misclassified boys overweight as normal weight (OR: 1.86; 95% CI 1.21-2.86). Adjusted for confounders, logistic regression analysis revealed that kindergarten teachers' weight status (OR: 1.97; 95%-CI: 1.01-3.83) and habitual physical activity scores (OR: 2.32; 95%-CI: 1.10-4.92) were associated with children's weight status. Kindergarten teachers' weight and habitual physical activity score seem to be new independent risk factors for overweight in kindergartners 3 to 6-years of age. Our results suggest that the psychosocial, non-genetic association of non-parental child-caregivers on children's weight is relatively high and that the association of non-parental child-caregivers warrants further investigation.

The addition of peanuts to habitual diets is associated with lower consumption of savory non-core snacks by men and sweet non-core snacks by women.

PubMed

Barbour, Jayne A; Stojanovski, Emilija; Moran, Lisa J; Howe, Peter R C; Coates, Alison M

2017-05-01

Snacking is associated with intakes of non-core foods which may predispose to obesity. Peanuts have potential satiety benefits and may assist with weight management; we hypothesized that peanut consumption would reduce intake of non-core snack foods due to compensation. We investigated the effects of adding peanuts to a habitual diet on snacking habits and energy intake. Sixty-one healthy participants (65±7years, body mass index 31±4kg/m 2 ) consumed their habitual diet with or without peanuts (56g/d for 32 women, 84g/d for 29 men) for 12weeks each in a randomized crossover design. Food diaries were analyzed at baseline and after each 12-week period for meal and snack content and timing. Total energy intake was higher (17% for men [P<.001], 9% for women [P<.001]) during the peanut phase. Body weight was 0.5±0.2kg (P=.010) greater during the peanut phase. Snacking occasions increased during the peanut phase (53% for men [P=.001], 14% for women [P=.01]). Servings of other snack foods did not change during the peanut phase (P=.6) compared with control. However, sex-specific analysis revealed that men and women consumed less savory (P<.001) and sweet (P=.01) non-core snacks, respectively, during the peanut phase. Despite increased energy intake and snacking frequency, peanuts may improve the diet through sex-specific reductions of non-core foods; for optimal energy balance, peanuts should be substituted rather than added to the diet. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experiences of Habitual Physical Activity in Maintaining Roles and Functioning among Older Adults: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Svantesson, Ulla; Willén, Carin

2016-01-01

Physically active older adults have reduced risk of functional restrictions and role limitations. Several aspects may interrelate and influence habitual physical activity (PA). However, older adults' own perspectives towards their PA need to be addressed. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of habitual physical activity in maintaining roles and functioning among older adult Palestinians ≥60 years. Data were collected through in-depth interviews based on a narrative approach. Seventeen participants were recruited (aged 64–84 years). Data were analyzed using a narrative interpretative method. Findings. Three central narratives were identified, “keep moving, stay healthy,” “social connectedness, a motive to stay active,” and “adapting strategies to age-related changes.” Conclusion. Habitual physical activity was perceived as an important factor to maintain functioning and to preserve active roles in older adults. Walking was the most prominent pattern of physical activity and it was viewed as a vital tool to maintain functioning among the older adults. Social connectedness was considered as a contributing factor to the status of staying active. To adapt the process of age-related changes in a context to stay active, the participants have used different adapting strategies, including protective strategy, awareness of own capabilities, and modifying or adopting new roles. PMID:28078141

Delayed habituation in Behcet's disease.

PubMed

Gulturk, Sefa; Akyol, Melih; Kececi, Hulusi; Ozcelik, Sedat; Cinar, Ziynet; Demirkazik, Ayse

2008-01-01

The autonomic nervous system in Behcet's patients may be affected due to various reasons. This entity may be detected with the measurement of the electrodermal activities, heart rate variability and pupillometric methods. Habituation is one of the implicit forms of learning and memory and the loss of habituation can reveal pathological changes in the synaptic regions. To determine whether there is a functional decrease in the synaptic effectiveness (habituation) of the pathways to sympathetic neurons that had been repeatedly activated in Behcet's. Twelve patients with Behcet's disease and 12 healthy controls were included in the study. Sympathetic skin potential (SSP) records were taken at normal room temperature in a quiet place within a Faraday cage. Sixteen square wave single shock impulses (duration: 1200 ms, strength: 5 mA) were applied on each case. After the 1st stimulus, the SSP amplitudes were lower in the patients compared to the controls (P<0.001, t value=7.69). There was no significant differences among the SSP amplitudes after the 13th impulse in the patients (P>0.05). Whereas there was no significant differences among the SSP amplitudes after the 9th impulse in the controls (P>0.05). The habituation rate of the SSP after consecutive impulses was slowest in the patients compared to controls (P<0.001, t value=12.39). There is a delayed habituation in Behcet's disease and that may due to pathologic changes with vasculitis through their peripheral nerves.

Physical Educators' Habitual Physical Activity and Self-Efficacy for Regular Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhu, Xihe; Haegele, Justin A.; Davis, Summer

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine physical education teachers' habitual physical activity and self-efficacy for regular exercise. In-service physical education teachers (N = 168) voluntarily completed an online questionnaire that included items to collect demographic information (gender, race/ethnicity, years of teaching experience, and…

Influence of Habitual Physical Activity During Late Pregnancy on the Duration of Labor.

PubMed

Kondo, Yuki; Sawa, Ryuichi; Ebina, Aoi; Takada, Masayo; Fujii, Hiromi; Okuyama, Yoko; Tanikawa, Yuko; Souke, Kaoru; Ono, Rei

2017-03-01

Physical activity during pregnancy has numerous benefits, but the influence on the duration of labor is unclear. We investigated the influence of habitual physical activity during late pregnancy on the duration of labor, with consideration of previous delivery experience and the stage of labor. This prospective study included 103 women (48 nulliparous, 55 multiparous) in late pregnancy. Habitual physical activity was evaluated using the Baecke physical activity questionnaire (BQ). Women were divided into a high activity group (HA) and a low activity group (LA) based on their median total BQ score. Data pertaining to the duration of labor were obtained from the birth records after delivery. In multiparous women, the duration of the second stage of labor was significantly shorter in the HA group than in the LA group [median (range): HA, 11 min (1-102 min); LA, 20 min (4-175 min); P < .05]. The significant difference persisted after adjusting for confounding variables (standardized β = -0.34; P = .01). In nulliparous women, there were no significant differences in duration of labor between groups. Higher physical activity in multiparous women during late pregnancy might positively influence the duration of the second stage of labor.

Poor habitual sleep efficiency is associated with increased cardiovascular and cortisol stress reactivity in men.

PubMed

Massar, Stijn A A; Liu, Jean C J; Mohammad, Nabilah B; Chee, Michael W L

2017-07-01

Inadequate sleep and psychological stress can both elevate physiological stress markers, such as cortisol. Prior studies that have applied induced psychosocial stress after a night of experimental sleep deprivation have found these effects to be compounded. We examined whether the relationship between stress reactivity and poor sleep also extends to habitual sleep patterns. Fifty-nine adult male participants were recruited. Habitual sleep patterns were monitored with actigraphy for a week. Participants subsequently underwent the Trier Social Stress Test. Cardiovascular responses and salivary cortisol were measured at baseline, during stress, and during recovery. Subjects who showed poor habitual sleep efficiency during the week before stress induction responded with higher stress-related elevations of blood pressure and cortisol levels as compared to subjects with high sleep efficiency. This relationship between poor sleep efficiency and elevated blood pressure persisted during the post-stress recovery period. Similar associations between total sleep time in the week prior to the stress induction and physiological reactivity did not reach significance. Our findings indicate that habitual low sleep efficiency exaggerates cardiovascular and neuroendocrine effects of psychosocial stress, in a male population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sex differences in relationships between habitual physical activity and health in the elderly: practical implications for epidemiologists based on pedometer/accelerometer data from the Nakanojo Study.

PubMed

Aoyagi, Yukitoshi; Shephard, Roy J

2013-01-01

We review sex differences in the relationship between habitual physical activity and health in the elderly, with particular reference to pedometer/accelerometer data from the Nakanojo Study. Maximal aerobic power, walking speed and habitual physical activity are 10-30% greater in men than in women. This reflects not only biological but also socio-cultural and environmental factors, with the latter becoming dominant as age advances. It implies a need for sex-specific thresholds of moderate activity. Overall health is associated with both the year-averaged daily step count (the best indicator in women) and the year-averaged daily duration of physical activity >3 metabolic equivalents (METs) (the best indicator in men). In both sexes, the threshold ranges of step count and/or duration of activity >3 METs associated with a reduced prevalence of health problems are: 4000-5000 steps/day and/or 5-7.5 min/day for impaired mental and psychosocial health, such as a depressed mood state and a poor health-related quality of life; 7000-8000 steps/day and/or 15-20 min/day for markers of aortic arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, sarcopenia and poor physical fitness; and 8000-10,000 steps/day and/or 20-30 min/day for components of the metabolic syndrome, especially hypertension and hyperglycemia. Irrespective of sex, both the intensity and the total volume of physical activity are influenced by stressful life events, such as a partner's death, and immediate meteorological factors, particularly precipitation and mean ambient temperature, underlining the need for long-term measurement of activity patterns. These findings have practical implications for those who engage in epidemiological studies and/or design health promotional programs for the elderly. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Benefits of pedometer-measured habitual physical activity in healthy women.

PubMed

Graff, Scheila Karen; Alves, Bruna Cherubini; Toscani, Mariana Kirjner; Spritzer, Poli Mara

2012-02-01

This cross-sectional study aimed at (i) characterizing pedometer-determined physical activity and (ii) examining its associations with dietary intake and anthropometric and metabolic profile in healthy women. Anthropometric and metabolic profile was evaluated in 68 healthy women of reproductive age. Habitual physical activity was assessed using a pedometer for 6 consecutive days, including weekends. Participants were stratified into active and inactive according to the mean steps·day(-1) (≥6000 and <6000, respectively). Food consumption was evaluated by 24-h recall in a subsample of 35 participants. Thirty-eight women were defined as active and had significantly lower body mass index (BMI), fat percentage, waist circumference, sum of skinfold thickness, insulin, and HOMA than the sedentary group. Mean BMI was 27 kg·m(-2) (overweight) in active participants and 31 kg·m(-2) (class I obesity) in inactive participants. Active women consumed more carbohydrates (55.5% ± 9.4% vs. 46.3% ± 7.6%) and calories (2138 ± 679 vs. 1664 ± 558 kcal), and less protein (15.4% ± 4.2% vs. 19.9% ± 5.8%) and lipids (29.0% ± 7.2% vs. 33.8% ± 6.2%) than inactive individuals (p < 0.05). Fiber, cholesterol, and fatty acid intake was similar in both groups. The number of steps was lower on Sunday than on weekdays for the overall group. Using a pedometer for 3 days was sufficient to determine habitual physical activity (sensitivity: 94%; specificity 91% vs. 6 days of pedometer use). In the present study, nonstructured physical activity was associated with more adequate dietary consumption and contributed toward a healthier anthropometric and metabolic profile in young women, despite the high prevalence of overweight.

Relationship between habitual sleep duration, obesity and depressive symptoms in patients with sleep apnoea.

PubMed

Gylen, Elena; Anttalainen, Ulla; Saaresranta, Tarja

2014-01-01

Short sleep duration has been linked with obesity in general population, but this issue has not been addressed in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) separately. Depressive symptoms are frequent in OSAS and may affect sleep and energy balance. Our purpose was to assess the association of habitual sleep duration, psychological distress, depressive symptoms, and excessive daytime sleepiness with measures of obesity in patients with OSAS. 210 middle aged consecutive patients (111 men and 99 women) referred for evaluation of suspected OSAS were divided into subgroups based on apnoea-hypopnoea index (AHI) and treatment suggested by a sleep physician. OSAS (AHI>5/h plus symptoms) was diagnosed in 75.7% of the patients. Their sleep duration correlated negatively with psychological distress (r=-0.22, p=0.043) and depressive symptoms (r=-0.27, p=0.013) in men. No association was found between self-reported habitual sleep duration and measures of obesity or subjective sleepiness. In patients considered for CPAP therapy, sleep duration associated inversely with depressive symptoms both in men (r=-0.28, p=0.024) and women (r=-0.33, p=0.037). After adjusting for age and Epworth Sleepiness Score, the results remained essentially similar. Our results suggest that self-reported habitual sleep duration does not associate with obesity in patients with OSAS. Shorter habitual sleep duration seems to associate with higher scores of depressive symptoms and psychological distress. Copyright © 2013 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Habitual Physical Activity in Children With Cerebral Palsy Aged 4 to 5 Years Across All Functional Abilities.

PubMed

Keawutan, Piyapa; Bell, Kristie L; Oftedal, Stina; Davies, Peter S W; Ware, Robert S; Boyd, Roslyn N

2017-01-01

To compare ambulatory status in children with cerebral palsy aged 4 to 5 years with their habitual physical activity and time spent sedentary, and to compare their activity with physical activity guidelines. Sixty-seven participants-independently ambulant, marginally ambulant, and nonambulant-wore accelerometers for 3 days. Time spent sedentary as a percentage of wear time and activity counts were compared between groups. There were significant differences in time spent sedentary and activity counts between groups. Children who were independently ambulant were more likely to meet physical activity guidelines. Children with cerebral palsy spent more than half of their waking hours in sedentary time. Interventions to reduce sedentary behavior and increase habitual physical activity are needed in children with cerebral palsy at age 4 to 5 years.

Habitual physical activity is associated with improved anthropometric and androgenic profile in PCOS: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Mario, F M; Graff, S K; Spritzer, P M

2017-04-01

To examine the effect of habitual physical activity (PA) on the metabolic and hormonal profiles of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. Anthropometric, metabolic and hormonal assessment and determination of habitual PA levels with a digital pedometer were evaluated in 84 women with PCOS and 67 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls. PA status was defined according to number of steps (≥7500 steps, active, or <7500 steps, sedentary). BMI was lower in active women from both groups. Active PCOS women presented lower waist circumference (WC) and lipid accumulation product (LAP) values versus sedentary PCOS women. In the control group, active women also had lower WC, lower values for fasting and 120-min insulin, and lower LAP than sedentary controls. In the PCOS group, androgen levels were lower in active versus sedentary women (p = 0.001). In the control group, free androgen index (FAI) was also lower in active versus sedentary women (p = 0.018). Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance and 2000 daily step increments were independent predictors of FAI. Each 2000 daily step increment was associated with a decrease of 1.07 in FAI. Habitual PA was associated with a better anthropometric and androgenic profile in PCOS.

Habituation of LG-mediated tailflip in the crayfish.

PubMed

Nagayama, Toshiki; Araki, Makoto

2015-06-01

Crayfish escape from threatening stimuli by tailflipping. If a stimulus is applied to the rear, crayfish escape up and forwards in a summersault maneuver that is mediated by the activation of lateral giant (LG) interneurons. The occurrence probability of LG-mediated tailflip, however, diminishes and habituates if a stimulus is repeatedly applied. Since crayfish have a relatively simple CNS with many identifiable neurons, crayfish represent a good animal to analyze the cellular basis of habituation. A reduction in the amplitude of the EPSP in the LGs, caused by direct chemical synaptic connection from sensory afferents by repetitive stimulations, is essential to bring about an inactivation of the LGs. The spike response of the LGs recovers within several minutes of habituation, but the LGs subsequently fail to spike when an additional stimulus is applied after specific periods following habituation. These results indicate that a decline in synaptic efficacy from the mechanosensory afferents recovers readily after a short delay, but then the excitability of the LGs themselves decreases. Furthermore, the processes underlying habituation are modulated depending on a social status. When two crayfish encounter each other, a winner-loser relationship is established. With a short interstimulus interval of 5 s, the rate of habituation of the LG in both socially dominant and subordinate crayfish becomes lower than in socially isolated animals. Serotonin and octopamine affect this social status-dependent modulation of habituation by means of activation of downstream second messenger system of cAMP and IP3 cascades, respectively.

Auditory habituation to simple tones: reduced evidence for habituation in children compared to adults

PubMed Central

Muenssinger, Jana; Stingl, Krunoslav T.; Matuz, Tamara; Binder, Gerhard; Ehehalt, Stefan; Preissl, Hubert

2013-01-01

Habituation—the response decrement to repetitively presented stimulation—is a basic cognitive capability and suited to investigate development and integrity of the human brain. To evaluate the developmental process of auditory habituation, the current study used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to investigate auditory habituation, dishabituation and stimulus specificity in children and adults and compared the results between age groups. Twenty-nine children (Mage = 9.69 years, SD ± 0.47) and 14 adults (Mage = 29.29 years, SD ± 3.47) participated in the study and passively listened to a habituation paradigm consisting of 100 trains of tones which were composed of five 500 Hz tones, one 750 Hz tone (dishabituator) and another two 500 Hz tones, respectively while focusing their attention on a silent movie. Adults showed the expected habituation and stimulus specificity within-trains while no response decrement was found between trains. Sensory adaptation or fatigue as a source for response decrement in adults is unlikely due to the strong reaction to the dishabituator (stimulus specificity) and strong mismatch negativity (MMN) responses. However, in children neither habituation nor dishabituation or stimulus specificity could be found within-trains, response decrement was found across trains. It can be speculated that the differences between children and adults are linked to differences in stimulus processing due to attentional processes. This study shows developmental differences in task-related brain activation and discusses the possible influence of broader concepts such as attention, which should be taken into account when comparing performance in an identical task between age groups. PMID:23882207

Effects of resistance and functional-skills training on habitual activity and constipation among older adults living in long-term care facilities: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Chin A Paw, Marijke J M; van Poppel, Mireille N M; van Mechelen, Willem

2006-07-31

Large-scale RCTs comparing different types of exercise training in institutionalised older people are scarce, especially regarding effects on habitual physical activity and constipation. This study investigated the effects of different training protocols on habitual physical activity and constipation of older adults living in long-term care facilities. A randomized controlled trial with 157 participants, aged 64 to 94 years, who were randomly assigned to 1) resistance training; 2) all-round functional-skills training; 3) both; or 4) an 'educational' control condition. Habitual physical activity was assessed with a physical activity questionnaire and accelerometers. Constipation was assessed by a questionnaire. Measurements were performed at baseline and after six months of training. At baseline the median time spent sitting was 8.2 hr/d, the median time spent on activity of at least moderate intensity was 32 min/d. At baseline, about 22% of the subjects were diagnosed with constipation and 23% were taking laxatives. There were no between-group differences for changes in habitual physical activity or constipation over 6-months. Six months of moderate intensity exercise training neither enhances habitual physical activity nor affects complaints of constipation among older people living in long-term care facilities.

Cigarette smoking weakens exercise habits in healthy men.

PubMed

Nagaya, Teruo; Yoshida, Hideyo; Takahashi, Hidekatsu; Kawai, Makoto

2007-10-01

To investigate the longitudinal impact of smoking cessation and relapse on the exercise habits of apparently healthy Japanese men, 750 subjects presenting for a checkup at a metropolitan health center were surveyed annually for 7 years. Exercise was dichotomously classified as none or any. Subjects were grouped in two categories: 98 smokers who ceased smoking during the second year of the study, matched with 196 continuing smokers and 196 men who had never smoked; and 52 relapsed smokers (including 2 new smokers) who did not smoke at baseline or at Year 1 but smoked from Year 2 to final follow-up, matched with 104 continuing smokers and 104 never-smokers. Based on self-reported responses to questionnaires, exercise was consistently less prevalent among smokers who did not quit than among never-smokers throughout the study. Habitual exercise in subjects who had quit smoking increased during the follow-up (any exercise: 42.9% at baseline increased to 51% at final follow-up, p for longitudinal trend = .115). Habitual exercise in matched never-smokers did not change during the study and decreased significantly among persistent smokers (p = .025). Habitual exercise in relapsed smokers decreased during the follow-up (any exercise: 50.0% at baseline declined to 32.7% at final follow-up, p = .007), but habitual exercise in matched persistent smokers and never-smokers did not change. We conclude that smoking and sedentary lifestyle coexist continuously, that smoking cessation is associated with increased habitual exercise among healthy men, and that relapse is associated with reduced habitual exercise, suggesting that cigarette smoking weakens exercise habits.

Effect of occlusal interference on habitual activity of human masseter.

PubMed

Michelotti, A; Farella, M; Gallo, L M; Veltri, A; Palla, S; Martina, R

2005-07-01

It has been suggested that occlusal interference may increase habitual activity in the jaw muscles and may lead to temporomandibular disorders (TMD). We tested these hypotheses by means of a double-blind randomized crossover experiment carried out on 11 young healthy females. Strips of gold foil were glued either on a selected occlusal contact area (active interference) or on the vestibular surface of the same tooth (dummy interference) and left for 8 days each. Electromyographic masseter activity was recorded in the natural environment by portable recorders under interference-free, dummy-interference, and active-interference conditions. The active occlusal interference caused a significant reduction in the number of activity periods per hour and in their mean amplitude. The EMG activity did not change significantly during the dummy-interference condition. None of the subjects developed signs and/or symptoms of TMD throughout the whole study, and most of them adapted fairly well to the occlusal disturbance.

Amygdala habituation and prefrontal functional connectivity in youth with autism spectrum disorders.

PubMed

Swartz, Johnna R; Wiggins, Jillian Lee; Carrasco, Melisa; Lord, Catherine; Monk, Christopher S

2013-01-01

Amygdala habituation, the rapid decrease in amygdala responsiveness to the repeated presentation of stimuli, is fundamental to the nervous system. Habituation is important for maintaining adaptive levels of arousal to predictable social stimuli and decreased habituation is associated with heightened anxiety. Input from the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) regulates amygdala activity. Although previous research has shown abnormal amygdala function in youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), no study has examined amygdala habituation in a young sample or whether habituation is related to amygdala connectivity with the vmPFC. Data were analyzed from 32 children and adolescents with ASD and 56 typically developing controls who underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a gender identification task for faces that were fearful, happy, sad, or neutral. Habituation was tested by comparing amygdala activation to faces during the first half versus the second half of the session. VmPFC-amygdala connectivity was examined through psychophysiologic interaction analysis. Youth with ASD had decreased amygdala habituation to sad and neutral faces compared with controls. Moreover, decreased amygdala habituation correlated with autism severity as measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale. There was a group difference in vmPFC-amygdala connectivity while viewing sad faces, and connectivity predicted amygdala habituation to sad faces in controls. Sustained amygdala activation to faces suggests that repeated face presentations are processed differently in individuals with ASD, which could contribute to social impairments. Abnormal modulation of the amygdala by the vmPFC may play a role in decreased habituation. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prevention of cognitive and physical decline by enjoyable walking-habituation program based on brain-activating rehabilitation.

PubMed

Murai, Tatsuhiko; Yamaguchi, Tomoharu; Maki, Yohko; Isahai, Mikie; Kaiho Sato, Ayumi; Yamagami, Tetsuya; Ura, Chiaki; Miyamae, Fumiko; Takahashi, Ryutaro; Yamaguchi, Haruyasu

2016-06-01

Evaluating effects of an enjoyable walking-habituation program. We carried out a 12-week intervention, consisting of an enjoyable walking-habituation program based on five principles of brain-activating rehabilitation: pleasant atmosphere, interactive communication, social roles, praising each other and errorless support. The program, once a week for 90 min, was carried out in small groups. Participants were 71 community-dwelling people (72.2 ± 4.3) without dementia. Cognitive function was evaluated in five cognitive domains: memory, executive function, word fluency, visuospatial abilities and sustained attention. Additionally, quality of life, depressive state, functional capacity, range of activities, social network and subjective memory complaints were assessed using questionnaires. Motor function was also evaluated. Measurement was carried out before the observation period, after observation and after intervention. A total of 63 participants were included in the analysis. Daily steps, executive function, subjective memory complaints, functional capacity and 5-m maximum walking time significantly improved during the intervention period (after observation to after intervention) compared with the observation period (before the observation period to after observation). No significant differences were seen in other evaluations. At 6 months after the intervention, 52 of 63 participants (82.5%) continued to walk once a week or more, and all of them were confident about continuing to walk in the future. Furthermore, all participants were satisfied with our walking-habituation program and all replied that they felt delighted. The intervention program, based on the five principles of brain-activating rehabilitation, resulted in improvement of some cognitive and physical functions, as well as a high walking-habituation rate at 6 months' follow up. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; ●●: ●●-●●. © 2015 Japan Geriatrics Society.

BK Channels Mediate Synaptic Plasticity Underlying Habituation in Rats.

PubMed

Zaman, Tariq; De Oliveira, Cleusa; Smoka, Mahabba; Narla, Chakravarthi; Poulter, Michael O; Schmid, Susanne

2017-04-26

Habituation is a basic form of implicit learning and represents a sensory filter that is disrupted in autism, schizophrenia, and several other mental disorders. Despite extensive research in the past decades on habituation of startle and other escape responses, the underlying neural mechanisms are still not fully understood. There is evidence from previous studies indicating that BK channels might play a critical role in habituation. We here used a wide array of approaches to test this hypothesis. We show that BK channel activation and subsequent phosphorylation of these channels are essential for synaptic depression presumably underlying startle habituation in rats, using patch-clamp recordings and voltage-sensitive dye imaging in slices. Furthermore, positive modulation of BK channels in vivo can enhance short-term habituation. Although results using different approaches do not always perfectly align, together they provide convincing evidence for a crucial role of BK channel phosphorylation in synaptic depression underlying short-term habituation of startle. We also show that this mechanism can be targeted to enhance short-term habituation and therefore to potentially ameliorate sensory filtering deficits associated with psychiatric disorders. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Short-term habituation is the most fundamental form of implicit learning. Habituation also represents a filter for inundating sensory information, which is disrupted in autism, schizophrenia, and other psychiatric disorders. Habituation has been studied in different organisms and behavioral models and is thought to be caused by synaptic depression in respective pathways. The underlying molecular mechanisms, however, are poorly understood. We here identify, for the first time, a BK channel-dependent molecular synaptic mechanism leading to synaptic depression that is crucial for habituation, and we discuss the significance of our findings for potential treatments enhancing habituation. Copyright © 2017

Cold habituation does not improve manual dexterity during rest and exercise in 5 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Matthew D.; Seo, Yongsuk; Kim, Chul-Ho; Ryan, Edward J.; Pollock, Brandon S.; Burns, Keith J.; Glickman, Ellen L.

2014-04-01

When exposed to a cold environment, a barehanded person experiences pain, cold sensation, and reduced manual dexterity. Both acute (e.g. exercise) and chronic (e.g. cold acclimatization or habituation) processes might lessen these negative effects. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of cold habituation on physiology, perception, and manual dexterity during rest, exercise, and recovery in 5 °C. Six cold weather athletes (CWA) and eight non habituated men (NON) volunteered to participate in a repeated measures cross-over design. The protocol was conducted in 5 °C and was 90 min of resting cold exposure, 30 min of cycle ergometry exercise (50 % VO2 peak), and 60 min of seated recovery. Core and finger skin temperature, metabolic rate, Purdue Pegboard dexterity performance, hand pain, thermal sensation, and mood were quantified. Exercise-induced finger rewarming (EIFRW) was calculated for each hand. During 90 min of resting exposure to 5 °C, the CWA had a smaller reduction in finger temperature, a lower metabolic rate, less hand pain, and less negative mood. Despite this cold habituation, dexterity performance was not different between groups. In response to cycle ergometry, EIFRW was greater in CWA (~12 versus 7 °C) and occurred at lower core temperatures (37.02 versus 37.31 °C) relative to NON but dexterity was not greater during post-exercise recovery. The current data indicate that cold habituated men (i.e., CWA) do not perform better on the Purdue Pegboard during acute cold exposure. Furthermore, despite augmented EIFRW in CWA, dexterity during post-exercise recovery was similar between groups.

Effects of Mat Pilates training and habitual physical activity on thoracoabdominal expansion during quiet and vital capacity breathing in healthy women.

PubMed

Campos, Jeniffer L; Vancini, Rodrigo L; Zanoni, Graziely R; Barbosa DE Lira, Claudio A; Santos Andrade, Marilia; Sarro, Karine J

2017-10-27

Pilates is a body/mind method that requires different types of exercise (balance, endurance, strength, and flexibility) and attention to muscle control, posture, and breathing. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of 12 weeks of Mat Pilates training and habitual physical activity on thoracoabdominal motion of healthy and physically active women. Thirty-five women without experience in Pilates exercise, aged between 18 and 35 years, participated in the study (habitual physical activity group, n=14; and Mat Pilates group, n=21). Three- dimensional kinematic analysis was used to evaluate total and separate thoracoabdominal compartments' expansion (superior and inferior thorax and abdomen), contribution of each compartment to total thoracoabdominal expansion, and coordination between thoracoabdominal compartments. After 12 weeks of Mat Pilates training, thoracoabdominal expansion during quiet breathing was improved by increasing the expansion of abdomen by about 33% (P=0.01). Moreover, expansion of superior (P=0.04) and inferior thorax (P=0.02) and abdomen (P=0.01) was also improved in Pilates (35%, 33% and 37%, respectively) compared to the habitual physical activity group, after the experimental protocol. Finally, the habitual physical activity group presented a decrease of 13% in the expansion of abdomen (P = 0.002). The results suggest the capability of Mat Pilates in improving the action of respiratory and abdominal muscles during breathing and, thus, its benefits to breathing mechanics.

Long-term evaluation of the adequacy of habitual diets to provide protein needs of adult Nigerian men.

PubMed

Atinmo, T; Egun, G; Mbofung, C M

1988-11-01

1. A continuous 40 d metabolic nitrogen balance study was conducted on twelve young men aged 25 (SD 2.6) years to evaluate the adequacy of a previously determined safe level of protein intake. 2. Subjects were fed on diets which they were habitually accustomed to and which provided a protein level of 0.75 g protein (N x 6.25)/kg body-weight per d as the safe level and an energy intake level of 0.2 MJ/kg body-weight per d. N balances, including an estimate for integumental losses as well as certain biochemical variables, were determined for the last 5 d of two consecutive 20 d diet periods. 3. Only two of the twelve subjects were observed to be in negative N balance the final 5 d of the 40 d period. N balance was generally positive at 8.24 (SD 8.61) mg N/kg body-weight, thus confirming the adequacy of 0.75 g protein/kg body-weight per d as a safe level of protein intake in the majority of the subjects.

Measurement of Habitual Physical Activity Performance in Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clanchy, Kelly M.; Tweedy, Sean M.; Boyd, Roslyn

2011-01-01

Aim: This systematic review compares the validity, reliability, and clinical use of habitual physical activity (HPA) performance measures in adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). Method: Measures of HPA across Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-V for adolescents (10-18y) with CP were included if at least 60% of items…

Rapid habituation by mosquito larvae to predator kairomones.

PubMed

Roberts, Derek

2014-12-01

Larvae of some species of mosquitoes have been shown to respond to water-borne kairomones from predators by reducing bottom-feeding and replacing it with surface filter-feeding, which uses less movement and is thus less likely to attract a predator. However, if no predator attack takes place, then it would be more efficient to use a risk allocation strategy of habituating their response depending on the predator and the overall risk. The larvae of Culiseta longiareolata Macquart live in temporary rain-filled pools, where they are exposed to a high level of predation. Within one hour, they responded to kairomones from dragonfly or damselfly nymphs, or to the fish Aphanius, by significantly reducing bottom-feeding activity. Continued exposure to the predator kairomones resulted in habituation of their response to damselflies, a slower habituation to fish, but no habituation to dragonflies even after 30 h. In contrast, the larvae of Culex quinquefasciatus Say normally live in highly polluted and thus anaerobic water, where the predation risk will be much lower. They also showed a significant reduction in bottom-feeding after 1 h of exposure to predator kairomones but had completely habituated this response within 6 h of continuous exposure. Some species of mosquito larvae can thus show a very rapid habituation to predator kairomones, while others only habituate slowly depending on the predator and overall predation risk. © 2014 The Society for Vector Ecology.

Changes in visual-evoked potential habituation induced by hyperventilation in migraine.

PubMed

Coppola, Gianluca; Currà, Antonio; Sava, Simona Liliana; Alibardi, Alessia; Parisi, Vincenzo; Pierelli, Francesco; Schoenen, Jean

2010-12-01

Hyperventilation is often associated with stress, an established trigger factor for migraine. Between attacks, migraine is associated with a deficit in habituation to visual-evoked potentials (VEP) that worsens just before the attack. Hyperventilation slows electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and decreases the functional response in the occipital cortex during visual stimulation. The neural mechanisms underlying deficient-evoked potential habituation in migraineurs remain unclear. To find out whether hyperventilation alters VEP habituation, we recorded VEPs before and after experimentally induced hyperventilation lasting 3 min in 18 healthy subjects and 18 migraine patients between attacks. We measured VEP P100 amplitudes in six sequential blocks of 100 sweeps and habituation as the change in amplitude over the six blocks. In healthy subjects, hyperventilation decreased VEP amplitude in block 1 and abolished the normal VEP habituation. In migraine patients, hyperventilation further decreased the already low block 1 amplitude and worsened the interictal habituation deficit. Hyperventilation worsens the habituation deficit in migraineurs possibly by increasing dysrhythmia in the brainstem-thalamo-cortical network.

Alaskan brown bears, humans, and habituation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Thomas; Herrero, Stephen; DeBruyn, Terry D.

2005-01-01

We present a new paradigm for understanding habituation and the role it plays in brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations and interactions with humans in Alaska. We assert that 3 forms of habituation occur in Alaska: bear-to-bear, bear-to-human, and human-to-bear. We present data that supports our theory that bear density is an important factor influencing a bear’s overt reaction distance (ORD); that as bear density increases, overt reaction distance decreases, as does the likelihood of bear– human interactions. We maintain that the effects of bear-to-bear habituation are largely responsible for not only shaping bear aggregations but also for creating the relatively safe environment for bear viewing experienced at areas where there are high densities of brown bears. By promoting a better understanding of the forces that shape bear social interactions within populations and with humans that mingle with them, we can better manage human activities and minimize bear–human conflict.

Caffeine Promotes Global Spatial Processing in Habitual and Non-Habitual Caffeine Consumers

PubMed Central

Giles, Grace E.; Mahoney, Caroline R.; Brunyé, Tad T.; Taylor, Holly A.; Kanarek, Robin B.

2013-01-01

Information processing is generally biased toward global cues, often at the expense of local information. Equivocal extant data suggests that arousal states may accentuate either a local or global processing bias, at least partially dependent on the nature of the manipulation, task, and stimuli. To further differentiate the conditions responsible for such equivocal results we varied caffeine doses to alter physiological arousal states and measured their effect on tasks requiring the retrieval of local versus global spatial knowledge. In a double-blind, repeated-measures design, non-habitual (Experiment 1; N = 36, M = 42.5 ± 28.7 mg/day caffeine) and habitual (Experiment 2; N = 34, M = 579.5 ± 311.5 mg/day caffeine) caffeine consumers completed four test sessions corresponding to each of four caffeine doses (0, 100, 200, 400 mg). During each test session, participants consumed a capsule containing one of the three doses of caffeine or placebo, waited 60 min, and then completed two spatial tasks, one involving memorizing maps and one spatial descriptions. A spatial statement verification task tested local versus global spatial knowledge by differentially probing memory for proximal versus distal landmark relationships. On the map learning task, results indicated that caffeine enhanced memory for distal (i.e., global) compared to proximal (i.e., local) comparisons at 100 (marginal), 200, and 400 mg caffeine in non-habitual consumers, and marginally beginning at 200 mg caffeine in habitual consumers. On the spatial descriptions task, caffeine enhanced memory for distal compared to proximal comparisons beginning at 100 mg in non-habitual but not habitual consumers. We thus provide evidence that caffeine-induced physiological arousal amplifies global spatial processing biases, and these effects are at least partially driven by habitual caffeine consumption. PMID:24146646

Habituation as an adaptive shift in response strategy mediated by neuropeptides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardiel, Evan L.; Yu, Alex J.; Giles, Andrew C.; Rankin, Catharine H.

2017-08-01

Habituation is a non-associative form of learning characterized by a decremented response to repeated stimulation. It is typically framed as a process of selective attention, allowing animals to ignore irrelevant stimuli in order to free up limited cognitive resources. However, habituation can also occur to threatening and toxic stimuli, suggesting that habituation may serve other functions. Here we took advantage of a high-throughput Caenorhabditis elegans learning assay to investigate habituation to noxious stimuli. Using real-time computer vision software for automated behavioral tracking and optogenetics for controlled activation of a polymodal nociceptor, ASH, we found that neuropeptides mediated habituation and performed an RNAi screen to identify candidate receptors. Through subsequent mutant analysis and cell-type-specific gene expression, we found that pigment-dispersing factor (PDF) neuropeptides function redundantly to promote habituation via PDFR-1-mediated cAMP signaling in both neurons and muscles. Behavioral analysis during learning acquisition suggests that response habituation and sensitization of locomotion are parts of a shifting behavioral strategy orchestrated by pigment dispersing factor signaling to promote dispersal away from repeated aversive stimuli.

Sex Differences in Fetal Habituation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hepper, Peter G.; Dornan, James C.; Lynch, Catherine

2012-01-01

There is some evidence for sex differences in habituation in the human fetus, but it is unknown whether this is due to differences in central processing (habituation) or in more peripheral processes, sensory or motor, involved in the response. This study examined whether the sex of the fetus influenced auditory habituation at 33 weeks of…

Physical Activity and Falls in Older Men: The Critical Role of Mobility Limitations

PubMed Central

JEFFERIS, BARBARA J.; MEROM, DAFNA; SARTINI, CLAUDIO; WANNAMETHEE, S. GOYA; ASH, SARAH; LENNON, LUCY T.; ILIFFE, STEVE; KENDRICK, DENISE; WHINCUP, PETER H.

2015-01-01

ABSTRACT Background Physical activity (PA) has many health benefits but may increase falls risk among older adults. We study how objectively measured habitual daily PA is related to falls by exploring the modifying effect of mobility limitations and the mediating roles of fitness and lower-limb strength. Methods One thousand six hundred fifty-five (53%) of 3137 surviving participants (men age 71–91 yr) in an ongoing UK-population-based cohort study wore an ActiGraph GT3x accelerometer over the hip for 1 wk in 2010–2012 to measure PA (exposure) and reported demographic and health status, including mobility limitations. One year later, 825 men reported falls history (outcome). Results Seven hundred of 825 men had ≥600 min·d−1 of accelerometer wear for ≥3 d. Nineteen percent (n = 128) reported falls 1 yr later. Associations between PA and falls differed by presence of mobility limitations. Among 66% (n = 471) of men without mobility limitations, number of falls increased incrementally (for every 30 min of moderate to vigorous PA [MVPA]: incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10–2.03, adjusted for falls risk factors). Step count was not related to number of falls below 9000 steps per day but was related to number of falls ≥9000 steps per day (for every additional 1000 steps per day: IRR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.16–2.18). Among 33% (n = 229) of men with mobility limitations, falls risk declined with increasing activity (for every 1000 steps per day: IRR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.70–0.91; for every 30 min of MVPA: IRR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.42–0.89; for every additional 30 min of sedentary behavior ≥600 min·d−1: IRR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.07–1.40). Conclusions Interventions to promote MVPA in older men should incorporate falls prevention strategies. Among adults with mobility limitations, trials should investigate whether increasing MVPA levels can reduce falls risk. PMID:25668406

Physical Activity, Aerobic Capacity, and Total Antioxidant Capacity in Healthy Men and in Men with Coronary Heart Disease.

PubMed

Gawron-Skarbek, Anna; Chrzczanowicz, Jacek; Kostka, Joanna; Nowak, Dariusz; Drygas, Wojciech; Jegier, Anna; Kostka, Tomasz

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study was to assess total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of blood serum in relation with habitual leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and aerobic capacity in a group of 90 men with coronary heart disease (CHD) aged 34.8-77.0 years and in 90 age-matched peers without CHD. Two spectrophotometric methods were applied to assess TAC: Ferric Reducing Ability of Serum (TAC-FRAS) and 2.2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (TAC-DPPH) tests. Aerobic capacity was expressed as physical working capacity at 85% of the maximal heart rate (PWC(85%HRmax)). CHD patients had higher values of TACFRAS (1.37 ± 0.28 versus 1.27 ± 0.23 mmol FeCl2·L(-1); P < 0.05) but there were no group differences for TAC-DPPH and for uric acid (UA). Negative correlation was found between LTPA (also when calculated per kg of body mass) and TAC-DPPH in CHD patients. In CHD patients, TAC-FRAS and UA were lower in subjects with higher aerobic capacity expressed as PWC(85%HRmax/kg). Those associations were not found in healthy men. We conclude that TAC of blood serum is moderately adversely related to LTPA and aerobic capacity in patients with CHD. UA, as the main determinant of serum TAC, may be partially responsible for those associations.

Physical Activity, Aerobic Capacity, and Total Antioxidant Capacity in Healthy Men and in Men with Coronary Heart Disease

PubMed Central

Gawron-Skarbek, Anna; Kostka, Joanna; Nowak, Dariusz; Drygas, Wojciech; Jegier, Anna; Kostka, Tomasz

2015-01-01

Objective. The purpose of the study was to assess total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of blood serum in relation with habitual leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and aerobic capacity in a group of 90 men with coronary heart disease (CHD) aged 34.8–77.0 years and in 90 age-matched peers without CHD. Methods. Two spectrophotometric methods were applied to assess TAC: Ferric Reducing Ability of Serum (TAC-FRAS) and 2.2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (TAC-DPPH) tests. Aerobic capacity was expressed as physical working capacity at 85% of the maximal heart rate (PWC85%HRmax). Results. CHD patients had higher values of TACFRAS (1.37 ± 0.28 versus 1.27 ± 0.23 mmol FeCl2·L−1; P < 0.05) but there were no group differences for TAC-DPPH and for uric acid (UA). Negative correlation was found between LTPA (also when calculated per kg of body mass) and TAC-DPPH in CHD patients. In CHD patients, TAC-FRAS and UA were lower in subjects with higher aerobic capacity expressed as PWC85%HRmax/kg. Those associations were not found in healthy men. Conclusions. We conclude that TAC of blood serum is moderately adversely related to LTPA and aerobic capacity in patients with CHD. UA, as the main determinant of serum TAC, may be partially responsible for those associations. PMID:26451234

Socioeconomic and Demographic Factors for Spousal Resemblance in Obesity Status and Habitual Physical Activity in the United States

PubMed Central

Liu, Yinghui; Wang, Youfa

2014-01-01

Studies suggested that the married population has an increased risk of obesity and assimilation between spouses' body weight. We examined what factors may affect married spouses' resemblance in weight status and habitual physical activity (HPA) and the association of obesity/HPA with spouses' sociodemoeconomic characteristics and lifestyles. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data of 11,403 adult married couples in the US during years 2006–2008 were used. Absolute-scale difference and relative-scale resemblance indices (correlation and kappa coefficients) in body mass index (BMI) and HPA were estimated by couples' socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. We found that spousal difference in BMI was smaller for couples with a lower household income, for who were both unemployed, and for older spouses. Correlation coefficient between spouses' BMI was 0.24, differing by race/ethnicity and family size. Kappa coefficient for weight status (obesity: BMI ≥ 30, overweight: 30 > BMI ≥ 25) was 0.11 and 0.35 for HPA. Never-working women's husbands had lower odds of obesity than employed women's husbands (OR = 0.69 (95% CI = 0.53–0.89)). Men's unemployment status was associated with wives' greater odds of obesity (OR = 1.31 (95% CI = 1.01–1.71)). HPA was associated with men's employment status and income level, but not with women's. The population representative survey showed that spousal resemblance in weight status and HPA varied with socioeconomic and demographic factors. PMID:25332834

Does Habitual Physical Activity Increase the Sensitivity of the Appetite Control System? A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Beaulieu, Kristine; Hopkins, Mark; Blundell, John; Finlayson, Graham

2016-12-01

It has been proposed that habitual physical activity improves appetite control; however, the evidence has never been systematically reviewed. To examine whether appetite control (e.g. subjective appetite, appetite-related peptides, food intake) differs according to levels of physical activity. Medline, Embase and SPORTDiscus were searched for articles published between 1996 and 2015, using keywords pertaining to physical activity, appetite, food intake and appetite-related peptides. Articles were included if they involved healthy non-smoking adults (aged 18-64 years) participating in cross-sectional studies examining appetite control in active and inactive individuals; or before and after exercise training in previously inactive individuals. Of 77 full-text articles assessed, 28 studies (14 cross-sectional; 14 exercise training) met the inclusion criteria. Appetite sensations and absolute energy intake did not differ consistently across studies. Active individuals had a greater ability to compensate for high-energy preloads through reductions in energy intake, in comparison with inactive controls. When physical activity level was graded across cross-sectional studies (low, medium, high, very high), a significant curvilinear effect on energy intake (z-scores) was observed. Methodological issues existed concerning the small number of studies, lack of objective quantification of food intake, and various definitions used to define active and inactive individuals. Habitually active individuals showed improved compensation for the energy density of foods, but no consistent differences in appetite or absolute energy intake, in comparison with inactive individuals. This review supports a J-shaped relationship between physical activity level and energy intake. Further studies are required to confirm these findings. CRD42015019696.

Pathway-Specific Striatal Substrates for Habitual Behavior.

PubMed

O'Hare, Justin K; Ade, Kristen K; Sukharnikova, Tatyana; Van Hooser, Stephen D; Palmeri, Mark L; Yin, Henry H; Calakos, Nicole

2016-02-03

The dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is implicated in habit formation. However, the DLS circuit mechanisms underlying habit remain unclear. A key role for DLS is to transform sensorimotor cortical input into firing of output neurons that project to the mutually antagonistic direct and indirect basal ganglia pathways. Here we examine whether habit alters this input-output function. By imaging cortically evoked firing in large populations of pathway-defined striatal projection neurons (SPNs), we identify features that strongly correlate with habitual behavior on a subject-by-subject basis. Habitual behavior correlated with strengthened DLS output to both pathways as well as a tendency for action-promoting direct pathway SPNs to fire before indirect pathway SPNs. In contrast, habit suppression correlated solely with a weakened direct pathway output. Surprisingly, all effects were broadly distributed in space. Together, these findings indicate that the striatum imposes broad, pathway-specific modulations of incoming activity to render learned motor behaviors habitual. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cognitive and mood improvements of caffeine in habitual consumers and habitual non-consumers of caffeine.

PubMed

Haskell, Crystal F; Kennedy, David O; Wesnes, Keith A; Scholey, Andrew B

2005-06-01

The cognitive and mood effects of caffeine are well documented. However, the majority of studies in this area involve caffeine-deprived, habitual caffeine users. It is therefore unclear whether any beneficial findings are due to the positive effects of caffeine or to the alleviation of caffeine withdrawal. The present placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced crossover study investigated the acute cognitive and mood effects of caffeine in habitual users and habitual non-users of caffeine. Following overnight caffeine withdrawal, 24 habitual caffeine consumers (mean=217 mg/day) and 24 habitual non-consumers (20 mg/day) received a 150 ml drink containing either 75 or 150 mg of caffeine or a matching placebo, at intervals of > or =48 h. Cognitive and mood assessments were undertaken at baseline and 30 min post-drink. These included the Cognitive Drug Research computerised test battery, two serial subtraction tasks, a sentence verification task and subjective visual analogue mood scales. There were no baseline differences between the groups' mood or performance. Following caffeine, there were significant improvements in simple reaction time, digit vigilance reaction time, numeric working memory reaction time and sentence verification accuracy, irrespective of group. Self-rated mental fatigue was reduced and ratings of alertness were significantly improved by caffeine independent of group. There were also group effects for rapid visual information processing false alarms and spatial memory accuracy with habitual consumers outperforming non-consumers. There was a single significant interaction of group and treatment effects on jittery ratings. Separate analyses of each groups' responses to caffeine revealed overlapping but differential responses to caffeine. Caffeine tended to benefit consumers' mood more while improving performance more in the non-consumers. These results do not support a withdrawal alleviation model. Differences in the patterns of responses to

Estimation of habitual iodine intake in Japanese adults using 16 d diet records over four seasons with a newly developed food composition database for iodine.

PubMed

Katagiri, Ryoko; Asakura, Keiko; Sasaki, Satoshi; Hirota, Naoko; Notsu, Akiko; Miura, Ayako; Todoriki, Hidemi; Fukui, Mitsuru; Date, Chigusa

2015-08-28

Although habitual seaweed consumption in Japan would suggest that iodine intake in Japanese is exceptionally high, intake data from diet records are limited. In the present study, we developed a composition database of iodine and estimated the habitual intake of iodine among Japanese adults. Missing values for iodine content in the existing composition table were imputed based on established criteria. 16 d diet records (4 d over four seasons) from adults (120 women aged 30-69 years and 120 men aged 30-76 years) living in Japan were collected, and iodine intake was estimated. Habitual intake was estimated with the Best-power method. Totally, 995 food items were imputed. The distribution of iodine intake in 24 h was highly skewed, and approximately 55 % of 24 h values were < 300 μg/d. The median iodine intake in 24 h was 229 μg/d for women and 273 μg/d for men. All subjects consumed iodine-rich foods (kelp or soup stock) on one or more days of the sixteen survey days. The mean (median) habitual iodine intake was 1414 (857) μg/d for women and 1572 (1031) μg/d for men. Older participants had higher intake than younger participants. The major contributors to iodine intake were kelp (60 %) and soup stock (30 %). Habitual iodine intake among Japanese was sufficient or higher than the tolerable upper intake level, particularly in older generations. The association between high iodine intake as that observed in the present study and thyroid disease requires further study.

A Role for Oxytocin-Like Receptor in Social Habituation in a Teleost.

PubMed

Weitekamp, Chelsea A; Solomon-Lane, Tessa K; Del Valle, Pamela; Triki, Zegni; Nugent, Bridget M; Hofmann, Hans A

2017-01-01

Oxytocin (OT) mediates social habituation in rodent model systems, but its role in mediating this effect in other vertebrates is unknown. We used males of the African cichlid fish, Astatotilapia burtoni, to investigate two aspects of isotocin (IT; an OT homolog) signaling in social habituation. First, we examined the expression of IT receptor 2 (ITR2) as well as two immediate early genes in brain regions implicated in social recognition. Next, we examined IT neuron activity using immunohistochemistry. Patterns of gene expression in homologs of the amygdala and hippocampus implicate IT signaling in these regions in social habituation to a territorial neighbor. In the preoptic area, the expression of the ITR2 subtype and IT neuron activity respond to the presence of a male, independent of familiarity. Our results implicate IT in mediating social habituation in a teleost. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Validity and Reliability of the Persian Version of Baecke Habitual Physical Activity Questionnaire in Healthy Subjects.

PubMed

Sadeghisani, Meissam; Dehghan Manshadi, Farideh; Azimi, Hadi; Montazeri, Ali

2016-09-01

Baecke Habitual Physical Activity Questionnaire (BHPAQ) has widely been employed in clinical and laboratorial studies as a tool for measuring subjects' physical activities. But, the reliability and validity of this questionnaire have not been investigated among Persian speakers. Therefore, the aim of the current study was examining the reliability and validity of the Persian version of the BHPAQ in healthy Persian adults. After following the process of forward-backward translation, 32 subjects were invited to fill out the Persian version of the questionnaire in two independent sessions (3 - 7 days after the first session) in order to determine the reliability index. Also, the validity of the questionnaire was assessed through concurrent validity by 126 subjects (66 males and 60 females) answering both the Baecke and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). An acceptable level of intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC of work score = 0.95, sport score = 0.93, and leisure score = 0.77) was achieved for the Persian Baecke questionnaire. Correlations between Persian Baecke and IPAQ with and without the score for sitting position were found to be 0.19 and 0.36, respectively. The Persian version of the BHPAQ is a reliable and valid instrument that can be used to measure the level of habitual functional activities in Persian-speaking subjects.

Initiating running barefoot: Effects on muscle activation and impact accelerations in habitually rearfoot shod runners.

PubMed

Lucas-Cuevas, Angel Gabriel; Priego Quesada, José Ignacio; Giménez, José Vicente; Aparicio, Inma; Jimenez-Perez, Irene; Pérez-Soriano, Pedro

2016-11-01

Runners tend to shift from a rearfoot to a forefoot strike pattern when running barefoot. However, it is unclear how the first attempts at running barefoot affect habitually rearfoot shod runners. Due to the inconsistency of their recently adopted barefoot technique, a number of new barefoot-related running injuries are emerging among novice barefoot runners. The aim of this study was therefore to analyse the influence of three running conditions (natural barefoot [BF], barefoot with a forced rearfoot strike [BRS], and shod [SH]) on muscle activity and impact accelerations in habitually rearfoot shod runners. Twenty-two participants ran at 60% of their maximal aerobic speed while foot strike, tibial and head impact accelerations, and tibialis anterior (TA), peroneus longus (PL), gastrocnemius medialis (GM) and gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) muscle activity were registered. Only 68% of the runners adopted a non-rearfoot strike pattern during BF. Running BF led to a reduction of TA activity as well as to an increase of GL and GM activity compared to BRS and SH. Furthermore, BRS increased tibial peak acceleration, tibial magnitude and tibial acceleration rate compared to SH and BF. In conclusion, 32% of our runners showed a rearfoot strike pattern at the first attempts at running barefoot, which corresponds to a running style (BRS) that led to increased muscle activation and impact accelerations and thereby to a potentially higher risk of injury compared to running shod.

The Habituation/Cross-Habituation Test Revisited: Guidance from Sniffing and Video Tracking

PubMed Central

Coronas-Samano, G.; Ivanova, A. V.

2016-01-01

The habituation/cross-habituation test (HaXha) is a spontaneous odor discrimination task that has been used for many decades to evaluate olfactory function in animals. Animals are presented repeatedly with the same odorant after which a new odorant is introduced. The time the animal explores the odor object is measured. An animal is considered to cross-habituate during the novel stimulus trial when the exploration time is higher than the prior trial and indicates the degree of olfactory patency. On the other hand, habituation across the repeated trials involves decreased exploration time and is related to memory patency, especially at long intervals. Classically exploration is timed using a stopwatch when the animal is within 2 cm of the object and aimed toward it. These criteria are intuitive, but it is unclear how they relate to olfactory exploration, that is, sniffing. We used video tracking combined with plethysmography to improve accuracy, avoid observer bias, and propose more robust criteria for exploratory scoring when sniff measures are not available. We also demonstrate that sniff rate combined with proximity is the most direct measure of odorant exploration and provide a robust and sensitive criterion. PMID:27516910

The protective effect of habitual tea consumption on hypertension.

PubMed

Yang, Yi-Ching; Lu, Feng-Hwa; Wu, Jin-Shang; Wu, Chih-Hsing; Chang, Chih-Jen

2004-07-26

Tea has long been believed to possess hypotensive effects in popular Chinese medicine. However, conflicting results have been shown among human trials and animal studies on the relation between tea consumption and blood pressure. Epidemiological evidence about the long-term effect of tea on hypertensive risk is also inconsistent. We examined the effect of tea drinking, measured in detail for the past decades, on the risk of newly diagnosed hypertension in 1507 subjects (711 men and 796 women), 20 years or older, who did not have a hypertensive history during 1996 in Taiwan. Six hundred subjects (39.8%) were habitual tea drinkers, defined by tea consumption of 120 mL/d or more for at least 1 year. Compared with nonhabitual tea drinkers, the risk of developing hypertension decreased by 46% for those who drank 120 to 599 mL/d and was further reduced by 65% for those who drank 600 mL/d or more after carefully adjusting for age, sex, socioeconomic status, family history of hypertension, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, lifestyle factors (total physical activity, high sodium intake, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and coffee drinking), and dietary factors (vegetable, fruit, unrefined grain, fish, milk, visible-fat food, and deep fried food intake). However, tea consumption for more than 1 year was not associated with a further reduction of hypertension risk. Habitual moderate strength green or oolong tea consumption, 120 mL/d or more for 1 year, significantly reduces the risk of developing hypertension in the Chinese population.

Messages for men: the efficacy of EPPM-based messages targeting men's physical activity.

PubMed

Hatchell, Alexandra C; Bassett-Gunter, Rebecca L; Clarke, Marie; Kimura, Stacey; Latimer-Cheung, Amy E

2013-01-01

The majority of men are insufficiently active. Men's tendencies to participate in risky behaviors and their inactivity likely contribute to their increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Physical activity decreases the risk of developing many chronic diseases and may be an optimal behavior to target in men's health interventions. However, educational resources promoting physical activity for men are lacking. To address this gap, we tested the efficacy of messages based upon the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM; Witte, 1992) to increase men's physical activity intentions and behaviors. Men who were not meeting physical activity guidelines (n = 611) were randomly assigned to read high or low efficacy physical activity messages paired with high or no health risk information. Participants read four brief messages on four consecutive days. Intentions were assessed at baseline and the first follow-up (Day 5). Manipulation check measures were assessed at Day 5. Behavior was assessed at baseline and the second follow-up (Day 14). Overall, the messages had small sized effects. A completer analysis revealed that although men's intentions to be active increased over the course of the study regardless of the messages they received, only men who received risk information significantly increased their physical activity. Men who received low efficacy and risk information were less likely to meet the physical activity guidelines at Day 14 than men who only received low efficacy information. From these results, we suggest preliminary recommendations for the development of physical activity messages for men and areas for future EPPM-based research. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Aberrant face and gaze habituation in fragile x syndrome.

PubMed

Bruno, Jennifer Lynn; Garrett, Amy S; Quintin, Eve-Marie; Mazaika, Paul K; Reiss, Allan L

2014-10-01

The authors sought to investigate neural system habituation to face and eye gaze in fragile X syndrome, a disorder characterized by eye-gaze aversion, among other social and cognitive deficits. Participants (ages 15-25 years) were 30 individuals with fragile X syndrome (females, N=14) and a comparison group of 25 individuals without fragile X syndrome (females, N=12) matched for general cognitive ability and autism symptoms. Functional MRI (fMRI) was used to assess brain activation during a gaze habituation task. Participants viewed repeated presentations of four unique faces with either direct or averted eye gaze and judged the direction of eye gaze. Four participants (males, N=4/4; fragile X syndrome, N=3) were excluded because of excessive head motion during fMRI scanning. Behavioral performance did not differ between the groups. Less neural habituation (and significant sensitization) in the fragile X syndrome group was found in the cingulate gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and frontal cortex in response to all faces (direct and averted gaze). Left fusiform habituation in female participants was directly correlated with higher, more typical levels of the fragile X mental retardation protein and inversely correlated with autism symptoms. There was no evidence for differential habituation to direct gaze compared with averted gaze within or between groups. Impaired habituation and accentuated sensitization in response to face/eye gaze was distributed across multiple levels of neural processing. These results could help inform interventions, such as desensitization therapy, which may help patients with fragile X syndrome modulate anxiety and arousal associated with eye gaze, thereby improving social functioning.

Habitual dislocation of patella: A review

PubMed Central

Batra, Sumit; Arora, Sumit

2014-01-01

Habitual dislocation of patella is a condition where the patella dislocates whenever the knee is flexed and spontaneously relocates with extension of the knee. It is also termed as obligatory dislocation as the patella dislocates completely with each flexion and extension cycle of the knee and the patient has no control over the patella dislocating as he or she moves the knee1. It usually presents after the child starts to walk, and is often well tolerated in children, if it is not painful. However it may present in childhood with dysfunction and instability. Very little literature is available on habitual dislocation of patella as most of the studies have combined cases of recurrent dislocation with habitual dislocation. Many different surgical techniques have been described in the literature for the treatment of habitual dislocation of patella. No single procedure is fully effective in the surgical treatment of habitual dislocation of patella and a combination of procedures is recommended. PMID:25983506

Changes in the magnitude of the eyeblink startle response during habituation of sexual arousal.

PubMed

Koukounas, E; Over, R

2000-06-01

Modulation of the startle response was used to examine emotional processing of sexual stimulation across trials within a session. Eyeblink startle was elicited by a probe (burst of intense white noise) presented intermittently while men were viewing an erotic film segment. Repeated display of the film segment resulted in a progressive decrease in sexual arousal. Habituation of sexual arousal was accompanied by a reduction over trials in the extent the men felt absorbed when viewing the erotic stimulus and by an increase over trials in the magnitude of the eyeblink startle response. Replacing the familiar stimulus by a novel erotic stimulus increased in sexual arousal and absorption and reduced startle (novelty effect), while dishabituation was evident for all three response measures when the familiar stimulus was reintroduced. This pattern of results indicates that with repeated presentation an erotic stimulus is experienced not only as less sexually arousing but also as less appetitive and absorbing. The question of whether habituation of sexual arousal is mediated by changes in attentional and affective processing over trials is discussed, as are clinical contexts in which eyeblink startle can be used in studying aspects of sexual functioning.

Leisure time physical activity and risk of non-vertebral fracture in men and women aged 55 years and older: the Tromsø Study.

PubMed

Morseth, Bente; Ahmed, Luai A; Bjørnerem, Åshild; Emaus, Nina; Jacobsen, Bjarne K; Joakimsen, Ragnar; Størmer, Jan; Wilsgaard, Tom; Jørgensen, Lone

2012-06-01

Our aim was to examine associations between leisure time physical activity and risk of non-vertebral fractures in men and women aged ≥55 years, with focus on the anatomical fracture location. Self-reported physical activity was registered in 3,450 men and 4,072 women aged 55-97 years at baseline in the Tromsø Study, Norway, in 1994-1995. Non-vertebral fractures were registered through December 31, 2009. During 75,546 person-years at risk, 1,693 non-vertebral fractures were identified. Risk of any non-vertebral fracture decreased with increasing physical activity level in men (P (trend) = 0.006) and non-significantly in women (P (trend) = 0.15), after adjustment for age, body mass index, height, smoking, and previous fracture. The reduced fracture risk was due to a reduced risk in the weight-bearing skeleton, particular at the hip, whereas risk of fracture in the non-weight-bearing skeleton was not related to physical activity. At weight-bearing sites, an inverse relationship between physical activity and fracture risk was present in both sexes (P (trend) ≤ 0.013). Compared with sedentary subjects, the most active men and women had respectively 37% (HR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.88) and 23% (HR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.62, 0.95) reduced fracture risk in the weight-bearing skeleton. Physical activity is associated with reduced fracture risk at weight-bearing sites, with no associations at non-weight-bearing sites, in both sexes. Habitual physical activity is an important amendable approach to prevent hip fracture.

The Effect of Habitual Smoking on VO2max

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wier, Larry T.; Suminski, Richard R.; Poston, Walker S.; Randles, Anthony M.; Arenare, Brian; Jackson, Andrew S.

2008-01-01

VO2max is associated with many factors, including age, gender, physical activity, and body composition. It is popularly believed that habitual smoking lowers aerobic fitness. PURPOSE: to determine the effect of habitual smoking on VO2max after controlling for age, gender, activity and BMI. METHODS: 2374 men and 375 women employed at the NASA/Johnson Space Center were measured for VO2max by indirect calorimetry (RER>=1.1), activity by the 11 point (0-10) NASA Physical Activity Status Scale (PASS), BMI and smoking pack-yrs (packs day*y of smoking). Age was recorded in years and gender was coded as M=1, W=0. Pack.y was made a categorical variable consisting of four levels as follows: Never Smoked (0), Light (1-10), Regular (11-20), Heavy (>20). Group differences were verified by ANOVA. A General Linear Models (GLM) was used to develop two models to examine the relationship of smoking behavior on VO2max. GLM #1(without smoking) determined the combined effects of age, gender, PASS and BMI on VO2max. GLM #2 (with smoking) determined the added effects of smoking (pack.y groupings) on VO2max after controlling for age, gender, PASS and BMI. Constant errors (CE) were calculated to compare the accuracy of the two models for estimating the VO2max of the smoking subgroups. RESULTS: ANOVA affirmed the mean VO2max of each pack.y grouping decreased significantly (p<0.01) as the level of smoking exposure increased. GLM #1 showed that age, gender, PASS and BMI were independently related with VO2max (R2 = 0.642, SEE = 4.90, p<0.001). The added pack.y variables in GLM #2 were statistically significant (R2 change = 0.7%, p<0.01). Post hoc analysis showed that compared to Never Smoked, the effects on VO2max from Light and Regular smoking habits were -0.83 and -0.85 ml.kg- 1.min-1 respectively (p<0.05). The effect of Heavy smoking on VO2max was -2.56 ml.kg- 1.min-1 (p<0.001). The CE s of each smoking group in GLM #2 was smaller than the CE s of the smoking group counterparts in GLM #1

Presynaptic learning and memory with a persistent firing neuron and a habituating synapse: a model of short term persistent habituation.

PubMed

Ramanathan, Kiruthika; Ning, Ning; Dhanasekar, Dhiviya; Li, Guoqi; Shi, Luping; Vadakkepat, Prahlad

2012-08-01

Our paper explores the interaction of persistent firing axonal and presynaptic processes in the generation of short term memory for habituation. We first propose a model of a sensory neuron whose axon is able to switch between passive conduction and persistent firing states, thereby triggering short term retention to the stimulus. Then we propose a model of a habituating synapse and explore all nine of the behavioral characteristics of short term habituation in a two neuron circuit. We couple the persistent firing neuron to the habituation synapse and investigate the behavior of short term retention of habituating response. Simulations show that, depending on the amount of synaptic resources, persistent firing either results in continued habituation or maintains the response, both leading to longer recovery times. The effectiveness of the model as an element in a bio-inspired memory system is discussed.

Habituation and sensitization of aggression in bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana): testing the dual-process theory of habituation.

PubMed

Bee, M A

2001-09-01

The aggressive response of male bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) habituates with repeated broadcasts of acoustic stimuli simulating a new territorial neighbor. The effects of stimulus repetition rate and stimulus intensity on bullfrog aggressive responses were tested in a field experiment designed to test the assumptions of a dual-process theory of habituation. Synthetic advertisement calls were broadcast at 2 repetition rates and 2 intensities in a factorial design. Bullfrogs were more aggressive at the higher stimulus intensity at both repetition rates. Aggressive responses habituated more slowly at the higher stimulus intensity and slower repetition rate compared with other treatments. Several biotic and abiotic factors had small or negligible effects on aggressive responses. Although consistent with the operation of 2 opposing processes, habituation and sensitization, the data provide only partial support for the assumptions of dual-process theory.

Allocation of attentional resources during habituation and dishabituation of male sexual arousal.

PubMed

Koukounas, E; Over, R

1999-12-01

A secondary-task probe (tone) was presented intermittently while men viewed erotic film segments across a session involving 18 trials with the same film segment (habituation), then 2 trials with different film segments (novelty) and 2 trials with reinstatement of the original segment (dishabituation). Reaction time to the tone (an index of the extent processing resources were being committed to the erotic stimulus) shifted during the session in parallel with changes that occurred in penile tumescence and subjective sexual arousal. The decrease in sexual arousal over the first 18 trials in the session was accompanied by a progressively faster reaction to the tone, novel stimulation led to recovery of sexual arousal and a slower reaction to the tone, and on trials 21 and 22 sexual arousal and reaction time levels were above the values that prevailed immediately prior to novel stimulation. Results are discussed with reference to the relationship between habituation and attention.

Habituation and sensitization in primary headaches

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The phenomena of habituation and sensitization are considered most useful for studying the neuronal substrates of information processing in the CNS. Both were studied in primary headaches, that are functional disorders of the brain characterized by an abnormal responsivity to any kind of incoming innocuous or painful stimuli and it’s cycling pattern over time (interictal, pre-ictal, ictal). The present review summarizes available data on stimulus responsivity in primary headaches obtained with clinical neurophysiology. In migraine, the majority of electrophysiological studies between attacks have shown that, for a number of different sensory modalities, the brain is characterised by a lack of habituation of evoked responses to repeated stimuli. This abnormal processing of the incoming information reaches its maximum a few days before the beginning of an attack, and normalizes during the attack, at a time when sensitization may also manifest itself. An abnormal rhythmic activity between thalamus and cortex, namely thalamocortical dysrhythmia, may be the pathophysiological mechanism subtending abnormal information processing in migraine. In tension-type headache (TTH), only few signs of deficient habituation were observed only in subgroups of patients. By contrast, using grand-average responses indirect evidence for sensitization has been found in chronic TTH with increased nociceptive specific reflexes and evoked potentials. Generalized increased sensitivity to pain (lower thresholds and increased pain rating) and a dysfunction in supraspinal descending pain control systems may contribute to the development and/or maintenance of central sensitization in chronic TTH. Cluster headache patients are chrarcterized during the bout and on the headache side by a pronounced lack of habituation of the brainstem blink reflex and a general sensitization of pain processing. A better insight into the nature of these ictal/interictal electrophysiological dysfunctions in primary

The Neural Correlates of Anomalous Habituation to Negative Emotional Pictures in Borderline and Avoidant Personality Disorder Patients

PubMed Central

Koenigsberg, Harold W.; Denny, Bryan T.; Fan, Jin; Liu, Xun; Guerreri, Stephanie; Jo Mayson, Sarah; Rimsky, Liza; New, Antonia S.; Goodman, Marianne; Siever, Larry J

2013-01-01

Objective Extreme emotional reactivity is a defining feature of borderline personality disorder, yet the neural-behavioral mechanisms underlying this affective instability are poorly understood. One possible contributor would be diminished ability to engage the mechanism of emotional habituation. We tested this hypothesis by examining behavioral and neural correlates of habituation in borderline patients, healthy controls, and a psychopathological control group of avoidant personality disorder patients. Method During fMRI scan acquisition, borderline patients, healthy controls and avoidant personality disorder patients viewed novel and repeated pictures, providing valence ratings at each presentation. Statistical parametric maps of the contrasts of activation during repeat versus novel negative picture viewing were compared between groups. Psychophysiological interaction analysis was employed to examine functional connectivity differences between groups. Results Unlike healthy controls, neither borderline nor avoidant personality disorder participants showed increased activity in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex when viewing repeat versus novel pictures. This failure to increase dorsal anterior cingulate activity was associated with greater affective instability in borderline participants. In addition, borderline and avoidant participants showed smaller insula-amygdala connectivity increases than healthy participants and did not show habituation in ratings of the emotional intensity of the images as did healthy participants. Borderline patients differed from avoidant patients in insula-ventral anterior cingulate connectivity during habituation. Conclusions Borderline patients fail to habituate to negative pictures as do healthy participants and differ from both healthy controls and avoidant patients in neural activity during habituation. A failure to effectively engage emotional habituation processes may contribute to affective instability in borderline patients

Influence of habitual physical activity on the symptoms of climacterium/menopause and the quality of life of middle-aged women

PubMed Central

de Azevedo Guimarães, Adriana Coutinho; Baptista, Fátima

2011-01-01

Aim: To analyze the influence of the duration of habitual physical activity (PA) on the symptoms of climacterium/menopause and on several domains of the health-related quality of life (QOL) in middle-aged women. Methods: One hundred and four 45- to 59-year-old women were placed into three groups: group A, subjects who maintained PA less than 30 minutes/day; group B, subjects who maintained or began to perform PA 30–60 minutes/day; and group C, subjects who maintained or increased PA to more than 60 minutes/day. Symptoms of menopause, QOL (physical, psychological, and social), and PA were assessed through the Kupperman Menopausal Index, World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version questionnaire, and International Physical Activity Questionnaire, respectively. Results: The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) results, adjusted for age, initial body mass index, schooling years, hormonal replacement therapy, and the number of diseases, indicated that the women who maintained or increased their total habitual PA to more than 60 minutes/day had reduced symptoms of climacterium/menopause (–5.4 ± 0.5; P = 0.001) and improved QOL in the psychological (4.4% ± 0.8%; P = 0.001) and social domains (2.0% ± 0.9%; P = 0.035). ANCOVA revealed a further improvement of approximately 5% in the psychological domain of QOL in group C, who also experienced decreased menopause symptoms (P = 0.001) and lost weight (P = 0.009). Conclusion: The habitual practice of at least moderate-intensity PA for 60 minutes/day has a favorable effect on climacterium/menopause symptoms and on QOL, particularly on its psychological and social domains. The influence of habitual PA at the psychological level seems to be at least partially associated with a decrease in menopause symptoms and/or weight loss. PMID:22114524

The Self-Report Habit Index: Assessing habitual marijuana, alcohol, e-cigarette, and cigarette use.

PubMed

Morean, Meghan E; DeMartini, Kelly S; Foster, Dawn; Patock-Peckham, Julie; Garrison, Kathleen A; Corlett, Philip R; Krystal, John H; Krishan-Sarin, Suchitra; O'Malley, Stephanie S

2018-05-01

Substance use is partially driven by habitual processes that occur automatically in response to environmental cues and may be central to users' identities. This study was designed to validate the Self-Report Habit Index (SRHI) for assessing habitual marijuana, alcohol, cigarette, and e-cigarette use. We examined the SRHI's psychometrics in separate samples of adult marijuana (Ns = 189;170), alcohol (Ns = 100;133), cigarette (Ns = 58;371), and e-cigarette (N = 239) users. A 6-item, single-factor solution evidenced good fit across substances (CFI marijuana/alcohol/cigarettes/e-cigarettes = 0.996/0.997/0.996/0.994, RMSEA = 0.046/0.047/0.067/0.068, SRMR = 0.017/0.017/0.010/0.015) and internal consistency (α = 0.88/0.94/0.95/0.91). The SRHI was scalar invariant for sex and race. However, independent-samples t-tests indicated only that women endorsed stronger habitual e-cigarette use and that men endorsed stronger habitual marijuana use. The SRHI also was scalar invariant by product type in dual-users (cigarettes/e-cigarettes[N = 371]; alcohol/cigarettes [n = 58]), although differences in habit strength only were observed for cigarettes versus e-cigarettes, with dual-users reporting stronger habitual cigarette use. Finally, the SRHI predicted frequency of marijuana, alcohol, cigarette, and e-cigarette use (n p 2 [marijuana/alcohol/cigarettes/e-cigarettes] = 0.37/0.48/0.31/0.17) and quantity of alcohol and cigarette use (n p 2  = 0.43/0.33). The SRHI is a psychometrically sound measure of adults' habitual substance use. The SRHI detected mean differences by sex and substance type and predicted the frequency of using each substance. Future research should determine if the SRHI is appropriate for use with other substances or age groups (e.g., adolescents), how it relates to task-based, behavioral measures of habit strength, and the degree to which habit predicts the development or maintenance of addiction. Copyright © 2018

Six Weeks Habituation of Simulated Barefoot Running Induces Neuromuscular Adaptations and Changes in Foot Strike Patterns in Female Runners

PubMed Central

Khowailed, Iman Akef; Petrofsky, Jerrold; Lohman, Everett; Daher, Noha

2015-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to examine the effects of a 6-week training program of simulated barefoot running (SBR) on running kinetics in habitually shod (wearing shoes) female recreational runners. Material/Methods Twelve female runners age 25.7±3.4 years gradually increased running distance in Vibram FiveFingers minimal shoes over a 6-week period. The kinetic analysis of treadmill running at 10 Km/h was performed pre- and post-intervention in shod running, non-habituated SBR, and habituated SBR conditions. Spatiotemporal parameters, ground reaction force components, and electromyography (EMG) were measured in all conditions. Results Post-intervention data indicated a significant decrease across time in the habituation SBR for EMG activity of the tibialis anterior (TA) in the pre-activation and absorptive phase of running (P<0.001). A significant increase was denoted in the pre-activation amplitude of the gastrocnemius (GAS) between the shod running, unhabituated SBR, and habituated SBR. Six weeks of SBR was associated with a significant decrease in the loading rates and impact forces. Additionally, SBR significantly decrease the stride length, step duration, and flight time, and stride frequency was significantly higher compared to shod running. Conclusions The findings of this study indicate that changes in motor patterns in previously habitually shod runners are possible and can be accomplished within 6 weeks. Non-habituation SBR did not show a significant neuromuscular adaptation in the EMG activity of TA and GAS as manifested after 6 weeks of habituated SBR. PMID:26166443

Repeated Ferret Odor Exposure Induces Different Temporal Patterns of Same-Stressor Habituation and Novel-Stressor Sensitization in Both Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Activity and Forebrain c-fos Expression in the Rat

PubMed Central

Weinberg, Marc S.; Bhatt, Aadra P.; Girotti, Milena; Masini, Cher V.; Day, Heidi E. W.; Campeau, Serge; Spencer, Robert L.

2009-01-01

Repeated exposure to a moderately intense stressor typically produces attenuation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response (habituation) on re-presentation of the same stressor; however, if a novel stressor is presented to the same animals, the HPA axis response may be augmented (sensitization). The extent to which this adaptation is also evident within neural activity patterns is unknown. This study tested whether repeated ferret odor (FO) exposure, a moderately intense psychological stressor for rats, leads to both same-stressor habituation and novel-stressor sensitization of the HPA axis response and neuronal activity as determined by immediate early gene induction (c-fos mRNA). Rats were presented with FO in their home cages for 30 min a day for up to 2 wk and subsequently challenged with FO or restraint. Rats displayed HPA axis activity habituation and widespread habituation of c-fos mRNA expression (in situ hybridization) throughout the brain in as few as three repeated presentations of FO. However, repeated FO exposure led to a more gradual development of sensitized HPA-axis and c-fos mRNA responses to restraint that were not fully evident until after 14 d of prior FO exposure. The sensitized response was evident in many of the same brain regions that displayed habituation, including primary sensory cortices and the prefrontal cortex. The shared spatial expression but distinct temporal development of habituation and sensitization neural response patterns suggests two independent processes with opposing influences across overlapping brain systems. PMID:18845631

Habituation in acoustic startle reflex: individual differences in personality.

PubMed

Blanch, Angel; Balada, Ferran; Aluja, Anton

2014-03-01

This study analyzed the relationship of individual differences in personality with habituation in the acoustic startle response (ASR). Data from nine trials in ASR to white noise bursts and a personality questionnaire based on the alternative big five personality approach were modelled with a latent growth curve (LCM) including intercept and slope habituation growth factors. There was a negative correlation between the intercept and slope, indicating that individuals with higher initial ASR levels had also a more pronounced and faster decrease in the ASR. Contrary to expectations, Extraversion and Sensation Seeking did not relate with habituation in ASR. Neuroticism and Aggressiveness related asymmetrically with the habituation rate in ASR. Higher levels of Neuroticism were related with faster habituation, whereas higher levels of Aggressiveness were related with slower habituation. Further studies with the LCM should be undertaken to clarify in a greater extent the association of personality with habituation in ASR. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Habituation as a Determinant of Human Food Intake

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Leonard H.; Temple, Jennifer L.; Roemmich, James N.; Bouton, Mark E.

2009-01-01

Research has shown that animals and humans habituate on a variety of behavioral and physiological responses to repeated presentations of food cues, and habituation is related to amount of food consumed and cessation of eating. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of experimental paradigms used to study habituation, integrate a…

Habitual attention in older and young adults.

PubMed

Jiang, Yuhong V; Koutstaal, Wilma; Twedell, Emily L

2016-12-01

Age-related decline is pervasive in tasks that require explicit learning and memory, but such reduced function is not universally observed in tasks involving incidental learning. It is unknown if habitual attention, involving incidental probabilistic learning, is preserved in older adults. Previous research on habitual attention investigated contextual cuing in young and older adults, yet contextual cuing relies not only on spatial attention but also on context processing. Here we isolated habitual attention from context processing in young and older adults. Using a challenging visual search task in which the probability of finding targets was greater in 1 of 4 visual quadrants in all contexts, we examined the acquisition, persistence, and spatial-reference frame of habitual attention. Although older adults showed slower visual search times and steeper search slopes (more time per additional item in the search display), like young adults they rapidly acquired a strong, persistent search habit toward the high-probability quadrant. In addition, habitual attention was strongly viewer-centered in both young and older adults. The demonstration of preserved viewer-centered habitual attention in older adults suggests that it may be used to counter declines in controlled attention. This, in turn, suggests the importance, for older adults, of maintaining habit-related spatial arrangements. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Electronic dietary recording system improves nutrition knowledge, eating attitudes and habitual physical activity: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Chung, Louisa Ming Yan; Law, Queenie Pui Sze; Fong, Shirley Siu Ming; Chung, Joanne Wai Yee

2014-08-01

This study's objective was to investigate whether use of an electronic dietary recording system improves nutrition knowledge, eating attitudes and habitual physical activity levels compared to use of a food diary and no self-monitoring. Sixty adults aged 20-60 with a body mass index ≥25 were recruited and randomly assigned to one of three groups: a group using an electronic system (EG), a group using a food diary (FD) and a control group using nothing (CG) to record food intake. All participants took part in three 60-90 nutrition seminars and completed three questionnaires on general nutrition knowledge, habitual physical activity levels and eating attitudes at the beginning and end of the 12-week study. The pre- and post-test scores for each questionnaire were analysed using a paired sample t-test. Significant improvements in the domain of 'dietary recommendations' were found in the EG (p=0.009) and FD groups (p=0.046). Great improvements were found in 'sources of nutrients', 'choosing everyday foods' and 'diet-disease relationships' in EG and FD groups. EG group showed greater improvement in the work index and sport index. An electronic dietary recording system may improve eating and exercise behaviour in a self-monitoring process. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

With or without pheromone habituation: possible differences between insect orders?

PubMed

Suckling, David Maxwell; Stringer, Lloyd D; Jiménez-Pérez, Alfredo; Walter, Gimme H; Sullivan, Nicola; El-Sayed, Ashraf M

2018-06-01

Habituation to sex pheromones is one of the key mechanisms in mating disruption, an insect control tactic. Male moths often show reduced sexual response after pre-exposure to female sex pheromone. Mating disruption is relatively rare in insect orders other than Lepidoptera. As a positive control we confirmed habituation in a moth (Epiphyas postvittana) using 24 h pre-exposure to sex pheromone to reduce subsequent activation behaviour. We then tested the impact of pre-exposure to sex or trail pheromone on subsequent behavioural response with insects from three other orders. Similar pre-exposure for 24 h to either sex pheromone [Pseudococcus calceolariae (Homoptera) and apple leaf curling midge Dasineura mali (Diptera), or trail pheromone of Argentine ants (Linepithema humile (Hymenoptera)], followed by behavioural assay in clean air provided no evidence of habituation after pre-exposure in these latter cases. The moths alone were affected by pre-exposure to pheromone. For pests without habituation, sustained attraction to a point source may make lure and kill more economical. Improved knowledge of behavioural processes should lead to better success in pest management and mechanisms should be investigated further to inform studies and practical efforts generally enhancing effectiveness of pheromone-based management. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pulse waveform analysis on temporal changes in ocular blood flow due to caffeine intake: a comparative study between habitual and non-habitual groups.

PubMed

Ismail, Aishah; Bhatti, Mehwish S; Faye, Ibrahima; Lu, Cheng Kai; Laude, Augustinus; Tang, Tong Boon

2018-06-06

To evaluate and compare the temporal changes in pulse waveform parameters of ocular blood flow (OBF) between non-habitual and habitual groups due to caffeine intake. This study was conducted on 19 healthy subjects (non-habitual 8; habitual 11), non-smoking and between 21 and 30 years of age. Using laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG), three areas of optical nerve head were analyzed which are vessel, tissue, and overall, each with ten pulse waveform parameters, namely mean blur rate (MBR), fluctuation, skew, blowout score (BOS), blowout time (BOT), rising rate, falling rate, flow acceleration index (FAI), acceleration time index (ATI), and resistive index (RI). Two-way mixed ANOVA was used to determine the difference between every two groups where p < 0.05 is considered significant. There were significant differences between the two groups in several ocular pulse waveform parameters, namely MBR (overall, vessel, tissue), BOT (overall), rising rate (overall), and falling rate (vessel), all with p < 0.05. In addition, the ocular pulse waveform parameters, i.e., MBR (overall), skew (tissue), and BOT (tissue) showed significant temporal changes within the non-habitual group, but not within the habitual group. The temporal changes in parameters MBR (vessel, tissue), skew (overall, vessel), BOT (overall, vessel), rising rate (overall), falling rate (overall, vessel), and FAI (tissue) were significant for both groups (habitual and non-habitual) in response to caffeine intake. The experiment results demonstrated caffeine does modulate OBF significantly and response differently in non-habitual and habitual groups. Among all ten parameters, MBR and BOT were identified as the suitable biomarkers to differentiate between the two groups.

Orbitofrontal and striatal circuits dynamically encode the shift between goal-directed and habitual actions

PubMed Central

Gremel, Christina M.; Costa, Rui M.

2014-01-01

Shifting between goal-directed and habitual actions allows for efficient and flexible decision-making. Here we demonstrate a novel, within-subject instrumental lever-pressing paradigm where mice shift between goal-directed and habitual actions. We identify a role for orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in actions following outcome-revaluation, and confirm that dorsal medial (DMS) and lateral striatum (DLS) mediate different action strategies. In-vivo simultaneous recordings of OFC, DMS, and DLS neuronal ensembles during shifting reveal that the same neurons display different activity depending on whether presses are goal-directed or habitual, with DMS and OFC becoming more—and DLS less-engaged during goal-directed actions. Importantly, the magnitude of neural activity changes in OFC following changes in outcome value positively correlates with the level of goal-directed behavior. Chemogenetic inhibition of OFC disruptsgoal-directed actions, while optogenetic activation of OFC specifically increases goal-directed pressing. They also reveal a role for OFC in action revaluation, which has implications for understanding compulsive behavior. PMID:23921250

Generalized Habituation of Concept Stimuli in Toddlers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faulkender, Patricia J.; And Others

1974-01-01

An evaluation of selective generalization of habituation on the basis of meaningful categories of stimuli. Also explored are the sex differences in conceptual generalization of habituation. Subjects were 36 toddlers with a mean age of 40 months. (SDH)

Short-Term Memory in Habituation and Dishabituation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitlow, Jesse William, Jr.

1975-01-01

The present research evaluated the refractorylike response decrement, as found in habituation of auditory evoked peripheral vasoconstriction in rabbits, to determine whether or not it represents a short-term habituation process distinct from effector fatigue or sensory adaptation. (Editor)

Activity patterns of elderly men and women.

PubMed

Sidney, K H; Shephard, R J

1977-01-01

The activity patterns of elderly men and women (greater than 60 years) were examined by diaries, ECG taperecorders, and electro-chemical integrators. Although the subjects thought that they were active relative to others of their age, both activity measurements and initial assessments of fitness indicated an inactive life style. At different periods of the day, the heart rate averaged 70-90 beats per minute, and the physical training threshold was rarely approached. During the week, the women engaged in 90 min. more physical activity than the men. However, at the weekend the men added an average of 100 min. of physical activity, whereas the women carried out 30 min. less physical work. Introduction of a 1-hour physical activity class four times per week increased the average daily energy expenditure by 150-200 kCal, to 2500 kCal in the men and 2200 kCal in the women. The added activity was sufficient to augment aerobic power, to induce favorable changes in body composition and to initiate change in other areas of life style, including a diminished use of the car.

"An army of reformed drunkards and clergymen": the medicalization of habitual drunkenness, 1857-1910.

PubMed

Chavigny, Katherine A

2014-07-01

Historians have recognized that men with drinking problems were not simply the passive subjects of medical reform and urban social control in Gilded Age and Progressive Era America but also actively shaped the partial medicalization of habitual drunkenness. The role played by evangelical religion in constituting their agency and in the historical process of medicalization has not been adequately explored, however. A post-Civil War evangelical reform culture supported institutions that treated inebriates along voluntary, religious lines and lionized former drunkards who publicly promoted a spiritual cure for habitual drunkenness. This article documents the historical development and characteristic practices of this reform culture, the voluntarist treatment institutions associated with it, and the hostile reaction that developed among medical reformers who sought to treat intemperance as a disease called inebriety. Those physicians' attempts to promote therapeutic coercion for inebriates as medical orthodoxy and to deprive voluntarist institutions of public recognition failed, as did their efforts to characterize reformed drunkards who endorsed voluntary cures as suffering from delusions arising from their disease. Instead, evangelical traditions continued to empower reformed drunkards to publicize their own views on their malady which laid the groundwork for continued public interest in alcoholics' personal narratives in the twentieth century. Meanwhile, institutions that accommodated inebriates' voluntarist preferences proliferated after 1890, marginalizing the medical inebriety movement and its coercive therapeutics. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Habituation and adaptation of the vestibuloocular reflex: a model of differential control by the vestibulocerebellum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, H.; Cohen, B.; Raphan, T.; Waespe, W.

1992-01-01

We habituated the dominant time constant of the horizontal vestibuloocular reflex (VOR) of rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys by repeated testing with steps of velocity about a vertical axis and adapted the gain of the VOR by altering visual input with magnifying and reducing lenses. After baseline values were established, the nodulus and ventral uvula of the vestibulocerebellum were ablated in two monkeys, and the effects of nodulouvulectomy and flocculectomy on VOR gain adaptation and habituation were compared. The VOR time constant decreased with repeated testing, rapidly at first and more slowly thereafter. The gain of the VOR was unaffected. Massed trials were more effective than distributed trials in producing habituation. Regardless of the schedule of testing, the VOR time constant never fell below the time constant of the semicircular canals (approximately 5 s). This finding indicates that only the slow component of the vestibular response, the component produced by velocity storage, was habituated. In agreement with this, the time constant of optokinetic after-nystagmus (OKAN) was habituated concurrently with the VOR. Average values for VOR habituation were obtained on a per session basis for six animals. The VOR gain was adapted by natural head movements in partially habituated monkeys while they wore x 2.2 magnifying or x 0.5 reducing lenses. Adaptation occurred rapidly and reached about +/- 30%, similar to values obtained using forced rotation. VOR gain adaptation did not cause additional habituation of the time constant. When the VOR gain was reduced in animals with a long VOR time constant, there were overshoots in eye velocity that peaked at about 6-8 s after the onset or end of constant-velocity rotation. These overshoots occurred at times when the velocity storage integrator would have been maximally activated by semicircular canal input. Since the activity generated in the canals is not altered by visual adaptation, this finding indicates that the gain

Do black ducks and wood ducks habituate to aircraft disturbance?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conomy, J.T.; Dubovsky, J.A.; Collazo, J.A.; Fleming, W.J.

1998-01-01

Requests to increase military aircraft activity in some training facilities in the United States have raised the need to determine if waterfowl and other wildlife are adversely affected by aircraft disturbance. We hypothesized that habituation was a possible proximate factor influencing the low proportion of free-ranging ducks reacting to military aircraft activities in a training range in coastal North Carolina during winters 1991 and 1992. To test this hypothesis, we subjected captive, wild-strain American black ducks (Anas rubripes) and wood ducks (Aix sponsa) to actual and simulated activities of jet aircraft. In the first experiment, we placed black ducks in an enclosure near the center of aircraft activities on Piney Island, a military aircraft target range in coastal North Carolina. The proportion of times black ducks reacted (e.g., alert posture, fleeing response) to visual and auditory aircraft activity decreased from 38 to 6% during the first 17 days of confinement. Response rates remained stable at 5.8% thereafter. In the second experiment, black ducks and wood ducks were exposed to 6 different recordings of jet noise. The proportion of times black ducks reacted to noise decreased (P 0.05) in time-activity budgets of black ducks between pre-exposure to noise and 24 hr after first exposure. Unlike black ducks, wood duck responses to jet noise did not decrease uniformly among experimental groups following initial exposure to noise (P = 0.01). We conclude that initial exposure to aircraft noise elicits behavioral responses from black ducks and wood ducks. With continued exposure of aircraft noise, black ducks may become habituated. However, wood ducks did not exhibit the same pattern of response, suggesting that the ability of waterfowl to habituate to aircraft noise may be species specific.

Cardiovascular and cortisol reactivity and habituation to a virtual reality version of the Trier Social Stress Test: a pilot study.

PubMed

Jönsson, Peter; Wallergård, Mattias; Osterberg, Kai; Hansen, Ase Marie; Johansson, Gerd; Karlson, Björn

2010-10-01

The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a widely used protocol to induce stress in laboratory settings. Briefly, in the TSST, the test participant is asked to hold a speech and to do an arithmetic task in front of an audience. In the present pilot study, we examined endocrine and autonomic reactivity and habituation to repeated stress provocations using a virtual reality (VR) version of TSST. The VR system was a CAVE™ system with three rear projected walls (4 m×3 m), and one floor projection. The system also included a head tracking system and passive stereoscopy. The virtual audience consisted of one woman, and two men. Ten healthy men, mean age 28.3 years (24-38 years), were confronted with the test twice (1 week between sessions), during which salivary cortisol, heart rate (HR), high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV, parasympathetic activity), and T-wave amplitude (TWA, suggested to be related to sympathetic influence on myocardial performance) were assessed. Cortisol secretion showed a marked increase (88% vs. baseline) during the first stress provocation, but habituated in the second session. The magnitude of HR and TWA reactivity during stress provocation was approximately the same at both sessions, implying a stable increase in sympathetic activity. Heart rate showed a maximum increase of 40% at the first session, and 32% at the second. TWA showed a maximum decrease of 42% at the first session, and 39% at the second. The results resemble those obtained in prior studies using the real-life TSST. If these results can be replicated with larger samples, VR technology may be used as a simple and standardized tool for social stress induction in experimental settings. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neural correlates for the suppression of habitual behavior: a functional MRI study.

PubMed

Matsubara, Miwa; Yamaguchi, Shuhei; Xu, Jiang; Kobayashi, Shotai

2004-01-01

It has been suggested that inhibitory executive control of behavior is directed by the frontal lobes. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the brain regions that are involved in the inhibition of habitual manual responses. Fifteen right-handed subjects performed the rock-scissors-paper game against computer-simulated pictures of hands during the scanning procedure. The subjects were required to win, lose, or draw against the presented picture in a separate block. We considered that the situation in which subjects intentionally lost the game required the suppression of habitual behavior, because it is natural behavior for people to attempt to win the game. Compared with the WIN and DRAW conditions, the left premotor and sensorimotor areas were activated for both hand sessions with a positive correlation with error rates. Importantly, the LOSE condition in the case of the right hand yielded brain activation exclusively in the anterior part of the left inferior frontal gyrus, the activity which showed a negative correlation with error rates. Overall brain activations were predominant in the left hemisphere, irrespective of the hand used for the response. The results suggest that the anterior part of the left inferior frontal gyrus plays a critical role in the inhibition of habitual manual behavior, and that the left hemisphere is dominant for the selection of well-learned manual behavior.

Men on the Move: A Pilot Program to Increase Physical Activity among African American Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, Derek M.; Allen, Julie Ober; Johnson-Lawrence, Vicki; Langford, Aisha

2014-01-01

Despite the important contribution increasing physical activity levels may play in reducing chronic disease morbidity and mortality, there is a paucity of interventions and research indicating how to improve physical activity levels in African American men. "Men on the Move" was a pilot study to increase African American men's levels of…

Correlates of habitual physical activity and organized sports in German primary school children.

PubMed

Kobel, S; Kettner, S; Kesztyüs, D; Erkelenz, N; Drenowatz, C; Steinacker, J M

2015-03-01

The increased prevalence of childhood obesity has also been attributed to low physical activity (PA) levels. Understanding factors affecting child PA levels is especially important considering the benefits PA offers to youth. This study therefore examined different correlates affecting habitual PA and sports participation in primary school children. Height and weight were measured during a school visit in 1714 children (7.1 ± .6 years). PA and behavioural correlates were assessed by parental questionnaire. The effect of various correlates on PA as well as participation in organized sports was assessed using logistic regression analysis. Significant correlates of PA and sports participation were engagement in sporting activities outside of clubs and children's weight status. Playing outdoors for more than 60 min/day was significant for PA, having well educated parents and being male. Participation in sports was influenced by children's media consumption, active travel to school and having active parents. No influence was found for migration, income, parental weight status and health consciousness. In this study, a multiplicity of independent correlates of PA and sports participation, which require a broad approach to promote an active lifestyle, have been considered. Understanding these factors might support the development of effective health-promoting interventions. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Habitual chocolate consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease among healthy men and women.

PubMed

Kwok, Chun Shing; Boekholdt, S Matthijs; Lentjes, Marleen A H; Loke, Yoon K; Luben, Robert N; Yeong, Jessica K; Wareham, Nicholas J; Myint, Phyo K; Khaw, Kay-Tee

2015-08-01

To examine the association between chocolate intake and the risk of future cardiovascular events. We conducted a prospective study using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk cohort. Habitual chocolate intake was quantified using the baseline food frequency questionnaire (1993-1997) and cardiovascular end points were ascertained up to March 2008. A systematic review was performed to evaluate chocolate consumption and cardiovascular outcomes. A total of 20,951 men and women were included in EPIC-Norfolk analysis (mean follow-up 11.3±2.8 years, median 11.9 years). The percentage of participants with coronary heart disease (CHD) in the highest and lowest quintile of chocolate consumption was 9.7% and 13.8%, and the respective rates for stroke were 3.1% and 5.4%. The multivariate-adjusted HR for CHD was 0.88 (95% CI 0.77 to 1.01) for those in the top quintile of chocolate consumption (16-99 g/day) versus non-consumers of chocolate intake. The corresponding HR for stroke and cardiovascular disease (cardiovascular disease defined by the sum of CHD and stroke) were 0.77 (95% CI 0.62 to 0.97) and 0.86 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.97). The propensity score matched estimates showed a similar trend. A total of nine studies with 157,809 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Higher compared to lower chocolate consumption was associated with significantly lower CHD risk (five studies; pooled RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.92), stroke (five studies; pooled RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.87), composite cardiovascular adverse outcome (two studies; pooled RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.54 to 1.05), and cardiovascular mortality (three studies; pooled RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.83). Cumulative evidence suggests that higher chocolate intake is associated with a lower risk of future cardiovascular events, although residual confounding cannot be excluded. There does not appear to be any evidence to say that chocolate should be avoided in those who are concerned about

Determining the amount of physical activity needed for long-term weight control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wier, L. T.; Ayers, G. W.; Jackson, A. S.; Rossum, A. C.; Poston, W. S.; Foreyt, J. P.

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate prospectively the influence of habitual physical activity on body weight of men and women and to develop a model that defines the role of physical activity on longitudinal weight change. DESIGN AND SETTING: Occupational cohort study conducted for a mean of 5.5 y. SUBJECTS: A total of 496 (341 male and 155 female) NASA/Johnson Space Center employees who completed the 3 month education component of the employee health-related fitness program and remained involved for a minimum of 2 y. MEASUREMENTS: Body weights were measured at baseline (T1) and follow-up (T2), and habitual physical activity was obtained from the mean of multiple ratings of the 11-point (0-10) NASA Activity Scale (NAS) recorded quarterly between T1 and T2. Other measures included age, gender, VO(2 max) obtained from maximal treadmill testing, body mass index (BMI), and body fat percentage. RESULTS: Multiple regression demonstrated that mean NAS, T1 weight, aging and gender all influence long-term T2 weight. T1 age was significant for the men only. Independently, each increase in mean NAS significantly (P<0.01) reduced T2 weight in men (b=-0.91 kg; 95% CI:-1.4 to-0.42 kg) and women (b=-2.14 kg; 95% CI:-2.93 to-1.35 kg). Mean NAS had a greater effect on T2 weight as T1 weight increased, and the relationship was dose-dependent. CONCLUSIONS: Habitual physical activity is a significant source of long-term weight change. The use of self-reported activity level is helpful in predicting long-term weight changes and may be used by health care professionals when counseling patients about the value of physical activity for weight control.

From episodic to habitual prospective memory: ERP-evidence for a linear transition

PubMed Central

Meier, Beat; Matter, Sibylle; Baumann, Brigitta; Walter, Stefan; Koenig, Thomas

2014-01-01

Performing a prospective memory task repeatedly changes the nature of the task from episodic to habitual. The goal of the present study was to investigate the neural basis of this transition. In two experiments, we contrasted event-related potentials (ERPs) evoked by correct responses to prospective memory targets in the first, more episodic part of the experiment with those of the second, more habitual part of the experiment. Specifically, we tested whether the early, middle, or late ERP-components, which are thought to reflect cue detection, retrieval of the intention, and post-retrieval processes, respectively, would be changed by routinely performing the prospective memory task. The results showed a differential ERP effect in the middle time window (450–650 ms post-stimulus). Source localization using low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis suggests that the transition was accompanied by an increase of activation in the posterior parietal and occipital cortex. These findings indicate that habitual prospective memory involves retrieval processes guided more strongly by parietal brain structures. In brief, the study demonstrates that episodic and habitual prospective memory tasks recruit different brain areas. PMID:25071519

Ecotourism and primate habituation: Behavioral variation in two groups of white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) from Costa Rica.

PubMed

Webb, Shasta E; McCoy, Michael B

2014-09-01

The increase of ecotourism operations within Costa Rica during the last 20 yrs has brought more and more humans into close, direct contact with several wildlife species. One of these species is the white-faced capuchin (Cebus capucinos), highly gregarious, and with exposure over time, willing to come into close vicinity of humans and their developments. Such contact has its advantages and disadvantages for the ecotourism industry. We observed white-faced monkeys in order to assess the impact of human presence and development on monkey behavior, with a focus on aggressive, affiliative, and foraging behaviors in Curú Wildlife Refuge (CWR), located in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, and to ascertain the degree of over-habituation of capuchin popula- tions at CWR. Though there exists no discrete behavioral parameters that measure over-habituation, it can be defined as an extreme state of habituation in which non-human primates not only lose fear of humans, but also actively include humans in social interactions or treat them as a food resource. We used instantaneous focal animal and group scan sampling during 8 wks in March and April 2012. Two groups (approximately 20-30 individuals each) of capuchins were observed; the first near the tourist development at the Southwestern area of CWR, representing a habituated population that regularly foraged, rested, and groomed in the presence of humans. The second, was observed in the Northeastern area of CWR, did not visit the center of human activity and exhibited fear of humans. The habituated group exhibited significantly fewer instances of threatened behavior in response to human presence (p < 0.0001) than the non-habituated group, and spent significantly more time eating and foraging (p < 0.0001). While the habituated monkeys at CWR may not be over-habituated, they could become that way as development, especially ecotourism, increases. Over-habituation is a problem that affects capuchins in certain ecotourism sites in Costa Rica

Habitual emotion regulation strategies and depressive symptoms in healthy subjects predict fMRI brain activation patterns related to major depression.

PubMed

Abler, Birgit; Hofer, Christian; Walter, Henrik; Erk, Susanne; Hoffmann, Holger; Traue, Harald C; Kessler, Henrik

2010-08-30

The response-focused emotion regulation style 'Expressive suppression' has been associated with symptoms of lower psychological well-being and increased function magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) activation of the sublenticular extended amygdala (SLEA) in patients with major depression. Extending prior studies on active emotion regulation, we were interested in effects of habitual emotion regulation on neurobiology. Thirty subjects with either relatively high or low suppression scores as assessed with the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire without symptoms of clinical depression participated in the study. They were instructed to expect and then perceive emotionally unpleasant, pleasant or neutral stimuli selected from the International Affective Picture System that were announced by a congruent cue during fMRI. In the subjects with high suppression scores, decreased activation of the orbital medial prefrontal cortex (oMFC) when expecting negative pictures and increased activation of the SLEA upon presentation of neutral stimuli were found. Subclinical depression ratings independently of suppression scores in the healthy subjects were positively correlated with brain activation in the SLEA when expecting negative pictures. SLEA hyperactivity may represent an emotional responsivity that involves less successful habitual emotion regulation and a tendency to depressed mood in healthy subjects, as shown in patients with major depression. Decreased anticipatory oMFC activation may parallel a lack of antecedent emotion regulation in subjects with high suppression scores, representing another neurobiological predictor of lower mental well-being. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Striatal fast-spiking interneurons selectively modulate circuit output and are required for habitual behavior

PubMed Central

O'Hare, Justin K; Li, Haofang; Kim, Namsoo; Gaidis, Erin; Ade, Kristen; Beck, Jeff; Yin, Henry

2017-01-01

Habit formation is a behavioral adaptation that automates routine actions. Habitual behavior correlates with broad reconfigurations of dorsolateral striatal (DLS) circuit properties that increase gain and shift pathway timing. The mechanism(s) for these circuit adaptations are unknown and could be responsible for habitual behavior. Here we find that a single class of interneuron, fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs), modulates all of these habit-predictive properties. Consistent with a role in habits, FSIs are more excitable in habitual mice compared to goal-directed and acute chemogenetic inhibition of FSIs in DLS prevents the expression of habitual lever pressing. In vivo recordings further reveal a previously unappreciated selective modulation of SPNs based on their firing patterns; FSIs inhibit most SPNs but paradoxically promote the activity of a subset displaying high fractions of gamma-frequency spiking. These results establish a microcircuit mechanism for habits and provide a new example of how interneurons mediate experience-dependent behavior. PMID:28871960

Serotonin delays habituation of leech swim response to touch.

PubMed

Alkatout, Bilal A; Marvin, Nicole M; Crisp, Kevin M

2007-08-22

Serotonin, acting through a cAMP-signaling pathway, delayed habituation to criterion of the leech's swim response to touch. This delay was reversed by crushing the connective between serotonin-exposed and serotonin-naive ganglia, and correlated with an increase in spontaneous impulse activity in this connective. We suggest that increased activity in intersegmental interneurons may play a role in maintaining swim responsiveness when concentrations of serotonin are elevated.

Evaluation of Myoelectric Activity of Paraspinal Muscles in Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis during Habitual Standing and Sitting.

PubMed

Kwok, Garcia; Yip, Joanne; Cheung, Mei-Chun; Yick, Kit-Lun

2015-01-01

There is a number of research work in the literature that have applied sEMG biofeedback as an instrument for muscle rehabilitation. Therefore, sEMG is a good tool for this research work and is used to record the myoelectric activity in the paraspinal muscles of those with AIS during habitual standing and sitting. After the sEMG evaluation, the root-mean-square (RMS) sEMG values of the paraspinal muscles in the habitual postures reflect the spinal curvature situation of the PUMC Type Ia and IIc subjects. Both groups have a stronger average RMS sEMG value on the convex side of the affected muscle regions. Correction to posture as instructed by the physiotherapist has helped the subjects to achieve a more balanced RMS sEMG ratio in the trapezius and latissimus dorsi regions; the erector spinae in the thoracic region and/or erector spinae in the lumbar region. It is, therefore, considered that with regular practice of the suggested positions, those with AIS can use motor learning to achieve a more balanced posture. Consequently, the findings can be used in less intrusive early orthotic intervention and provision of care to those with AIS.

Statins and physical activity in older men: the osteoporotic fractures in men study.

PubMed

Lee, David S H; Markwardt, Sheila; Goeres, Leah; Lee, Christine G; Eckstrom, Elizabeth; Williams, Craig; Fu, Rongwei; Orwoll, Eric; Cawthon, Peggy M; Stefanick, Marcia L; Mackey, Dawn; Bauer, Douglas C; Nielson, Carrie M

2014-08-01

Muscle pain, fatigue, and weakness are common adverse effects of statin medications and may decrease physical activity in older men. To determine whether statin use is associated with physical activity, longitudinally and cross-sectionally. Men participating in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (N = 5994), a multicenter prospective cohort study of community-living men 65 years and older, enrolled between March 2000 and April 2002. Follow-up was conducted through 2009. Statin use as determined by an inventory of medications (taken within the last 30 days). In cross-sectional analyses (n = 4137), statin use categories were users and nonusers. In longitudinal analyses (n = 3039), categories were prevalent users (baseline use and throughout the study), new users (initiated use during the study), and nonusers (never used). Self-reported physical activity at baseline and 2 follow-up visits using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE). At the third visit, an accelerometer measured metabolic equivalents (METs [kilocalories per kilogram per hour]) and minutes of moderate activity (METs ≥3.0), vigorous activity (METs ≥6.0), and sedentary behavior (METs ≤1.5). At baseline, 989 men (24%) were users and 3148 (76%) were nonusers. The adjusted difference in baseline PASE between users and nonusers was -5.8 points (95% CI, -10.9 to -0.7 points). A total of 3039 men met the inclusion criteria for longitudinal analysis: 727 (24%) prevalent users, 845 (28%) new users, and 1467 (48%) nonusers. PASE score declined by a mean (95% CI) of 2.5 (2.0 to 3.0) points per year for nonusers and 2.8 (2.1 to 3.5) points per year for prevalent users, a nonstatistical difference (0.3 [-0.5 to 1.0] points). For new users, annual PASE score declined at a faster rate than nonusers (difference of 0.9 [95% CI, 0.1 to 1.7] points). A total of 3071 men had adequate accelerometry data, 1542 (50%) were statin users. Statin users expended less METs (0.03 [95% CI, 0.02-0.04] METs less

Pre-cancer risk assessment in habitual smokers from DIC images of oral exfoliative cells using active contour and SVM analysis.

PubMed

Dey, Susmita; Sarkar, Ripon; Chatterjee, Kabita; Datta, Pallab; Barui, Ananya; Maity, Santi P

2017-04-01

Habitual smokers are known to be at higher risk for developing oral cancer, which is increasing at an alarming rate globally. Conventionally, oral cancer is associated with high mortality rates, although recent reports show the improved survival outcomes by early diagnosis of disease. An effective prediction system which will enable to identify the probability of cancer development amongst the habitual smokers, is thus expected to benefit sizable number of populations. Present work describes a non-invasive, integrated method for early detection of cellular abnormalities based on analysis of different cyto-morphological features of exfoliative oral epithelial cells. Differential interference contrast (DIC) microscopy provides a potential optical tool as this mode provides a pseudo three dimensional (3-D) image with detailed morphological and textural features obtained from noninvasive, label free epithelial cells. For segmentation of DIC images, gradient vector flow snake model active contour process has been adopted. To evaluate cellular abnormalities amongst habitual smokers, the selected morphological and textural features of epithelial cells are compared with the non-smoker (-ve control group) group and clinically diagnosed pre-cancer patients (+ve control group) using support vector machine (SVM) classifier. Accuracy of the developed SVM based classification has been found to be 86% with 80% sensitivity and 89% specificity in classifying the features from the volunteers having smoking habit. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of recreational activity and muscle strength on ulnar bending stiffness in men

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Myburgh, K. H.; Charette, S.; Zhou, L.; Steele, C. R.; Arnaud, S.; Marcus, R.

1993-01-01

Bone bending stiffness (modulus of elasticity [E] x moment of inertia [I]), a measure of bone strength, is related to its mineral content (BMC) and geometry and may be influenced by exercise. We evaluated the relationship of habitual recreational exercise and muscle strength to ulnar EI, width, and BMC in 51 healthy men, 28-61 yr of age. BMC and width were measured by single photon absorptiometry and EI by mechanical resistance tissue analysis. Maximum biceps strength was determined dynamically (1-RM) and grip strength isometrically. Subjects were classified as sedentary (S) (N = 13), moderately (M) (N = 18), or highly active (H) (N = 20) and exercised 0.2 +/- 0.2; 2.2 +/- 1.3; and 6.8 +/- 2.3 h.wk-1 (P < 0.001). H had greater biceps (P < 0.0005) and grip strength (P < 0.05), ulnar BMC (P < 0.05), and ulnar EI (P = 0.01) than M or S, who were similar. Amount of activity correlated with grip and biceps strength (r = 0.47 and 0.49; P < 0.001), but not with bone measurements, whereas muscle strength correlated with both EI and BMC (r = 0.40-0.52, P < 0.005). EI also correlated significantly with both BMC and ulnar width (P < 0.0001). Ulnar width and biceps strength were the only independent predictors of EI (r2 = 0.67, P < 0.0001). We conclude that levels of physical activity sufficient to increase arm strength influence ulnar bending stiffness.

Physical activity benefits bone density and bone-related hormones in adult men with cervical spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Chain, Amina; Koury, Josely C; Bezerra, Flávia Fioruci

2012-09-01

Severe bone loss is a recognized complication of chronic spinal cord injury (SCI). Physical exercise contributes to bone health; however, its influence on bone mass of cervical SCI individuals has not been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of physical activity on bone mass, bone metabolism, and vitamin D status in quadriplegics. Total, lumbar spine (L1-L4), femur and radius bone mineral density (BMD) were assessed in active (n = 15) and sedentary (n = 10) quadriplegic men by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], PTH, IGF1, osteocalcin and NTx were measured in serum. After adjustments for duration of injury, total body mass, and habitual calcium intake, bone indices were similar between groups, except for L1-L4 BMD Z score that was higher in the sedentary group (P < 0.05). Hours of physical exercise per week correlated positively with 25(OH)D (r = 0.59; P < 0.05) and negatively with PTH (r = -0.50; P < 0.05). Femur BMD was negatively associated with the number of months elapsed between the injury and the onset of physical activity (r = -0.60; P < 0.05). Moreover, in the active subjects, both L1-L4 BMD Z score (r = 0.72; P < 0.01) and radius BMD (r = 0.59; P < 0.05) were positively associated with calcium intake. In this cross-sectional study, both the onset of physical activity after injury and the number of hours dedicated to exercise were able to influence bone density and bone-related hormones in quadriplegic men. Our results also suggest a positive combined effect of exercise and calcium intake on bone health of quadriplegic individuals.

Long-Term Habituation of the C-Start Escape Response in Zebrafish Larvae

PubMed Central

Roberts, Adam C.; Pearce, Kaycey C.; Choe, Ronny C.; Alzagatiti, Joseph B.; Yeung, Anthony K.; Bill, Brent R.; Glanzman, David L.

2016-01-01

The cellular and molecular basis of long-term memory in vertebrates remains poorly understood. Knowledge regarding long-term memory has been impeded by the enormous complexity of the vertebrate brain, particularly the mammalian brain, as well as by the relative complexity of the behavioral alterations examined in most studies of long-term memory in vertebrates. Here, we demonstrate a long-term form of nonassociative learning—specifically, long-term habituation (LTH)—of a simple reflexive escape response, the C-start, in zebrafish larvae. The C-start is triggered by the activation of one of a pair of giant neurons in the zebrafish’s hindbrain, the Mauthner cells. We show that LTH of the C-start requires the activity of NMDA receptors and involves macromolecular synthesis. We further show that the long-term habituated reflex can by rapidly dishabituated by a brief tactile stimulus. Our results set the stage for rigorous, mechanistic investigations of the long-term memory for habituation of a reflexive behavioral response, one that is mediated by a relatively simple, neurobiologically tractable, neural circuit. Moreover, the demonstration of NMDAR and transcriptionally dependent LTH in a translucent vertebrate organism should facilitate the use of optical recording, and optogenetic manipulation, of neuronal activity to elucidate the cellular basis of a long-term vertebrate memory. PMID:27555232

A complex mTOR response in habituation paradigms for a social signal in adult songbirds.

PubMed

Ahmadiantehrani, Somayeh; Gores, Elisa O; London, Sarah E

2018-06-01

Nonassociative learning is considered simple because it depends on presentation of a single stimulus, but it likely reflects complex molecular signaling. To advance understanding of the molecular mechanisms of one form of nonassociative learning, habituation, for ethologically relevant signals we examined song recognition learning in adult zebra finches. These colonial songbirds learn the unique song of individuals, which helps establish and maintain mate and other social bonds, and informs appropriate behavioral interactions with specific birds. We leveraged prior work demonstrating behavioral habituation for individual songs, and extended the molecular framework correlated with this behavior by investigating the mechanistic Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) signaling cascade. We hypothesized that mTOR may contribute to habituation because it integrates a variety of upstream signals and enhances associative learning, and it crosstalks with another cascade previously associated with habituation, ERK/ZENK. To begin probing for a possible role for mTOR in song recognition learning, we used a combination of song playback paradigms and bidirectional dysregulation of mTORC1 activation. We found that mTOR demonstrates the molecular signatures of a habituation mechanism, and that its manipulation reveals the complexity of processes that may be invoked during nonassociative learning. These results thus expand the molecular targets for habituation studies and raise new questions about neural processing of complex natural signals. © 2018 Ahmadiantehrani et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

8 CFR 204.303 - Determination of habitual residence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Determination of habitual residence. 204.303 Section 204.303 Aliens and Nationality DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY IMMIGRATION REGULATIONS IMMIGRANT PETITIONS Intercountry Adoption of a Convention Adoptee § 204.303 Determination of habitual...

Comparison of two physical activity questionnaires in obese subjects: the NUGENOB study.

PubMed

Tehard, Bertrand; Saris, Wim H M; Astrup, Arne; Martinez, J Alfredo; Taylor, Moira A; Barbe, Pierre; Richterova, Blanka; Guy-Grand, Bernard; Sørensen, Thorkild I A; Oppert, Jean-Michel

2005-09-01

Simple instruments are needed to assess habitual physical activity (PA) in obese subjects. In a multicenter European obesity project, we tested whether PA assessments by two questionnaires were correlated and similarly associated to selected obesity-related variables. A total of 757 obese subjects (75% female; age 37.1 [7.9] yr, BMI 35.5 [4.9] kg.m(-2), mean [SD]) completed the Baecke questionnaire (assessing work, sport, and nonsport leisure activity) and the short last 7-d version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ; assessing vigorous, moderate-intensity, walking activity, and sitting). We assessed percent body fat (bioimpedance), waist circumference, and fasting plasma concentrations of glucose, insulin, leptin, and FFA. Insulin sensitivity was assessed by the HOMA index for insulin resistance (HOMAIR). Using the IPAQ, only about one third of men and women were classified as insufficiently active. Total habitual PA assessments by the Baecke and IPAQ were significantly related (Spearman rho = 0.51 in total sample, P < or = 0.0001, with adjustment for age, gender, and center). Using principal component analysis, we built two uncorrelated indices corresponding to general obesity (determined by high body fat and leptin) and abdominal obesity (determined by high waist circumference and HOMAIR). PA scores from both questionnaires were negatively related to general and abdominal obesity indices, except for abdominal obesity with the IPAQ in men. Total PA assessments by the two questionnaires were found to correlate significantly, and the general pattern of associations of PA with general obesity was similar for the two questionnaires. However, the IPAQ may capture less of the relationships between PA and abdominal obesity than the Baecke, especially in men. Reporting of habitual PA in obese subjects with the IPAQ warrants further evaluation against objective assessment methods.

No Compromise of Competition Sleep Compared With Habitual Sleep in Elite Australian Footballers.

PubMed

Lalor, Benita J; Halson, Shona L; Tran, Jacqueline; Kemp, Justin G; Cormack, Stuart J

2018-01-01

To assess the impact of match-start time and days relative to match compared with the habitual sleep characteristics of elite Australian Football (AF) players. 45 elite male AF players were assessed during the preseason (habitual) and across 4 home matches during the season. Players wore an activity monitor the night before (-1), night of (0), 1 night after (+1), and 2 nights (+2) after each match and completed a self-reported rating of sleep quality. A 2-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc was used to determine differences in sleep characteristics between match-start times and days relative to the match. Two-way nested ANOVA was conducted to examine differences between competition and habitual phases. Effect size ± 90% confidence interval (ES ± 90% CI) was calculated to quantify the magnitude of pairwise differences. Differences observed in sleep-onset latency (ES = 0.11 ± 0.16), sleep rating (ES = 0.08 ± 0.14), and sleep duration (ES = 0.08 ± 0.01) between competition and habitual periods were trivial. Sleep efficiency was almost certainly higher during competition than habitual, but this was not reflected in the subjective rating of sleep quality. Elite AF competition does not cause substantial disruption to sleep characteristics compared with habitual sleep. While match-start time has some impact on sleep variables, it appears that the match itself is more of a disruption than the start time. Subjective ratings of sleep from well-being questionnaires appear limited in their ability to accurately provide an indication of sleep quality.

Sex difference in the association between habitual daytime napping and prevalence of diabetes: a population-based study.

PubMed

Sun, Kan; Li, Feng; Qi, Yiqin; Lin, Diaozhu; Ren, Meng; Xu, Mingtong; Li, Fangping; Li, Yan; Yan, Li

2016-05-01

Our objective was to evaluate the associations between habitual daytime napping and diabetes and whether it varies by sex, menopause, and sleep quality. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in 8621 eligible individuals aged 40 years or older. Information on daytime napping hours, night-time sleep duration, history of menstruation, and sleep quality was self-reported. Diabetes was diagnosed according to the 1999 World Health Organization diagnostic criteria. The prevalence of diabetes was 19.4 % in men and 15.6 % in women. Increased daytime napping hours were positively associated with parameters of glycometabolism in women, such as fasting plasma glucose, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) 2-h plasma glucose, and Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c, all P for trend <0.05). In women, the prevalence of diabetes in no-habitual daytime napping group, 0-1-h daytime napping group, and more than 1-h daytime napping group were 14.5, 15.6, and 20.8 %, respectively (P for trend = 0.0004). A similar trend was detected in postmenopausal women (P for trend = 0.002). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, compared with no-habitual daytime napping postmenopausal women, those with daytime napping more than 1 h had higher prevalent diabetes (odds ratios 1.36, 95 % confidence interval, 1.04-1.77). In subgroup analysis of postmenopausal women, associations of daytime napping levels and prevalent diabetes were detected in older, overweight participants with good sleep quality who have not retired from work. In conclusion, our study suggests that habitual daytime napping is associated with prevalence of diabetes in postmenopausal women.

Effects of Habitual Physical Activity and Fitness on Tibial Cortical Bone Mass, Structure and Mass Distribution in Pre-pubertal Boys and Girls: The Look Study.

PubMed

Duckham, Rachel L; Rantalainen, Timo; Ducher, Gaele; Hill, Briony; Telford, Richard D; Telford, Rohan M; Daly, Robin M

2016-07-01

Targeted weight-bearing activities during the pre-pubertal years can improve cortical bone mass, structure and distribution, but less is known about the influence of habitual physical activity (PA) and fitness. This study examined the effects of contrasting habitual PA and fitness levels on cortical bone density, geometry and mass distribution in pre-pubertal children. Boys (n = 241) and girls (n = 245) aged 7-9 years had a pQCT scan to measure tibial mid-shaft total, cortical and medullary area, cortical thickness, density, polar strength strain index (SSIpolar) and the mass/density distribution through the bone cortex (radial distribution divided into endo-, mid- and pericortical regions) and around the centre of mass (polar distribution). Four contrasting PA and fitness groups (inactive-unfit, inactive-fit, active-unfit, active-fit) were generated based on daily step counts (pedometer, 7-days) and fitness levels (20-m shuttle test and vertical jump) for boys and girls separately. Active-fit boys had 7.3-7.7 % greater cortical area and thickness compared to inactive-unfit boys (P < 0.05), which was largely due to a 6.4-7.8 % (P < 0.05) greater cortical mass in the posterior-lateral, medial and posterior-medial 66 % tibial regions. Cortical area was not significantly different across PA-fitness categories in girls, but active-fit girls had 6.1 % (P < 0.05) greater SSIpolar compared to inactive-fit girls, which was likely due to their 6.7 % (P < 0.05) greater total bone area. There was also a small region-specific cortical mass benefit in the posterior-medial 66 % tibia cortex in active-fit girls. Higher levels of habitual PA-fitness were associated with small regional-specific gains in 66 % tibial cortical bone mass in pre-pubertal children, particularly boys.

In healthy elderly postmenopausal women variations in BMD and BMC at various skeletal sites are associated with differences in weight and lean body mass rather than by variations in habitual physical activity, strength or VO2max.

PubMed

Schöffl, I; Kemmler, W; Kladny, B; Vonstengel, S; Kalender, W A; Engelke, K

2008-01-01

The objective of this study was an integrated cross-sectional investigation for answering the question whether differences in bone mineral density in elderly postmenopausal women are associated with differences in habitual physical activity and unspecific exercise levels. Two hundred and ninety nine elderly women (69-/+3 years), without diseases or medication affecting bone metabolism were investigated. The influence of weight, body composition and physical activity on BMD was measured at multiple sites using different techniques (DXA, QCT, and QUS). Physical activity and exercise level were assessed by questionnaire, maximum strength of the legs and aerobic capacity. Variations in physical activity or habitual exercise had no effect on bone. The only significant univariate relation between strength/VO(2)max and BMD/BMC that remained after adjusting for confounding variables was between arm BMD (DXA) and hand-grip strength. The most important variable for explaining BMD was weight and for cortical BMC of the femur (QCT) lean body mass. Weight and lean body mass emerge as predominant predictors of BMD in normal elderly women, whereas the isolated effect of habitual physical activity, unspecific exercise participation, and muscle strength on bone parameters is negligible. Thus, an increase in the amount of habitual physical activity will probably have no beneficial impact on bone.

Self-reported exposure to traffic pollution in relation to daytime sleepiness and habitual snoring: a questionnaire study in seven North-European cities.

PubMed

Gislason, Thorarinn; Bertelsen, Randi J; Real, Francisco Gomez; Sigsgaard, Torben; Franklin, Karl A; Lindberg, Eva; Janson, Christer; Arnardottir, Erna Sif; Hellgren, Johan; Benediktsdottir, Bryndis; Forsberg, Bertil; Johannessen, Ane

2016-08-01

Little is known about associations between traffic exposure and sleep disturbances. We examined if self-reported exposure to traffic is associated with habitual snoring and daytime sleepiness in a general population. In the RHINE III study, 12184 adults answered questions on sleep disturbances and traffic exposure. We analysed bedrooms near roads with traffic, bedrooms with traffic noise, and travelling regularly along busy roads as proxies for traffic exposures, using logistic regression. Adjustment factors were study centre, gender, age, smoking habits, educational level, body mass index, physical activity, obstructive sleep apnoea, and sleep duration. One in ten lived near a busy road, 6% slept in a bedroom with traffic noise, and 11% travelled regularly along busy roads. Habitual snoring affected 25% and daytime sleepiness 21%. More men reported snoring and more women reported daytime sleepiness. Having a bedroom with traffic noise was associated with snoring (adjusted OR 1.29, [95% CI 1.12, 1.48]). For daytime sleepiness, on the other hand, bedroom with traffic noise and high exposure to traffic pollution have significant risk factors (adjusted ORs 1.46 [1.11, 1.92] and 1.65 [1.11, 2.45]). Results were consistent across study centres. Daytime sleepiness is associated with traffic pollution and traffic noise, while habitual snoring is only associated with traffic noise. Self-reported traffic exposure should be taken into account when diagnosing and planning treatment for patients with sleep disturbances, because reducing noise and pollution exposure in the bedroom may have a beneficial effect. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Habituation of Sleep to Road Traffic Noise as Determined by Polysomnography and AN Accelerometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

KAWADA, T.; XIN, P.; KUROIWA, M.; SASAZAWA, Y.; SUZUKI, S.; TAMURA, Y.

2001-04-01

The habituation of human sleep to a noisy environment was investigated by polysomnography (PSG), a wrist activity device (Actiwatch®), subjective evaluation and a performance test on the following morning. Eleven young male students slept for 17 nights in a sleep laboratory. PSG on the first, fourth, fifth, ninth, 14th, and 17th nights was judged visually. Four of the subjects were continuously monitored by the wrist activity device. From the fifth to 14th nights, there was exposure to road traffic noise all-night long, and consecutive experiments were conducted from the fifth to 17th nights. Agreement of sleep/wake assessment for Actiwatch®and PSG was 88·4%, on average, based on the data for 24 nights. Pearson's correlation coefficient of TST for Actiwatch®and sleep PSG was 0·848. Habituation to noise by wrist movement, sleep latency by PSG, and activity of mental muscles was not recognized. The association between wrist activity and mental muscle activity was significant for three subjects out of four (r=0·56, 0·81, 0·71, respectively). Percentages of positive wrist movement in each sleep stage, such as the 3+4 stages, REM stage and stage MT, were compared with those in other stages. Wrist activity in Stage REM was significantly more frequent than that in other stages for the three subjects. Wrist movement in Stage MT was significantly more frequent than in other stages for the three subjects. REM latency, REM cycle, and five factors of subjective sleep, from the Oguri-Shirakawa-Azumi questionnaire (SQ), showed significant differences by analysis of variance for repeated measurements. When change from the 4th night was checked, sleepiness, worry, integrated sleep feeling and sleep initiation by SQ showed habituation of sleep to noise. Namely, sleep quality recovered to the level on a silent night by the fifth noisy night during the experiment. There is thus a habituation of sleep to noise when a subjective evaluation of sleep, such as the SQ, is used.

Interspeaker Variation in Habitual Speaking Rate: Additional Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsao, Ying-Chiao; Weismer, Gary; Iqbal, Kamran

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that talkers previously classified by Y.-C. Tsao and G. Weismer (1997) as habitually fast versus habitually slow would show differences in the way they manipulated articulation rate across the rate continuum. Method: Thirty talkers previously classified by Tsao and Weismer (1997)…

Habitual snoring in school-aged children: environmental and biological predictors.

PubMed

Li, Shenghui; Jin, Xinming; Yan, Chonghuai; Wu, Shenghu; Jiang, Fan; Shen, Xiaoming

2010-10-19

Habitual snoring, a prominent symptom of sleep-disordered breathing, is an important indicator for a number of health problems in children. Compared to adults, large epidemiological studies on childhood habitual snoring and associated predisposing factors are extremely scarce. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of habitual snoring among Chinese school-aged children. A random sample of 20,152 children aged 5.08 to 11.99 years old participated in a cross-sectional survey, which was conducted in eight cities of China. Parent-administrated questionnaires were used to collect information on children's snoring frequency and the possible correlates. The prevalence of habitual snoring was 12.0% (14.5% for boys vs. 9.5% for girls) in our sampled children. Following factors were associated with an increased risk for habitual snoring: lower family income (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.46), lower father's education (OR = 1.38 and 1.14 for middle school or under and high school of educational level, respectively), breastfeeding duration < 6 months (OR = 1.17), pregnancy maternal smoking (OR = 1.51), obesity (OR = 1.50), overweight (OR = 1.35), several respiratory problems associated with atopy and infection, such as chronic/allergic rhinitis (OR = 1.94), asthma (OR = 1.43), adenotonsillar hypertrophy (OR = 2.17), and chronic otitis media (OR = 1.31), and family history of habitual snoring (OR = 1.70). The prevalence of habitual snoring in Chinese children was similar to that observed in other countries. The potential predisposing factors covered socioeconomic characteristics, environmental exposures, chronic health problems, and family susceptibility. Compared to socioeconomic status and family susceptibility, environmental exposures and chronic health problems had greater impact, indicating childhood habitual snoring could be partly prevented by health promotion and environmental intervention.

Bonobo habituation in a forest-savanna mosaic habitat: influence of ape species, habitat type, and sociocultural context.

PubMed

Narat, Victor; Pennec, Flora; Simmen, Bruno; Ngawolo, Jean Christophe Bokika; Krief, Sabrina

2015-10-01

Habituation is the term used to describe acceptance by wild animals of a human observer as a neutral element in their environment. Among primates, the process takes from a few days for Galago spp. to several years for African apes. There are also intraspecies differences reflecting differences in habitat, home range, and ape-human relationship history. Here, we present the first study of the process of bonobo habituation in a fragmented habitat, a forest-savanna mosaic in the community-based conservation area led by the Congolese nongovernmental organization Mbou-Mon-Tour, Democratic Republic of the Congo. In this area, local people use the forest almost every day for traditional activities but avoid bonobos because of a traditional taboo. Because very few flight reactions were observed during habituation, we focused on quantitative parameters to assess the development of ape tolerance and of the tracking efficiency of observer teams. During the 18-month study period (May 2012-October 2013), 4043 h (319 days) were spent in the forest and bonobos were observed for a total of 405 h (196 contacts on 134 days). The average contact duration was stable over time (124 min), but the minimal distance during a contact decreased with habituation effort. Moreover, bonobo location and tracking efficiency, daily ratio of contact time to habituation effort, and the number of observations at ground level were positively correlated with habituation effort. Our observations suggest that bonobos become habituated relatively rapidly. These results are discussed in relation to the habitat type, ape species, and the local sociocultural context of villagers. The habituation process involves changes in ape behavior toward observers and also more complex interactions concerning the ecosystem, including the building of an efficient local team. Before starting a habituation process, knowledge of the human sociocultural context is essential to assess the balance between risks and benefits.

Amygdala habituation to emotional faces in adolescents with internalizing disorders, adolescents with childhood sexual abuse related PTSD and healthy adolescents.

PubMed

van den Bulk, Bianca G; Somerville, Leah H; van Hoof, Marie-José; van Lang, Natasja D J; van der Wee, Nic J A; Crone, Eveline A; Vermeiren, Robert R J M

2016-10-01

Adolescents with internalizing disorders and adolescents with childhood sexual abuse related post-traumatic stress disorder (CSA-related PTSD) show a large overlap in symptomatology. In addition, brain research indicated hyper-responsiveness and sustained activation instead of habituation of amygdala activation to emotional faces in both groups. Little is known, however, about whether the same patterns of amygdala habituation are present in these two groups. The current study examined habituation patterns of amygdala activity to emotional faces (fearful, happy and neutral) in adolescents with a DSM-IV depressive and/or anxiety disorder (N=25), adolescents with CSA-related PTSD (N=19) and healthy controls (N=26). Behaviourally, the adolescents from the internalizing and CSA-related PTSD group reported more anxiety to fearful and neutral faces than adolescents from the control group and adolescents from the CSA-related PTSD group reacted slower compared to the internalizing group. At the whole brain level, there was a significant interaction between time and group within the left amygdala. Follow-up ROI analysis showed elevated initial activity in the amygdala and rapid habituation in the CSA-related PTSD group compared to the internalizing group. These findings suggest that habituation patterns of amygdala activation provide additional information on problems with emotional face processing. Furthermore, the results suggest there are differences in the underlying neurobiological mechanisms related to emotional face processing for adolescents with internalizing disorders and adolescents with CSA-related PTSD. Possibly CSA-related PTSD is characterized by a stronger primary emotional response driven by the amygdala. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met genotype modulates amygdala habituation.

PubMed

Perez-Rodriguez, M Mercedes; New, Antonia S; Goldstein, Kim E; Rosell, Daniel; Yuan, Qiaoping; Zhou, Zhifeng; Hodgkinson, Colin; Goldman, David; Siever, Larry J; Hazlett, Erin A

2017-05-30

A deficit in amygdala habituation to repeated emotional stimuli may be an endophenotype of disorders characterized by emotion dysregulation, such as borderline personality disorder (BPD). Amygdala reactivity to emotional stimuli is genetically modulated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) variants. Whether amygdala habituation itself is also modulated by BDNF genotypes remains unknown. We used imaging-genetics to examine the effect of BDNF Val66Met genotypes on amygdala habituation to repeated emotional stimuli. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 57 subjects (19 BPD patients, 18 patients with schizotypal personality disorder [SPD] and 20 healthy controls [HC]) during a task involving viewing of unpleasant, neutral, and pleasant pictures, each presented twice to measure habituation. Amygdala responses across genotypes (Val66Met SNP Met allele-carriers vs. Non-Met carriers) and diagnoses (HC, BPD, SPD) were examined with ANOVA. The BDNF 66Met allele was significantly associated with a deficit in amygdala habituation, particularly for emotional pictures. The association of the 66Met allele with a deficit in habituation to unpleasant emotional pictures remained significant in the subsample of BPD patients. Using imaging-genetics, we found preliminary evidence that deficient amygdala habituation may be modulated by BDNF genotype. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Physical activity and masculinity in rural men: a qualitative study of men recruited from churches.

PubMed

Carnahan, Leslie R; Zimmermann, Kristine; Khare, Manorama M; Paulsey, Ellen; Molina, Yamile; Wilbur, JoEllen; Geller, Stacie E

2018-04-01

The majority of rural US men fail to meet physical activity (PA) guidelines and are at risk for chronic diseases. This study sought to understand rural men's perceptions about PA and PA engagement and the influence of masculinity and social norms. From 2011 to 2014, 12 focus groups were conducted with men prior to a church-based health promotion intervention. Men were recruited from Illinois' rural, southernmost seven counties, where 40% of men report no exercise in the past 30 days. We used inductive content analysis methods to identify PA-related themes, and subsequently used elements of the Health, Illness, Men, and Masculinities framework as a lens to explore subthemes. We identified four themes: (i) knowledge of the positive impact of PA on health, (ii) perceptions of appropriate types of PA for men, (iii) the importance of purposeful PA and (iv) the desire to remain strong and active, particularly during aging. These findings can inform strategies for messaging and interventions to promote PA among rural men. Health promotion efforts should consider the intersections between rurality and masculinity as it relates to rural men's perceptions of PA, include information about purposeful PA and encourage them to engage in PA with a support person.

Cardio-respiratory fitness of young and older active and sedentary men.

PubMed Central

Steinhaus, L A; Dustman, R E; Ruhling, R O; Emmerson, R Y; Johnson, S C; Shearer, D E; Shigeoka, J W; Bonekat, W H

1988-01-01

Physiological profiles are described for 30 healthy young (20-31 years) and 30 healthy older (50-62 years) men. Half of the individuals in each group reported that during the previous five years they participated frequently in strenuous physical exercises; the other half reported sedentary lifestyles. A treadmill exercise test was used to determine maximal aerobic power (VO2 max). Heart rate and blood pressure were measured during rest, maximal exercise and recovery. The active older men demonstrated significantly lower resting heart rates, lower resting systolic and diastolic blood pressures, higher VO2 max, lower maximal exercise diastolic blood pressure and lower recovery heart rates than the age-matched sedentary men. Compared with the young sedentary men, the older active men had lower resting heart rates and higher VO2 max, walked longer on the treadmill, had lower recovery heart rates and weighed less. Older active men also had higher VO2 max levels than young sedentary men. In summary, physiological profiles of the older active men more closely resembled profiles of active men who were 30 years younger than those of older sedentary men. These results emphasize the range of benefits associated with exercise. PMID:3228686

Does habituation really happen? Investigation of psycho-biological responses to body exposure in bulimia nervosa.

PubMed

Trentowska, Monika; Svaldi, Jennifer; Blechert, Jens; Tuschen-Caffier, Brunna

2017-03-01

Body exposure is a common and effective treatment for body image disturbance in bulimia nervosa (BN). However, little is known about treatment mechanisms. Based on models of emotional processing and neurovisceral integration, we expected to observe a) initial activation and b) habituation of cognitive-affective and autonomic responding within one and between two standardized body exposure sessions. A group of 13 women with BN and 13 healthy controls (HC) were repeatedly exposed to their bodies. Prior to and after treatment with three individualized mirror exposure sessions participants received a session of standardized exposure to videographic recordings of their body. Subjective ratings of body-related emotions and thoughts were assessed repeatedly throughout the standardized exposure sessions and autonomic responses were recorded continuously. Subjective and sympathetic responses were activated initially in both groups. Cognitive-affective responses habituated within the standardized sessions in both groups, whereas between the standardized sessions habituation was only found in women with BN. Increasing sympathetic responses were found within the sessions in both groups. The results support cognitive-affective habituation during body exposure in BN and to a lesser extent in HC. Autonomic responses however did not show a corresponding pattern and did not distinguish between groups. Implications for body exposure research and practice are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reversible online control of habitual behavior by optogenetic perturbation of medial prefrontal cortex

PubMed Central

Smith, Kyle S.; Virkud, Arti; Deisseroth, Karl; Graybiel, Ann M.

2012-01-01

Habits tend to form slowly but, once formed, can have great stability. We probed these temporal characteristics of habitual behaviors by intervening optogenetically in forebrain habit circuits as rats performed well-ingrained habitual runs in a T-maze. We trained rats to perform a maze habit, confirmed the habitual behavior by devaluation tests, and then, during the maze runs (ca. 3 s), we disrupted population activity in a small region in the medial prefrontal cortex, the infralimbic cortex. In accordance with evidence that this region is necessary for the expression of habits, we found that this cortical disruption blocked habitual behavior. Notably, however, this blockade of habitual performance occurred on line, within an average of three trials (ca. 9 s of inhibition), and as soon as during the first trial (<3 s). During subsequent weeks of training, the rats acquired a new behavioral pattern. When we again imposed the same cortical perturbation, the rats regained the suppressed maze-running that typified the original habit, and, simultaneously, the more recently acquired habit was blocked. These online changes occurred within an average of two trials (ca. 6 s of infralimbic inhibition). Measured changes in generalized performance ability and motivation to consume reward were unaffected. This immediate toggling between breaking old habits and returning to them demonstrates that even semiautomatic behaviors are under cortical control and that this control occurs online, second by second. These temporal characteristics define a framework for uncovering cellular transitions between fixed and flexible behaviors, and corresponding disturbances in pathologies. PMID:23112197

Maladaptive perfectionism as mediator among psychological control, eating disorders, and exercise dependence symptoms in habitual exerciser

PubMed Central

Costa, Sebastiano; Hausenblas, Heather A.; Oliva, Patrizia; Cuzzocrea, Francesca; Larcan, Rosalba

2016-01-01

Background and aims The current study examined the mediating role of maladaptive perfectionism among parental psychological control, eating disorder symptoms, and exercise dependence symptoms by gender in habitual exercisers. Methods Participants were 348 Italian exercisers (n = 178 men and n = 170 women; M age = 20.57, SD = 1.13) who completed self-report questionnaires assessing their parental psychological control, maladaptive perfectionism, eating disorder symptoms, and exercise dependence symptoms. Results Results of the present study confirmed the mediating role of maladaptive perfectionism for eating disorder and exercise dependence symptoms for the male and female exercisers in the maternal data. In the paternal data, maladaptive perfectionism mediated the relationships between paternal psychological control and eating disorder and exercise dependence symptoms as full mediator for female participants and as partial mediator for male participants. Discussion Findings of the present study suggest that it may be beneficial to consider dimensions of maladaptive perfectionism and parental psychological control when studying eating disorder and exercise dependence symptoms in habitual exerciser. PMID:28092194

Maladaptive perfectionism as mediator among psychological control, eating disorders, and exercise dependence symptoms in habitual exerciser.

PubMed

Costa, Sebastiano; Hausenblas, Heather A; Oliva, Patrizia; Cuzzocrea, Francesca; Larcan, Rosalba

2016-03-01

Background and aims The current study examined the mediating role of maladaptive perfectionism among parental psychological control, eating disorder symptoms, and exercise dependence symptoms by gender in habitual exercisers. Methods Participants were 348 Italian exercisers (n = 178 men and n = 170 women; M age = 20.57, SD = 1.13) who completed self-report questionnaires assessing their parental psychological control, maladaptive perfectionism, eating disorder symptoms, and exercise dependence symptoms. Results Results of the present study confirmed the mediating role of maladaptive perfectionism for eating disorder and exercise dependence symptoms for the male and female exercisers in the maternal data. In the paternal data, maladaptive perfectionism mediated the relationships between paternal psychological control and eating disorder and exercise dependence symptoms as full mediator for female participants and as partial mediator for male participants. Discussion Findings of the present study suggest that it may be beneficial to consider dimensions of maladaptive perfectionism and parental psychological control when studying eating disorder and exercise dependence symptoms in habitual exerciser.

Geography, Race/Ethnicity, and Physical Activity Among Men in the United States.

PubMed

Sohn, Elizabeth Kelley; Porch, Tichelle; Hill, Sarah; Thorpe, Roland J

2017-07-01

Engaging in regular physical activity reduces one's risk of chronic disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and some forms of cancer. These preventive benefits associated with physical activity are of particular importance for men, who have shorter life expectancy and experience higher rates of chronic diseases as compared to women. Studies at the community and national levels have found that social and environmental factors are important determinants of men's physical activity, but little is known about how regional influences affect physical activity behaviors among men. The objective of this study is to examine the association between geographic region and physical activity among men in the United States, and to determine if there are racial/ethnic differences in physical activity within these geographic regions. Cross-sectional data from men who participated the 2000 to 2010 National Health Interview Survey ( N = 327,556) was used. The primary outcome in this study was whether or not men had engaged in sufficient physical activity to receive health benefits, defined as meeting the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Race/ethnicity and geographic region were the primary independent variables. Within every region, Hispanic and Asian men had lower odds of engaging in sufficient physical activity compared to white men. Within the Northeast, South, and West, black men had lower odds of engaging in sufficient physical activity compared to white men. The key findings indicate that the odds of engaging in sufficient physical activity among men differ significantly between geographic regions and within regions by race/ethnicity.

Habitual Dietary Nitrate Intake in Highly Trained Athletes.

PubMed

Jonvik, Kristin L; Nyakayiru, Jean; van Dijk, Jan-Willem; Wardenaar, Floris C; van Loon, Luc J C; Verdijk, Lex B

2017-04-01

Although beetroot juice, as a nitrate carrier, is a popular ergogenic supplement among athletes, nitrate is consumed through the regular diet as well. We aimed to assess the habitual dietary nitrate intake and identify the main contributing food sources in a large group of highly trained athletes. Dutch highly trained athletes (226 women and 327 men) completed 2-4 web-based 24-hr dietary recalls and questionnaires within a 2- to 4-week period. The nitrate content of food products and food groups was determined systematically based on values found in regulatory reports and scientific literature. These were then used to calculate each athlete's dietary nitrate intake from the web-based recalls. The median[IQR] habitual nitrate intake was 106[75-170] mg/d (range 19-525 mg/d). Nitrate intake correlated with energy intake (ρ = 0.28, p < .001), and strongly correlated with vegetable intake (ρ = 0.78, p < .001). In accordance, most of the dietary nitrate was consumed through vegetables, potatoes and fruit, accounting for 74% of total nitrate intake, with lettuce and spinach contributing most. When corrected for energy intake, nitrate intake was substantially higher in female vs male athletes (12.8[9.2-20.0] vs 9.4[6.2-13.8] mg/MJ; p < .001). This difference was attributed to the higher vegetable intake in female vs male athletes (150[88-236] vs 114[61-183] g/d; p < .001). In conclusion, median daily intake of dietary nitrate in highly trained athletes was 106 mg, with large interindividual variation. Dietary nitrate intake was strongly associated with the intake of vegetables. Increasing the intake of nitrate-rich vegetables in the diet might serve as an alternative strategy for nitrate supplementation.

Habituation of reinforcer effectiveness

PubMed Central

Lloyd, David R.; Medina, Douglas J.; Hawk, Larry W.; Fosco, Whitney D.; Richards, Jerry B.

2014-01-01

In this paper we propose an integrative model of habituation of reinforcer effectiveness (HRE) that links behavioral- and neural-based explanations of reinforcement. We argue that HRE is a fundamental property of reinforcing stimuli. Most reinforcement models implicitly suggest that the effectiveness of a reinforcer is stable across repeated presentations. In contrast, an HRE approach predicts decreased effectiveness due to repeated presentation. We argue that repeated presentation of reinforcing stimuli decreases their effectiveness and that these decreases are described by the behavioral characteristics of habituation (McSweeney and Murphy, 2009; Rankin etal., 2009). We describe a neural model that postulates a positive association between dopamine neurotransmission and HRE. We present evidence that stimulant drugs, which artificially increase dopamine neurotransmission, disrupt (slow) normally occurring HRE and also provide evidence that stimulant drugs have differential effects on operant responding maintained by reinforcers with rapid vs. slow HRE rates. We hypothesize that abnormal HRE due to genetic and/or environmental factors may underlie some behavioral disorders. For example, recent research indicates that slow-HRE is predictive of obesity. In contrast ADHD may reflect “accelerated-HRE.” Consideration of HRE is important for the development of effective reinforcement-based treatments. Finally, we point out that most of the reinforcing stimuli that regulate daily behavior are non-consumable environmental/social reinforcers which have rapid-HRE. The almost exclusive use of consumable reinforcers with slow-HRE in pre-clinical studies with animals may have caused the importance of HRE to be overlooked. Further study of reinforcing stimuli with rapid-HRE is needed in order to understand how habituation and reinforcement interact and regulate behavior. PMID:24409128

Habituation of reinforcer effectiveness.

PubMed

Lloyd, David R; Medina, Douglas J; Hawk, Larry W; Fosco, Whitney D; Richards, Jerry B

2014-01-09

In this paper we propose an integrative model of habituation of reinforcer effectiveness (HRE) that links behavioral- and neural-based explanations of reinforcement. We argue that HRE is a fundamental property of reinforcing stimuli. Most reinforcement models implicitly suggest that the effectiveness of a reinforcer is stable across repeated presentations. In contrast, an HRE approach predicts decreased effectiveness due to repeated presentation. We argue that repeated presentation of reinforcing stimuli decreases their effectiveness and that these decreases are described by the behavioral characteristics of habituation (McSweeney and Murphy, 2009; Rankin etal., 2009). We describe a neural model that postulates a positive association between dopamine neurotransmission and HRE. We present evidence that stimulant drugs, which artificially increase dopamine neurotransmission, disrupt (slow) normally occurring HRE and also provide evidence that stimulant drugs have differential effects on operant responding maintained by reinforcers with rapid vs. slow HRE rates. We hypothesize that abnormal HRE due to genetic and/or environmental factors may underlie some behavioral disorders. For example, recent research indicates that slow-HRE is predictive of obesity. In contrast ADHD may reflect "accelerated-HRE." Consideration of HRE is important for the development of effective reinforcement-based treatments. Finally, we point out that most of the reinforcing stimuli that regulate daily behavior are non-consumable environmental/social reinforcers which have rapid-HRE. The almost exclusive use of consumable reinforcers with slow-HRE in pre-clinical studies with animals may have caused the importance of HRE to be overlooked. Further study of reinforcing stimuli with rapid-HRE is needed in order to understand how habituation and reinforcement interact and regulate behavior.

Stress-induced reliance on habitual behavior is moderated by cortisol reactivity.

PubMed

Smeets, T; van Ruitenbeek, P; Hartogsveld, B; Quaedflieg, Conny W E M

2018-05-25

Instrumental learning, i.e., learning that specific behaviors lead to desired outcomes, occurs through goal-directed and habit memory systems. Exposure to acute stress has been shown to result in less goal-directed control, thus rendering behavior more habitual. The aim of the current studies was to replicate and extend findings on stress-induced prompting of habitual responding and specifically focused on the role of stress-induced cortisol reactivity. Study 1 used an established outcome devaluation paradigm to assess goal-directed and habitual control. Study 2 utilized a modified version of this paradigm that was intended to establish stronger habitual responding through more extensive reward training and applying a relevant behavioral devaluation procedure (i.e., eating to satiety). Both studies failed to replicate that stress overall, i.e., independent of cortisol reactivity, shifted behavior from goal-directed to habitual control. However, both studies found that relative to stress-exposed cortisol non-responders and no-stress controls, participants displaying stress-induced cortisol reactivity displayed prominent habitual responding. These findings highlight the importance of stress-induced cortisol reactivity in facilitating habits. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Treating chronic tinnitus: comparison of cognitive-behavioural and habituation-based treatments.

PubMed

Zachriat, Claudia; Kröner-Herwig, Birgit

2004-01-01

Using a randomized control group trial the long-term efficacy of a habituation-based treatment as conceived by Jastreboff, and a cognitive-behavioural tinnitus coping training were compared. An educational intervention was administered as a control condition. Both treatments were conducted in a group format (habituation-based treatment, 5 sessions; tinnitus coping training, 11 sessions). Educational intervention was delivered in a single group session. Patients were categorized according to their level of disability due to tinnitus (low, high), age and gender and then randomly allocated to the treatment conditions (habituation-based treatment, n = 30; tinnitus coping training, n = 27; educational intervention, n = 20). Data assessment included follow-ups of up to 21 months. Several outcome variables including disability due to tinnitus were assessed either by questionnaire or diary. Findings reveal highly significant improvements in both tinnitus coping training and habituation-based treatment in comparison with the control group. While tinnitus coping training and habituation-based treatment do not differ significantly in reduction of tinnitus disability, improvement in general well-being and adaptive behaviour is greater in tinnitus coping training than habituation-based treatment. The decrease in disability remains stable throughout the last follow-up in both treatment conditions.

Amygdala Habituation and Prefrontal Functional Connectivity in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swartz, Johnna R.; Wiggins, Jillian Lee; Carrasco, Melissa; Lord, Catherine; Monk, Christopher S.

2013-01-01

Objective: Amygdala habituation, the rapid decrease in amygdala responsiveness to the repeated presentation of stimuli, is fundamental to the nervous system. Habituation is important for maintaining adaptive levels of arousal to predictable social stimuli and decreased habituation is associated with heightened anxiety. Input from the ventromedial…

Sexual activity, fertility and contraceptive use in middle-aged and older men: Men in Australia, Telephone Survey (MATeS).

PubMed

Holden, C A; McLachlan, R I; Cumming, R; Wittert, G; Handelsman, D J; de Kretser, D M; Pitts, M

2005-12-01

With limited information regarding fertility and sexual activity in the older population, men's behaviour, attitudes and concerns were explored in a representative population of middle-aged and older men using the Men in Australia, Telephone Survey (MATeS). A stratified random national sample of 5990 men participated in a standardized computer-assisted telephone interview. Equal numbers in the age strata 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and >or=70 years were surveyed with findings census-standardized to the national population. Broad aspects of men's health and well-being, including reproductive health, were explored. The majority of men were sexually active in the last 12 months (age-standardized proportion, 78.3%) with approximately 37% of men aged >or=70 years still continuing sexual activity. Overall, 12.2% of men had never fathered children, of whom most (7.7%) had chosen not to have children. Questioning on failed attempts to produce a pregnancy suggested an involuntary infertility rate of 7.6%. The age-standardized vasectomy rate was 25.1%, with 5.6% of vasectomized men having no children. Although 9.2% of vasectomized men regretted sterilization, only 1.4% had undergone vasectomy reversal. Continuing sexual activity, fertility and contraception needs in middle-aged and older men suggests that education and service delivery must be more appropriately directed to an ageing population.

Habitual short sleep impacts frontal switch mechanism in attention to novelty.

PubMed

Gumenyuk, Valentina; Roth, Thomas; Korzyukov, Oleg; Jefferson, Catherine; Bowyer, Susan; Drake, Christopher L

2011-12-01

Reduced time in bed relative to biological sleep need is common. The impact of habitual short sleep on auditory attention has not been studied to date. In the current study, we utilized novelty oddball tasks to evaluate the effect of habitual short sleep on brain function underlying attention control processes measured by the mismatch negativity (MMN, index of pre-attentive stage), P3a (attention-dependent), and P3b (memory-dependent) event related brain potentials (ERPs). An extended time in bed in a separate study was used to evaluate the possible reversal of the impairments of these processes in habitual short sleepers. Ten self-defined short sleepers (total sleep time [TST] ≤ 6 h) and 9 normal-sleeping subjects with TST 7-8 h, participated. ERPs were recorded via a 64-channel EEG system. Two test conditions: "ignore" and "attend" were implemented. The ERPs were analyzed and compared between groups on the 2 task conditions and frontal/central/parietal electrodes by 3-factor ANOVA. Sleep diary data were compared between groups by t-test. Sleep was recorded by the Zeo sleep monitoring system for a week in both habitual and extended sleep conditions at home. The main findings of the present study show that short sleeping individuals had deficiency in activity of the MMN and P3a brain responses over frontal areas compared to normal-sleeping subjects. The P3b amplitude was increased over frontal areas and decreased over parietal with respect to the control group. Extension of time in bed for one week increased TST (from 5.7 h to 7.4 h), and concomitantly MMN amplitude increased from -0.1 μV up to -1.25 μV over frontal areas. Reduced time in bed is associated with deficiency of the neuronal process associated with change detection, which may recover after one week of sleep extension, whereas attention-dependent neural processes do not normalize after this period of time in habitually short sleeping individuals and may require longer recovery periods.

Neural Correlates of Empathy with Pain Show Habituation Effects. An fMRI Study

PubMed Central

Preis, Mira A.; Kröner-Herwig, Birgit; Schmidt-Samoa, Carsten; Dechent, Peter; Barke, Antonia

2015-01-01

Background Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that the actual experience of pain and the perception of another person in pain share common neural substrates, including the bilateral anterior insular cortex and the anterior midcingulate cortex. As many fMRI studies include the exposure of participants to repeated, similar stimuli, we examined whether empathic neural responses were affected by habituation and whether the participants' prior pain experience influenced these habituation effects. Method In 128 trials (four runs), 62 participants (31 women, 23.0 ± 4.2 years) were shown pictures of hands exposed to painful pressure (pain pictures) and unexposed (neutral pictures). After each trial, the participants rated the pain of the model. Prior to the experiment, participants were either exposed to the same pain stimulus (pain exposure group) or not (touch exposure group). In order to assess possible habituation effects, linear changes in the strength of the BOLD response to the pain pictures (relative to the neutral pictures) and in the ratings of the model’s pain were evaluated across the four runs. Results Although the ratings of the model’s pain remained constant over time, we found neural habituation in the bilateral anterior/midinsular cortex, the posterior midcingulate extending to dorsal posterior cingulate cortex, the supplementary motor area, the cerebellum, the right inferior parietal lobule, and the left superior frontal gyrus, stretching to the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex. The participant’s prior pain experience did neither affect their ratings of the model’s pain nor their maintenance of BOLD activity in areas associated with empathy. Interestingly, participants with high trait personal distress and fantasy tended to show less habituation in the anterior insula. Conclusion Neural structures showed a decrease of the BOLD signal, indicating habituation over the course of 45 minutes. This can be interpreted as a neuronal mechanism

Recalled taste intensity, liking and habitual intake of commonly consumed foods.

PubMed

Cornelis, Marilyn C; Tordoff, Michael G; El-Sohemy, Ahmed; van Dam, Rob M

2017-02-01

Taste intensity and quality affect the liking of foods, and determine food choice and consumption. We aimed to 1) classify commonly consumed foods based on recalled taste intensity for bitter, sweet, salty, sour, and fatty taste, and 2) examine the associations among recalled taste intensity, liking, and habitual consumption of foods. In Stage 1, 62 Canadian adults recalled the taste intensity of 120 common foods. Their responses were used to identify sets of 20-25 foods classified as strongly bitter, sweet, salty, sour or fatty-tasting. In Stage 2, 287 U.S. adults validated these selections, and let us reduce them to sets of 11-13 foods. Ratings of recalled taste intensity were consistent across age, sex and overweight status, with the exceptions that sweet, bitter and fatty-tasting foods were rated as more intense by women than by men. The recalled intensity ratings of the most bitter, salty and fatty foods (but not sour or sweet foods) were inversely correlated with liking and intake. The negative correlation between fatty taste intensity and fatty food liking was stronger among normal weight than among overweight participants. Our results suggest that the recalled taste intensity of foods is associated with food liking and habitual consumption, but the strength of these relationships varies by taste. The food lists based on taste intensity ratings provide a resource to efficiently calculate indices of exposure to the different tastes in future studies. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Recalled taste intensity, liking and habitual intake of commonly consumed foods

PubMed Central

Cornelis, Marilyn C.; Tordoff, Michael G.; El-Sohemy, Ahmed; van Dam, Rob M.

2016-01-01

Taste intensity and quality affect the liking of foods, and determine food choice and consumption. We aimed to 1) classify commonly consumed foods based on recalled taste intensity for bitter, sweet, salty, sour, and fatty taste, and 2) examine the associations among recalled taste intensity, liking, and habitual consumption of foods. In Stage 1, 62 Canadian adults recalled the taste intensity of 120 common foods. Their responses were used to identify sets of 20–25 foods classified as strongly bitter, sweet, salty, sour or fatty-tasting. In Stage 2, 287 U.S. adults validated these selections, and let us reduce them to sets of 11–13 foods. Ratings of recalled taste intensity were consistent across age, sex and overweight status, with the exceptions that sweet, bitter and fatty-tasting foods were rated as more intense by women than by men. The recalled intensity ratings of the most bitter, salty and fatty foods (but not sour or sweet foods) were inversely correlated with liking and intake. The negative correlation between fatty taste intensity and fatty food liking was stronger among normal weight than among overweight participants. Our results suggest that the recalled taste intensity of foods is associated with food liking and habitual consumption, but the strength of these relationships varies by taste. The food lists based on taste intensity ratings provide a resource to efficiently calculate indices of exposure to the different tastes in future studies. PMID:27915079

Habituation contributes to within-session changes in free wheel running.

PubMed Central

Aoyama, K; McSweeney, F K

2001-01-01

Three experiments tested the hypothesis that habituation contributes to the regulation of wheel running. Rats ran in a wheel for 30-min sessions. Experiment 1 demonstrated spontaneous recovery. Rats ran more and the within-session decreases in running were smaller after 2 days of wheel deprivation than after 1 day. Experiment 2 demonstrated dishabituation. Running rate increased immediately after the termination of a brief extra event (application of the brake or flashing of the houselight). Experiment 3 demonstrated stimulus specificity. Rats completed the second half of the session in either the same wheel as the first half, or a different wheel. Second-half running was faster in the latter case. Within-session patterns of running were well described by equations that describe data from the habituation, motivation, and operant literatures. These results suggest that habituation contributes to the regulation of running. In fact, habituation provides a better explanation for the termination of wheel running than fatigue, the variable to which this termination is usually attributed. Overall, the present findings are consistent with the proposition that habituation and sensitization contribute to the regulation of several forms of motivated behavior. PMID:11768712

Habitual Short Sleep Impacts Frontal Switch Mechanism in Attention to Novelty

PubMed Central

Gumenyuk, Valentina; Roth, Thomas; Korzyukov, Oleg; Jefferson, Catherine; Bowyer, Susan; Drake, Christopher L.

2011-01-01

Study Objectives: Reduced time in bed relative to biological sleep need is common. The impact of habitual short sleep on auditory attention has not been studied to date. In the current study, we utilized novelty oddball tasks to evaluate the effect of habitual short sleep on brain function underlying attention control processes measured by the mismatch negativity (MMN, index of pre-attentive stage), P3a (attention-dependent), and P3b (memory-dependent) event related brain potentials (ERPs). An extended time in bed in a separate study was used to evaluate the possible reversal of the impairments of these processes in habitual short sleepers. Methods: Ten self-defined short sleepers (total sleep time [TST] ≤ 6h) and 9 normal-sleeping subjects with TST 7-8 h, participated. ERPs were recorded via a 64-channel EEG system. Two test conditions: “ignore” and “attend” were implemented. The ERPs were analyzed and compared between groups on the 2 task conditions and frontal/central/parietal electrodes by 3-factor ANOVA. Sleep diary data were compared between groups by t-test. Sleep was recorded by the Zeo sleep monitoring system for a week in both habitual and extended sleep conditions at home. Results: The main findings of the present study show that short sleeping individuals had deficiency in activity of the MMN and P3a brain responses over frontal areas compared to normal-sleeping subjects. The P3b amplitude was increased over frontal areas and decreased over parietal with respect to the control group. Extension of time in bed for one week increased TST (from 5.7 h to 7.4 h), and concomitantly MMN amplitude increased from −0.1μV up to −1.25 μV over frontal areas. Conclusions: Reduced time in bed is associated with deficiency of the neuronal process associated with change detection, which may recover after one week of sleep extension, whereas attention-dependent neural processes do not normalize after this period of time in habitually short sleeping

Sensitization and Habituation of Motivated Behavior in Overweight and Non-Overweight Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Leonard H.; Robinson, Jodie L.; Temple, Jennifer L.; Roemmich, James N.; Marusewski, Angela; Nadbrzuch, Rachel

2008-01-01

The rate of habituation to food is inversely related to energy intake, and overweight children may habituate slower to food and consume more energy. This study compared patterns of sensitization, as defined by an initial increase in operant or motivated responding for food, and habituation, defined by gradual reduction in responding, for macaroni…

Sinus Bradycardia in Habitual Cocaine Users.

PubMed

Franklin, Sona M; Thihalolipavan, Sudarone; Fontaine, John M

2017-05-15

Common physiological manifestations of cocaine are related to its adrenergic effects, due to inhibition of dopamine and norepinephrine uptake at the postsynaptic terminal. Few studies have documented bradycardia secondary to cocaine use, representing the antithesis of its adrenergic effects. We assessed the prevalence of sinus bradycardia (SB) in habitual cocaine users and postulated a mechanism for this effect. One hundred sixty-two patients with a history of cocaine use were analyzed and compared with age- and gender-matched controls. SB was defined as a rate of <60 beats/min and habitual cocaine use as 2 or more documented uses >30 days apart. Propensity score-matching analysis was applied to balance covariates between cocaine users and nonusers and reduce selection bias. Patients with a history of bradycardia, hypothyroidism, or concomitant beta-blocker use were excluded. Mean age of study patients was 44 ± 8 years. SB was observed in 43 of 162 (27%) cocaine users and in 9 of 149 (6%) nonusers (p = 0.0001). Propensity score-matching analysis matched 218 patients from both groups. Among matched patients SB was observed in 25 of 109 (23%) cocaine users and in 5 of 109 (5%) nonusers (p = 0.0001). Habitual cocaine use was an independent predictor of SB and associated with a sevenfold increase in the risk of SB (95% CI 2.52 to 19.74, p = 0.0002). In conclusion, habitual cocaine use is a strong predictor of SB and was unrelated to recency of use. A potential mechanism for SB may be related to cocaine-induced desensitization of the beta-adrenergic receptor secondary to continuous exposure. Symptomatic SB was not observed; thus, pacemaker therapy was not indicated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Muscle coordination is habitual rather than optimal.

PubMed

de Rugy, Aymar; Loeb, Gerald E; Carroll, Timothy J

2012-05-23

When sharing load among multiple muscles, humans appear to select an optimal pattern of activation that minimizes costs such as the effort or variability of movement. How the nervous system achieves this behavior, however, is unknown. Here we show that contrary to predictions from optimal control theory, habitual muscle activation patterns are surprisingly robust to changes in limb biomechanics. We first developed a method to simulate joint forces in real time from electromyographic recordings of the wrist muscles. When the model was altered to simulate the effects of paralyzing a muscle, the subjects simply increased the recruitment of all muscles to accomplish the task, rather than recruiting only the useful muscles. When the model was altered to make the force output of one muscle unusually noisy, the subjects again persisted in recruiting all muscles rather than eliminating the noisy one. Such habitual coordination patterns were also unaffected by real modifications of biomechanics produced by selectively damaging a muscle without affecting sensory feedback. Subjects naturally use different patterns of muscle contraction to produce the same forces in different pronation-supination postures, but when the simulation was based on a posture different from the actual posture, the recruitment patterns tended to agree with the actual rather than the simulated posture. The results appear inconsistent with computation of motor programs by an optimal controller in the brain. Rather, the brain may learn and recall command programs that result in muscle coordination patterns generated by lower sensorimotor circuitry that are functionally "good-enough."

Physical Activity Interventions With African American or Latino Men: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Griffith, Derek M; Bergner, Erin M; Cornish, Emily K; McQueen, Chelsea M

2018-07-01

Relatively little is known about what helps increase physical activity in African American men, and even less is known about promoting physical activity among Latino men. This systematic review aimed to address the key questions: (a) what is the state of the evidence on health-related behavior change interventions targeting physical activity among African American or Latino men? and (b) What factors facilitate physical activity for these men? For this review, nine electronic databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed articles published between 2011-2017 that reported interventions to promote physical activity among African American or Latino men. Following PRISMA guidelines, nine articles representing seven studies that met our criteria were identified: six published studies that provided data for African American men, and one published study provided data for Latino men. Consistent with previous reviews, more research is needed to better understand how gender can be incorporated in physical activity interventions for African American and Latino men. Future interventions should explore how being an adult male and a man of color shapes motivations, attitudes, and preferences to be physically active. Studies should consider how race and ethnicity intersect with notions of masculinity, manhood and Machismo to enhance the effectiveness of physical activity interventions for these populations. Despite the health benefits of physical activity, rates of these behaviors remain low among African American and Latino men. It is essential to determine how best to increase the motivation and salience for these men to overcome the obesogenic environments and contexts in which they often live.

More meditation, less habituation? The effect of mindfulness practice on the acoustic startle reflex.

PubMed

Antonova, Elena; Chadwick, Paul; Kumari, Veena

2015-01-01

Mindfulness as a mode of sustained and receptive attention promotes openness to each incoming stimulus, even if repetitive and/or aversive. Mindful attention has been shown to attenuate sensory habituation in expert meditators; however, others were not able to replicate this effect. The present study used acoustic startle reflex to investigate the effect of mindfulness practice intensity on sensory habituation. Auditory Startle Response (ASR) to 36 startling probes (12 trials x 3 block with 40 ms inter-block intervals), was measured using electromyography (EMG) in three groups of participants (N = 12/group): meditation-naïve, moderate practice, and intensive practice. Intensive practice group showed attenuated startle habituation as evidenced by significantly less habituation over the entire experiment relative to the meditation-naïve and moderate practice groups. Furthermore, there was a significant linear effect showing between-block habituation in meditation-naïve and moderate practice groups, but not in the intensive practice group. However, the Block x Group interaction between the intensive practice and the meditation-naive groups was not significant. Moderate practice group was not significantly different from the meditation-naïve in the overall measure of habituation, but showed significantly stronger habituation than both meditation-naïve and intensive practice groups in Block 1. Greater practice intensity was significantly correlated with slower overall habituation and habituation rate in Blocks 2 and 3 in the intensive, but not in the moderate, practice group. The study provides tentative evidence that intensive mindfulness practice attenuates acoustic startle habituation as measured by EMG, but the effect is modest.Moderate practice, on the other hand, appears to enhance habituation, suggesting the effect of mindfulness practice on startle habituation might be non-linear [corrected] . Better understanding of the effect of mindful attention on

Attentional Bias Associated with Habitual Self-Stigma in People with Mental Illness

PubMed Central

Chan, Kevin K. S.; Mak, Winnie W. S.

2015-01-01

As habitual self-stigma can have a tremendous negative impact on people with mental illness, it is of paramount importance to identify its risk factors. The present study aims to examine the potential contributory role of attentional bias in habitual self-stigma. People with mental illness having strong (n = 47) and weak (n = 47) habitual self-stigma completed a computerized emotional Stroop task which included stigma-related, positive, and non-affective words as stimuli. The strong habit group was found to exhibit faster color-naming of stigma-related words (compared to non-affective words), whereas the weak habit group showed no difference in the speed of response to different stimuli. These findings suggest that people with stronger habitual self-stigma may be more able to ignore the semantic meaning of stigma-related words and focus on the color-naming task. Moreover, people with stronger habitual self-stigma may have greater attentional avoidance of stigma-related material. The present study is the first to demonstrate a specific relationship between habitual self-stigma and biased processing of stigma-related information. In order to further determine the role and the nature of attentional bias in habitual self-stigma, future research should employ a broader range of experimental paradigms and measurement techniques to examine stigma-related attentional bias in people with mental illness. PMID:26177536

Attentional Bias Associated with Habitual Self-Stigma in People with Mental Illness.

PubMed

Chan, Kevin K S; Mak, Winnie W S

2015-01-01

As habitual self-stigma can have a tremendous negative impact on people with mental illness, it is of paramount importance to identify its risk factors. The present study aims to examine the potential contributory role of attentional bias in habitual self-stigma. People with mental illness having strong (n = 47) and weak (n = 47) habitual self-stigma completed a computerized emotional Stroop task which included stigma-related, positive, and non-affective words as stimuli. The strong habit group was found to exhibit faster color-naming of stigma-related words (compared to non-affective words), whereas the weak habit group showed no difference in the speed of response to different stimuli. These findings suggest that people with stronger habitual self-stigma may be more able to ignore the semantic meaning of stigma-related words and focus on the color-naming task. Moreover, people with stronger habitual self-stigma may have greater attentional avoidance of stigma-related material. The present study is the first to demonstrate a specific relationship between habitual self-stigma and biased processing of stigma-related information. In order to further determine the role and the nature of attentional bias in habitual self-stigma, future research should employ a broader range of experimental paradigms and measurement techniques to examine stigma-related attentional bias in people with mental illness.

Habitual control of goal selection in humans

PubMed Central

Cushman, Fiery; Morris, Adam

2015-01-01

Humans choose actions based on both habit and planning. Habitual control is computationally frugal but adapts slowly to novel circumstances, whereas planning is computationally expensive but can adapt swiftly. Current research emphasizes the competition between habits and plans for behavioral control, yet many complex tasks instead favor their integration. We consider a hierarchical architecture that exploits the computational efficiency of habitual control to select goals while preserving the flexibility of planning to achieve those goals. We formalize this mechanism in a reinforcement learning setting, illustrate its costs and benefits, and experimentally demonstrate its spontaneous application in a sequential decision-making task. PMID:26460050

Sperm creatine kinase activity in normospermic and oligozospermic Hungarian men.

PubMed

Gergely, A; Szöllösi, J; Falkai, G; Resch, B; Kovacs, L; Huszar, G

1999-01-01

Our purpose was to measure sperm creatine phosphokinase (CK) activity, which reflects cytoplasmic retention in immature spermatozoa, in normospermic and oligozospermic Hungarian men. A study of 109 randomly selected men in a university-based andrology laboratory was done. CK activity differed between normospermic and oligozospermic men (0.21 +/- 0.02 vs. 1.19 +/- 0.15 CK IU/10(8) sperm; n = 56 and n = 53; mean +/- standard error of the mean, respectively). There was an inverse correlation between sperm concentration and CK activity (r = -0.70; n = 109). However, 28% of men in the range with less than 10 million sperm/ml had normal sperm CK activity (below the mean + 2 standard deviations of the group with greater than 30 x 10(6) sperm/ml), whereas 36% of men in the group with 20-30 million sperm/ml and 5% in the group with greater than 30 million sperm/ml had elevated CK activities, indicating that the incidence of mature and immature spermatozoa in specimens is independent from the sperm concentrations. The improved facility of sperm CK activity measurements, compared with sperm concentrations, in the assessment of sperm maturity was confirmed in a Hungarian population. The CK measurements aid the selection of the most efficient treatment for couples with male-factor or unexplained infertility, particularly when considering the options of intrauterine insemination, varicocelectomy followed by a waiting period, or ovulation workup/induction in wives of men who are oligozospermic but may have fertile sperm.

Does anxiety sensitivity correlate with startle habituation? An examination in two independent samples.

PubMed

Campbell, Miranda L; Gorka, Stephanie M; McGowan, Sarah K; Nelson, Brady D; Sarapas, Casey; Katz, Andrea C; Robison-Andrew, E Jenna; Shankman, Stewart A

2014-01-01

Individuals with anxiety disorders have previously demonstrated abnormal habituation to aversiveness over time. As anxiety sensitivity (AS), or an individuals' propensity to fear of anxiety-related sensations, has been shown to be a risk factor for anxiety disorders (particularly panic disorder), the present study examined whether AS was also associated with abnormal habituation. This association was examined in two independent samples of undergraduates (Ntotal=178). Habituation was operationalised as the reduction in startle response to multiple startle probes presented over 2.5 minutes and three definitions of this reduction were employed. Results indicated that individuals with higher levels of AS evidenced deficits in startle habituation, but the strength of this relationship was somewhat dependent on the definition of startle habituation, with the most robust definition being an analysis of participants' individual slopes across all nine blinks. The present findings suggest that startle habituation is a key mechanism underlying AS, and may help elucidate the role this risk factor plays in the pathogenesis of anxiety disorders.

Motion sickness and otolith sensitivity - A pilot study of habituation to linear acceleration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potvin, A. R.; Sadoff, M.; Billingham, J.

1977-01-01

Astronauts, particularly in Skylab flights, experienced varying degrees of motion sickness lasting 3-5 days. One possible mechanism for this motion sickness adaptation is believed to be a reduction in otolith sensitivity with an attendant reduction in sensory conflict. In an attempt to determine if this hypothesis is valid, a ground-based pilot study was conducted on a vertical linear accelerator. The extent of habituation to accelerations which initially produced motion sickness was evaluated, along with the possible value of habituation training to minimize the space motion sickness problem. Results showed that habituation occurred for 6 of the 8 subjects tested. However, in tests designed to measure dynamic and static otolith function, no significant differences between pre- and post-habituation tests were observed. Cross habituation effects to a standard Coriolis acceleration test were not significant. It is unlikely that ground-based pre-habituation to linear accelerations of the type examined would alter susceptibility to space motion sickness.

Short-term and long-term plasticity in the visual-attention system: Evidence from habituation of attentional capture.

PubMed

Turatto, Massimo; Pascucci, David

2016-04-01

Attention is known to be crucial for learning and to regulate activity-dependent brain plasticity. Here we report the opposite scenario, with plasticity affecting the onset-driven automatic deployment of spatial attention. Specifically, we showed that attentional capture is subject to habituation, a fundamental form of plasticity consisting in a response decrement to repeated stimulations. Participants performed a visual discrimination task with focused attention, while being occasionally exposed to a distractor consisting of a high-luminance peripheral onset. With practice, short-term and long-term habituation of attentional capture emerged, making the visual-attention system fully immune to distraction. Furthermore, spontaneous recovery of attentional capture was found when the distractor was temporarily removed. Capture, however, once habituated was surprisingly resistant to spontaneous recovery, taking from several minutes to days to recover. The results suggest that the mechanisms subserving exogenous attentional orienting are subject to profound and enduring plastic changes based on previous experience, and that habituation can impact high-order cognitive functions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reduced laser-evoked potential habituation detects abnormal central pain processing in painful radiculopathy patients.

PubMed

Hüllemann, P; von der Brelie, C; Manthey, G; Düsterhöft, J; Helmers, A K; Synowitz, M; Baron, R

2017-05-01

Repetitive painful laser stimuli lead to physiological laser-evoked potential (LEP) habituation, measurable by a decrement of the N2/P2 amplitude. The time course of LEP-habituation is reduced in the capsaicin model for peripheral and central sensitization and in patients with migraine and fibromyalgia. In the present investigation, we aimed to assess the time course of LEP-habituation in a neuropathic pain syndrome, i.e. painful radiculopathy. At the side of radiating pain, four blocks of 25 painful laser stimuli each were applied to the ventral thigh at the L3 dermatome in 27 patients with painful radiculopathy. Inclusion criteria were (1) at least one neurological finding of radiculopathy, (2) low back pain with radiation into the foot and (3) a positive one-sided compression of the L5 and/or S1 root in the MRI. The time course of LEP-habituation was compared to 20 healthy height and age matched controls. Signs of peripheral (heat hyperalgesia) and central sensitization (dynamic mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia) at the affected L5 or S1 dermatome were assessed with quantitative sensory testing. Painful radiculopathy patients showed decreased LEP-habituation compared to controls. Patients with signs of central sensitization showed a more prominent LEP-habituation decrease within the radiculopathy patient group. Laser-evoked potential habituation is reduced in painful radiculopathy patients, which indicates an abnormal central pain processing. Central sensitization seems to be a major contributor to abnormal LEP habituation. The LEP habituation paradigm might be useful as a clinical tool to assess central pain processing alterations in nociceptive and neuropathic pain conditions. Abnormal central pain processing in neuropathic pain conditions may be revealed with the laser-evoked potential habituation paradigm. In painful radiculopathy patients, LEP-habituation is reduced compared to healthy controls. © 2017 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Protection from Premature Habituation Requires Functional Mushroom Bodies in "Drosophila"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acevedo, Summer F.; Froudarakis, Emmanuil I.; Kanellopoulos, Alexandros; Skoulakis, Efthimios M. C.

2007-01-01

Diminished responses to stimuli defined as habituation can serve as a gating mechanism for repetitive environmental cues with little predictive value and importance. We demonstrate that wild-type animals diminish their responses to electric shock stimuli with properties characteristic of short- and long-term habituation. We used spatially…

The tinnitus intensive therapy habituation program: a 2-year follow-up pilot study on subjective tinnitus.

PubMed

Bessman, Peter; Heider, Tom; Watten, Veslemøy P; Watten, Reidulf G

2009-05-01

To explore the effects of a new tinnitus treatment program (tinnitus intensive therapy [TIT]) based on auditory perception principles and neural habituation. A follow-up study with measurement of treatment effects every third month over a 2-year period in which the cases were their own controls. There were 25 participants with a mean age 50.1 years (SD = 16.1); 10 women (52.7 years; SD = 16.8) and 15 men (48.3 years; SD = 15.9). The participants were recruited from clinical population admitted to a polyclinic tinnitus treatment program in western Germany. There was a significant reduction of tinnitus in the follow-up period. Mean baseline tinnitus scores (Tinnitus Fragebogen; Goebel & Hiller, 1998) at the start of the treatment were 50.9 (SD = 14.5) and the final scores were 14.2 (SD = 5.9). In total, the clinical improvement over the follow-up period was 72.1%. The TIT program showed a significant clinical treatment effect and should be tested further in a multicenter treatment project. The findings support the Jastreboff habituation model of tinnitus, but social cognitive factors should also be taken into account. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Physiological, Molecular and Genetic Mechanisms of Long-Term Habituation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Calin-Jageman, Robert J

Work funded on this grant has explored the mechanisms of long-term habituation, a ubiquitous form of learning that plays a key role in basic cognitive functioning. Specifically, behavioral, physiological, and molecular mechanisms of habituation have been explored using a simple model system, the tail-elicited siphon-withdrawal reflex (T-SWR) in the marine mollusk Aplysia californica. Substantial progress has been made on the first and third aims, providing some fundamental insights into the mechanisms by which memories are stored. We have characterized the physiological correlates of short- and long-term habituation. We found that short-term habituation is accompanied by a robust sensory adaptation, whereasmore » long-term habituation is accompanied by alterations in sensory and interneuron synaptic efficacy. Thus, our data indicates memories can be shifted between different sites in a neural network as they are consolidated from short to long term. At the molecular level, we have accomplished microarray analysis comparing gene expression in both habituated and control ganglia. We have identified a network of putatively regulated transcripts that seems particularly targeted towards synaptic changes (e.g. SNAP25, calmodulin) . We are now beginning additional work to confirm regulation of these transcripts and build a more detailed understanding of the cascade of molecular events leading to the permanent storage of long-term memories. On the third aim, we have fostered a nascent neuroscience program via a variety of successful initiatives. We have funded over 11 undergraduate neuroscience scholars, several of whom have been recognized at national and regional levels for their research. We have also conducted a pioneering summer research program for community college students which is helping enhance access of underrepresented groups to life science careers. Despite minimal progress on the second aim, this project has provided a) novel insight into the network

Training methods for horses: habituation to a frightening stimulus.

PubMed

Christensen, J W; Rundgren, M; Olsson, K

2006-09-01

Responses of horses in frightening situations are important for both equine and human safety. Considerable scientific interest has been shown in development of reactivity tests, but little effort has been dedicated to the development of appropriate training methods for reducing fearfulness. To investigate which of 3 different training methods (habituation, desensitisation and counter-conditioning) was most effective in teaching horses to react calmly in a potentially frightening situation. 1) Horses are able to generalise about the test stimulus such that, once familiar with the test stimulus in one situation, it appears less frightening and elicits a reduced response even when the stimulus intensity is increased or the stimulus is presented differently; and 2) alternative methods such as desensitisation and counter-conditioning would be more efficient than a classic habituation approach. Twenty-seven naive 2-year-old Danish Warmblood stallions were trained according to 3 different methods, based on classical learning theory: 1) horses (n = 9) were exposed to the full stimulus (a moving, white nylon bag, 1.2 x 0.75 m) in 5 daily training sessions until they met a predefined habituation criterion (habituation); 2) horses (n = 9) were introduced gradually to the stimulus and habituated to each step before the full stimulus was applied (desensitisation); 3) horses (n = 9) were trained to associate the stimulus with a positive reward before being exposed to the full stimulus (counter-conditioning). Each horse received 5 training sessions of 3 min per day. Heart rate and behavioural responses were recorded. Horses trained with the desensitisation method showed fewer flight responses in total and needed fewer training sessions to learn to react calmly to test stimuli. Variations in heart rate persisted even when behavioural responses had ceased. In addition, all horses on the desensitisation method eventually habituated to the test stimulus whereas some horses on the

Modification of Male Courtship Motivation by Olfactory Habituation via the GABAA Receptor in Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Tachibana, Shin-Ichiro; Touhara, Kazushige; Ejima, Aki

2015-01-01

A male-specific component, 11-cis-vaccenyl acetate (cVA) works as an anti-aphrodisiac pheromone in Drosophila melanogaster. The presence of cVA on a male suppresses the courtship motivation of other males and contributes to suppression of male-male homosexual courtship, while the absence of cVA on a female stimulates the sexual motivation of nearby males and enhances the male-female interaction. However, little is known how a male distinguishes the presence or absence of cVA on a target fly from either self-produced cVA or secondhand cVA from other males in the vicinity. In this study, we demonstrate that male flies have keen sensitivity to cVA; therefore, the presence of another male in the area reduces courtship toward a female. This reduced level of sexual motivation, however, could be overcome by pretest odor exposure via olfactory habituation to cVA. Real-time imaging of cVA-responsive sensory neurons using the neural activity sensor revealed that prolonged exposure to cVA decreased the levels of cVA responses in the primary olfactory center. Pharmacological and genetic screening revealed that signal transduction via GABAA receptors contributed to this olfactory habituation. We also found that the habituation experience increased the copulation success of wild-type males in a group. In contrast, transgenic males, in which GABA input in a small subset of local neurons was blocked by RNAi, failed to acquire the sexual advantage conferred by habituation. Thus, we illustrate a novel phenomenon in which olfactory habituation positively affects sexual capability in a competitive environment. PMID:26252206

Habitual and value-guided purchase behavior.

PubMed

Biel, Anders; Dahlstrand, Ulf; Grankvist, Gunne

2005-06-01

Society increasingly requests that individuals adopt environmentally benign behavior. Information campaigns purported to change people's attitudes are often regarded as prerequisites to installing such changes. While such information may be a necessary step, it is not sufficient by itself. We argue that many everyday behaviors with environmental consequences are habitual, and that little attention is given to information directed toward changing these habitual behaviors. In other instances, behavior is guided by values in a more reflective process. However, other information besides environmental consequences may draw a person's attention and affect behavioral choice. Using surveys and experimental studies targeting consumer behavior, we studied under what conditions different kinds of information is likely to influence people with varying levels of environmental concern. Based on results from these studies, implications for behavioral change are discussed.

Habituation of self-motion perception following unidirectional angular velocity steps.

PubMed

Clément, Gilles; Terlevic, Robert

2016-09-07

We investigated whether the perceived angular velocity following velocity steps of 80°/s in the dark decreased with the repetition of the stimulation in the same direction. The perceptual response to velocity steps in the opposite direction was also compared before and after this unidirectional habituation training. Participants indicated their perceived angular velocity by clicking on a wireless mouse every time they felt that they had rotated by 90°. The prehabituation perceptual response decayed exponentially with a time constant of 23.9 s. After 100 velocity steps in the same direction, this time constant was 12.9 s. The time constant after velocity steps in the opposite direction was 13.4 s, indicating that the habituation of the sensation of rotation is not direction specific. The peak velocity of the perceptual response was not affected by the habituation training. The differences between the habituation characteristics of self-motion perception and eye movements confirm that different velocity storage mechanisms mediate ocular and perceptual responses.

Arterial stiffening, wave reflection, and inflammation in habitually exercising systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

PubMed

Barnes, Jill N; Nualnim, Nantinee; Sugawara, Jun; Sommerlad, Shawn M; Renzi, Christopher P; Tanaka, Hirofumi

2011-11-01

Chronic systemic inflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation and an increased risk for cardiovascular disease. Currently few studies have evaluated the potential cardiovascular benefits of exercise in SLE. It is unknown whether the favorable effect of habitual exercise on arterial stiffness observed in healthy adults can be extended to SLE. Therefore, as an initial step, we determined the association between habitual exercise, inflammatory markers, central arterial compliance, and aortic wave reflection in healthy adults and SLE patients. We studied 41 adults, aged 33 ± 11 years (15 healthy controls, 12 sedentary SLE, and 14 physically active SLE patients). Age, body mass index, and metabolic risk factors were not different between the three groups. Carotid arterial compliance was lower whereas augmentation index (AI) and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-12, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) were higher in sedentary SLE patients compared with healthy controls, but were not different between physically active SLE patients and healthy controls. Cardiac ejection fraction was lower in sedentary SLE than physically active SLE or healthy controls. In the pooled population, carotid arterial compliance was inversely associated with TNF-α (r = -0.38; P < 0.01), and AI was positively associated with both CRP (r = 0.33; P < 0.05) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (r = 0.28; P < 0.05). SLE-associated stiffening of the central artery and wave reflection were not observed in habitually exercising adults with SLE. Furthermore, greater arterial stiffness was associated with higher inflammatory markers, suggesting that need for studies on inflammation and SLE-associated arterial stiffening.

Abnormal afferent nerve endings in the soft palatal mucosa of sleep apnoics and habitual snorers.

PubMed

Friberg, D; Gazelius, B; Hökfelt, T; Nordlander, B

1997-07-23

Habitual snoring precedes obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but the pathophysiological mechanisms behind progression are still unclear. The patency of upper airways depends on a reflexogen mechanism reacting on negative intrapharyngeal pressure at inspiration, probably mediated by mucosal receptors, i.e., via afferent nerve endings. Such nerves contain a specific nerve protein, protein-gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) and in some cases substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related (CGRP). Biopsies of the soft palatial mucosa were obtained from non-smoking men ten OSA patients, 11 habitual snorers and 11 non-snoring controls. The specimens were immunohistochemically analyzed for PGP 9.5, SP and CGRP. As compared to controls, an increased number of PGP-, SP- and CGRP-immunoreactive nerves were demonstrated in the mucosa in 9/10 OSA patients and 4/11 snorers, in addition to varicose nerve endings in the papillae and epithelium. Using double staining methodology, it could be shown that SP- and CGRP-like immunoreactivities (LIs) often coexisted in these fibres, as did CGRP- and PGP 9.5-LIs. The increased density in sensory nerve terminals are interpreted to indicate an afferent nerve lesion. Our results support the hypothesis of a progressive neurogenic lesion as a contributory factor to the collapse of upper airways during sleep in OSA patients.

Perceived reasons, incentives, and barriers to physical activity in Swedish elderly men.

PubMed

Sjörs, Camilla; Bonn, Stephanie E; Trolle Lagerros, Ylva; Sjölander, Arvid; Bälter, Katarina

2014-11-12

Knowledge about factors influencing physical activity behavior is needed in order to tailor physical activity interventions to the individual. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the perceived reasons, barriers, and incentives to increased physical activity, as well as preferable activities, among elderly men in Sweden. In total, 150 men aged 50-86 years responded to a Web-based questionnaire. Men who reported that they exercised sometimes or often received questions about reasons for physical activity (n=104), while men who reported that they never or seldom exercised received questions about barriers (n=46). The most frequent perceived reason for being physically active was health (82%), followed by enjoyment (45%), and a desire to lose/maintain weight (27%). Lack of interest/motivation was identified as the primary perceived barrier (17%). Incentives for increasing the level of activity included becoming more motivated and having a training partner. Walking was the most preferred activity. Enjoyment and maintaining a good health were important reasons for engaging in physical activity among Swedish elderly men.

Using sensor habituation in mobile robots to reduce oscillatory movements in narrow corridors.

PubMed

Chang, Carolina

2005-11-01

Habituation is a form of nonassociative learning observed in a variety of species of animals. Arguably, it is the simplest form of learning. Nonetheless, the ability to habituate to certain stimuli implies plastic neural systems and adaptive behaviors. This paper describes how computational models of habituation can be applied to real robots. In particular, we discuss the problem of the oscillatory movements observed when a Khepera robot navigates through narrow hallways using a biologically inspired neurocontroller. Results show that habituation to the proximity of the walls can lead to smoother navigation. Habituation to sensory stimulation to the sides of the robot does not interfere with the robot's ability to turn at dead ends and to avoid obstacles outside the hallway. This paper shows that simple biological mechanisms of learning can be adapted to achieve better performance in real mobile robots.

Sustainable cooperation based on reputation and habituation in the public goods game.

PubMed

Liu, Yan; Chen, Tong

2017-10-01

Reputation can promote cooperation in public goods game and player's cooperative behavior is not pure economical rationality, but habituation would influence their behaviors as well. One's habituation can be formed by repeated behaviors in daily life and be affected by habitual preference. We aim to investigate the sustainable cooperation based on reputation and habit formation. To better investigate the impacts of reputation and habitual preference on the evolution and sustainability of cooperation. We introduce three types of agents into our spatial public goods game. Through numerical simulations, we find that the larger habitual preference make cooperation easier to emerge and maintain. Additionally, we find that a moderate number of agents who want to obtain more reputation (ICs) are best for the sustainability of cooperation. Finally, we observe that the variation of donations of ICs can influence greatly on the equilibrium of public goods game. When ICs reduce their donations, a proper contribution will be better to maintain the cooperative behaviors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association between vitamin K intake from fermented soybeans, natto, and bone mineral density in elderly Japanese men: the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men (FORMEN) study.

PubMed

Fujita, Y; Iki, M; Tamaki, J; Kouda, K; Yura, A; Kadowaki, E; Sato, Y; Moon, J-S; Tomioka, K; Okamoto, N; Kurumatani, N

2012-02-01

A cross-sectional analysis of 1,662 community dwelling elderly Japanese men suggested that habitual natto intake was significantly associated with higher bone mineral density (BMD). When adjustment was made for undercarboxylated osteocalcin levels, this association was insignificant, showing the natto-bone association to be primarily mediated by vitamin K. Low vitamin K intake is associated with an increased risk of hip fracture, but reports have been inconsistent on its effect on BMD. Our first aim was to examine the association between BMD and intake of fermented soybeans, natto, which contain vitamin K1 (20 μg/pack) and K2 (380 μg/pack). Our second aim was to examine the association between undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC), a biomarker of vitamin K intake, and BMD to evaluate the role of vitamin K in this association. Of the Japanese men aged ≥65 years who participated in the baseline survey of the Fujiwara-kyo Osteoporosis Risk in Men study, 1,662 men without diseases or medications known to affect bone metabolism were examined for associations between self-reported natto intake or serum ucOC levels with lumbar spine or hip BMD. The subjects with greater intake of natto showed significantly lower level of serum ucOC. Analysis after adjustment for confounding variables showed an association of greater intake of natto with both significantly higher BMD and lower risk of low BMD (T-score < -1 SD) at the total hip and femoral neck. This association became insignificant after further adjustment for ucOC level. Habitual intake of natto was associated with a beneficial effect on bone health in elderly men, and this association is primarily due to vitamin K content of natto, although the lack of information on dietary nutrient intake, including vitamin K1 and K2, prevented us from further examining the association.

Competitive short-term and long-term memory processes in spatial habituation.

PubMed

Sanderson, David J; Bannerman, David M

2011-04-01

Exposure to a spatial location leads to habituation of exploration such that, in a novelty preference test, rodents subsequently prefer exploring a novel location to the familiar location. According to Wagner's (1981) theory of memory, short-term and long-term habituation are caused by separate and sometimes opponent processes. In the present study, this dual-process account of memory was tested. Mice received a series of exposure training trials to a location before receiving a novelty preference test. The novelty preference was greater when tested after a short, rather than a long, interval. In contrast, the novelty preference was weaker when exposure training trials were separated by a short, rather than a long interval. Furthermore, it was found that long-term habituation was determined by the independent effects of the amount of exposure training and the number of exposure training trials when factors such as the intertrial interval and the cumulative intertrial interval were controlled. A final experiment demonstrated that a long-term reduction of exploration could be caused by a negative priming effect due to associations formed during exploration. These results provide evidence against a single-process account of habituation and suggest that spatial habituation is determined by both short-term, recency-based memory and long-term, incrementally strengthened memory.

Maternal Habitual Midday Napping Duration and Frequency are Associated with High Birthweight.

PubMed

Zheng, Xiaoxuan; Zhang, Lina; Shen, Lijun; Song, Lulu; Li, Hui; Liu, Bingqing; Li, Yuanyuan; Xia, Wei; Zhang, Bin; Xu, Shunqing; Wang, Youjie

2017-09-05

Habitual midday napping is a common habit in China, especially for pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to examine whether duration and frequency of maternal habitual midday napping were associated with high birthweight (HBW). A total of 10,482 participants from Healthy Baby Cohort were include in our analysis. The information of the mothers and their infants were abstracted from medical records, or obtained from questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of habitual midday napping duration and frequency with HBW. Of the participants, 8,705 (83.0%) reported having habitual midday napping. Duration and frequency of napping had a positive association with HBW without adjustment. After controlling for potential confounders, increasing risk of HBW was observed in participants who napped 1.5-2 hours (OR, 1.50, 95% CI, 1.14, 1.98), and ≥2 hours (OR, 1.35, 95% CI, 1.03, 1.78) compared with no habitual midday napping. Participants who took naps ≥5 days/week had a higher risk of HBW (OR, 1.37, 95% CI, 1.07, 1.77) compared with the women without naps. This suggests that longer (≥1.5 hours) and more frequent (≥5 days/week) maternal habitual midday napping were associated with an increased risk of HBW.

The Association Between Unhealthy Lifestyle Behaviors and the Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Middle-Aged and Older Men.

PubMed

Michishita, Ryoma; Matsuda, Takuro; Kawakami, Shotaro; Kiyonaga, Akira; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Morito, Natsumi; Higaki, Yasuki

2016-07-05

This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged and older men. The subjects included 445 men without a history of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or dialysis treatment, who were not taking medications. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors were evaluated using a standardized self-administered questionnaire and were defined as follows: 1) lack of habitual moderate exercise, 2) lack of daily physical activity, 3) slow walking speed, 4) fast eating speed, 5) late-night dinner, 6) bedtime snacking, and 7) skipping breakfast. The participants were divided into four categories, which were classified into quartile distributions based on the number of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (0-1, 2, 3, and ≥4 unhealthy behaviors). According to a multivariate analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for CKD (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and/or proteinuria) was found to be significantly higher in the ≥4 group than in the 0-1 group (OR 4.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.51-14.40). Moreover, subjects' lack of habitual moderate exercise (OR 3.06; 95% CI, 1.13-8.32) and presence of late-night dinner (OR 2.84; 95% CI, 1.40-5.75) and bedtime snacking behaviors (OR 2.87; 95% CI, 1.27-6.45) were found to be significantly associated with the prevalence of CKD. These results suggest that an accumulation of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, especially those related to lack of habitual moderate exercise and presence of late-night dinner and bedtime snacking may be associated with the prevalence of CKD.

Markers of oxidative stress and erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity in older men and women with differing physical activity.

PubMed

Rowiński, Rafał; Kozakiewicz, Mariusz; Kędziora-Kornatowska, Kornelia; Hübner-Woźniak, Elżbieta; Kędziora, Józef

2013-11-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between markers of oxidative stress and erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity and physical activity in older men and women. The present study included 481 participants (233 men and 248 women) in the age group 65-69 years (127 men and 125 women) and in the age group 90 years and over (106 men and 123 women). The classification of respondents by physical activity was based on answers to the question if, in the past 12 months, they engaged in any pastimes which require physical activity. The systemic oxidative stress status was assessed by measuring plasma iso-PGF2α and protein carbonyl concentration as well as erythrocyte antioxidant enzymes activity, i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR). The concentration of plasma iso-PGF2α and protein carbonyls (CP) was lower in groups of younger men and women compared to the respective older groups. In all examined groups, physical activity resulted in decrease of these oxidative stress markers and simultaneously caused adaptive increase in the erythrocyte SOD activity. Additionally, in active younger men CAT, GPx, and GR activities were higher than in sedentary ones. In conclusion, oxidative stress increase is age-related, but physical activity can reduce oxidative stress markers and induce adaptive increase in the erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity, especially SOD, even in old and very old men and women. © 2013.

Do habituation, host traits and seasonality have an impact on protist and helminth infections of wild western lowland gorillas?

PubMed

Pafčo, Barbora; Benavides, Julio A; Pšenková-Profousová, Ilona; Modrý, David; Červená, Barbora; Shutt, Kathryn A; Hasegawa, Hideo; Fuh, Terence; Todd, Angelique F; Petrželková, Klára J

2017-12-01

Increased anthropogenic activity can result in parasite exchanges and/or general changes in parasite communities, imposing a health risk to great apes. We studied protist and helminth parasites of wild western lowland gorilla groups in different levels of habituation, alongside humans inhabiting Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas in the Central African Republic. Faeces were collected yearly during November and December from 2007 to 2010 and monthly from November 2010 to October 2011. Protist and helminth infections were compared among gorilla groups habituated, under habituation and unhabituated, and the effect of host traits and seasonality was evaluated. Zoonotic potential of parasites found in humans was assessed. No significant differences in clinically important parasites among the groups in different stages of habituation were found, except for Entamoeba spp. However, humans were infected with four taxa which may overlap with taxa found in gorillas. Females were less infected with spirurids, and adults had higher intensities of infection of Mammomonogamus sp. We found seasonal differences in the prevalence of several parasite taxa, but most importantly, the intensity of infection of unidentified strongylids was higher in the dry season. This study highlights that habituation may not necessarily pose a greater risk of protist and helminth infections in gorilla groups.

Auditory Habituation in the Fetus and Neonate: An fMEG Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muenssinger, Jana; Matuz, Tamara; Schleger, Franziska; Kiefer-Schmidt, Isabelle; Goelz, Rangmar; Wacker-Gussmann, Annette; Birbaumer, Niels; Preissl, Hubert

2013-01-01

Habituation--the most basic form of learning--is used to evaluate central nervous system (CNS) maturation and to detect abnormalities in fetal brain development. In the current study, habituation, stimulus specificity and dishabituation of auditory evoked responses were measured in fetuses and newborns using fetal magnetoencephalography (fMEG). An…

Salivary habituation to food stimuli in successful weight loss maintainers, obese and normal-weight adults

PubMed Central

Bond, DS; Raynor, HA; McCaffery, JM; Wing, RR

2017-01-01

Objective Research shows that slower habituation of salivary responses to food stimuli is related to greater energy intake and that obese (Ob) individuals habituate slower than those of normal weight (NW). No study has examined habituation rates in weight loss maintainers (WLMs) who have reduced from obese to normal weight, relative to those who are Ob or NW. Design Salivation to two baseline water trials and 10 lemon-flavored lollipop trials were studied in 14 WLMs, 15 Ob and 18 NW individuals comparable in age, gender and ethnicity. Linear mixed models were used to compare WLMs with Ob and NW groups. Results Salivation in the WLM and NW groups decreased significantly (for both P <0.005) across trials, indicative of habituation. Salivary responses in the Ob group did not habituate (P=0.46). When compared with Ob group, WLMs showed a quicker reduction in salivation (P<0.05). WLM and NW groups did not differ in habituation rate (P=0.49). Conclusions WLMs have habituation rates that are comparable to NW individuals without previous history of obesity, and show quicker habituation than those who are currently obese. These results suggest that physiological responses to food may ‘normalize’ with successful weight loss maintenance. PMID:20010900

Anesthetic effects changeable in habitual drinkers: Mechanistic drug interactions with neuro-active indoleamine-aldehyde condensation products associated with alcoholic beverage consumption.

PubMed

Tsuchiya, Hironori

2016-07-01

Clinicians often experience the reduced efficacy of general and local anesthetics and anesthesia-related drugs in habitual drinkers and chronic alcoholics. However, the mechanistic background underlying such anesthetic tolerance remains unclear. Biogenic indoleamines condense with alcohol-derived aldehydes during fermentation processes and under physiological conditions to produce neuro-active tetrahydro-β-carbolines and β-carbolines, many of which are contained not only in various alcoholic beverages but also in human tissues and body fluids. These indoleamine-aldehyde condensation products are increased in the human body because of their exogenous and endogenous supply enhanced by alcoholic beverage consumption. Since tetrahydro-β-carbolines and β-carbolines target receptors, ion channels and neuronal membranes which are common to anesthetic agents, we propose a hypothesis that they may pharmacodynamically interact at GABAA receptors, NMDA receptors, voltage-gated Na(+) channels and membrane lipid bilayers to attenuate anesthetics-induced positive allosteric GABAA receptor modulation, NMDA receptor antagonism, ion channel blockade and neuronal membrane modification, thereby affecting anesthetic efficacy. The condensation products may also cooperatively interact with ethanol that induces adaptive changes and cross-tolerance to anesthetics and with dopamine-aldehyde adducts that act on GABAA receptors and membrane lipids. Because tetrahydro-β-carbolines and β-carbolines are metabolized to lose or decrease their neuro-activities, induction of the relevant enzymes by habitual drinking could produce an inter-individual difference of drinkers in susceptibility to anesthetic agents. The present hypothesis would also provide a unified framework for different modes of anesthetic action, which are inhibited by neuro-active indoleamine-aldehyde condensation products associated with alcoholic beverage consumption. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Male gender role strain as a barrier to African American men's physical activity.

PubMed

Griffith, Derek M; Gunter, Katie; Allen, Julie Ober

2011-10-01

Despite the potential health consequences, African American men tend to treat their roles as providers, fathers, spouses, and community members as more important than engaging in health behaviors such as physical activity. We conducted 14 exploratory focus groups with 105 urban, middle-aged African American men from the Midwest to examine factors that influence their health behaviors. Thematic content analysis revealed three interrelated barriers to physical activity: (a) work, family, and community commitments and priorities limited time and motivation for engaging in physical activity; (b) physical activity was not a normative individual or social activity and contributed to men prioritizing work and family responsibilities over physical activity; and (c) the effort men exerted in seeking to fulfill the provider role limited their motivation and energy to engage in physical activity. These findings highlight the need for physical activity interventions that consider how health fits in the overall context of men's lives.

Transcriptional Analysis of a Whole-Body Form of Long-Term Habituation in "Aplysia Californica"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Geraldine; Herdegen, Samantha; Schuon, Jonathan; Cyriac, Ashly; Lass, Jamie; Conte, Catherine; Calin-Jageman, Irina E.; Calin-Jageman, Robert J.

2015-01-01

Habituation is the simplest form of learning, but we know little about the transcriptional mechanisms that encode long-term habituation memory. A key obstacle is that habituation is relatively stimulus-specific and is thus encoded in small sets of neurons, providing poor signal/noise ratios for transcriptional analysis. To overcome this obstacle,…

Music and Video Gaming during Breaks: Influence on Habitual versus Goal-Directed Decision Making

PubMed Central

Kuschpel, Maxim S.; Rapp, Michael A.; Heinz, Andreas

2016-01-01

Different systems for habitual versus goal-directed control are thought to underlie human decision-making. Working memory is known to shape these decision-making systems and their interplay, and is known to support goal-directed decision making even under stress. Here, we investigated if and how decision systems are differentially influenced by breaks filled with diverse everyday life activities known to modulate working memory performance. We used a within-subject design where young adults listened to music and played a video game during breaks interleaved with trials of a sequential two-step Markov decision task, designed to assess habitual as well as goal-directed decision making. Based on a neurocomputational model of task performance, we observed that for individuals with a rather limited working memory capacity video gaming as compared to music reduced reliance on the goal-directed decision-making system, while a rather large working memory capacity prevented such a decline. Our findings suggest differential effects of everyday activities on key decision-making processes. PMID:26982326

Music and Video Gaming during Breaks: Influence on Habitual versus Goal-Directed Decision Making.

PubMed

Liu, Shuyan; Schad, Daniel J; Kuschpel, Maxim S; Rapp, Michael A; Heinz, Andreas

2016-01-01

Different systems for habitual versus goal-directed control are thought to underlie human decision-making. Working memory is known to shape these decision-making systems and their interplay, and is known to support goal-directed decision making even under stress. Here, we investigated if and how decision systems are differentially influenced by breaks filled with diverse everyday life activities known to modulate working memory performance. We used a within-subject design where young adults listened to music and played a video game during breaks interleaved with trials of a sequential two-step Markov decision task, designed to assess habitual as well as goal-directed decision making. Based on a neurocomputational model of task performance, we observed that for individuals with a rather limited working memory capacity video gaming as compared to music reduced reliance on the goal-directed decision-making system, while a rather large working memory capacity prevented such a decline. Our findings suggest differential effects of everyday activities on key decision-making processes.

Planned, motivated and habitual hygiene behaviour: an eleven country review.

PubMed

Curtis, Valerie A; Danquah, Lisa O; Aunger, Robert V

2009-08-01

Handwashing with soap (HWWS) may be one of the most cost-effective means of preventing infection in developing countries. However, HWWS is rare in these settings. We reviewed the results of formative research studies from 11 countries so as to understand the planned, motivated and habitual factors involved in HWWS. On average, only 17% of child caretakers HWWS after the toilet. Handwash 'habits' were generally not inculcated at an early age. Key 'motivations' for handwashing were disgust, nurture, comfort and affiliation. Fear of disease generally did not motivate handwashing, except transiently in the case of epidemics such as cholera. 'Plans' involving handwashing included to improve family health and to teach children good manners. Environmental barriers were few as soap was available in almost every household, as was water. Because much handwashing is habitual, self-report of the factors determining it is unreliable. Candidate strategies for promoting HWWS include creating social norms, highlighting disgust of dirty hands and teaching children HWWS as good manners. Dividing the factors that determine health-related behaviour into planned, motivated and habitual categories provides a simple, but comprehensive conceptual model. The habitual aspects of many health-relevant behaviours require further study.

Practice of aerobic sports is associated with better spatial memory in adults and older men.

PubMed

Sánchez-Horcajo, Rubén; Llamas-Alonso, Juan; Cimadevilla, José Manuel

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Cognitive abilities experience diverse age-related changes. Memory complaints are common in aging. The practice of sports is known to benefit brain functioning, improving memory among other abilities. Introduction of virtual reality tasks makes it possible to easily assess cognitive functions such as spatial memory, a hippocampus-dependent cognitive ability. In this study, the authors applied a virtual reality-based task to study spatial reference memory in two groups of men, sportsmen (n=28) and sedentary (n=28), across three different age groups: 50-59, 60-69, and 70-77 years. The data showed that sportsmen outperformed sedentary participants. In addition, there was also a significant effect of the factor age. Hence, older men (70-77 years old) displayed a poorer performance in comparison with the other age groups. These results support the beneficial effect of habitual physical activity in spatial memory.

Butter increased total and LDL cholesterol compared with olive oil but resulted in higher HDL cholesterol compared with a habitual diet.

PubMed

Engel, Sara; Tholstrup, Tine

2015-08-01

Butter is known to have a cholesterol-raising effect and, therefore, has often been included as a negative control in dietary studies, whereas the effect of moderate butter intake has not been elucidated to our knowledge. We compared the effects of moderate butter intake, moderate olive oil intake, and a habitual diet on blood lipids, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), glucose, and insulin. The study was a controlled, double-blinded, randomized 2 × 5-wk crossover dietary intervention study with a 14-d run-in period during which subjects consumed their habitual diets. The study included 47 healthy men and women (mean ± SD total cholesterol: 5.22 ± 0.90 mmol/L) who substituted a part of their habitual diets with 4.5% of energy from butter or refined olive oil. Study subjects were 70% women with a mean age and body mass index (in kg/m²) of 40.4 y and 23.5, respectively. Butter intake increased total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol more than did olive oil intake (P < 0.05) and the run-in period (P < 0.005 and P < 0.05, respectively) and increased HDL cholesterol compared with the run-in period (P < 0.05). No difference in effects was observed for triacylglycerol, hsCRP, insulin, and glucose concentrations. The intake of saturated fatty acids was significantly higher in the butter period than in the olive oil and run-in periods (P < 0.0001). Moderate intake of butter resulted in increases in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol compared with the effects of olive oil intake and a habitual diet (run-in period). Furthermore, moderate butter intake was also followed by an increase in HDL cholesterol compared with the habitual diet. We conclude that hypercholesterolemic people should keep their consumption of butter to a minimum, whereas moderate butter intake may be considered part of the diet in the normocholesterolemic population. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Patterns of HIV testing practices among young gay and bisexual men living in Scotland: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Boydell, Nicola; Buston, Katie; McDaid, Lisa Margaret

2017-08-17

Increasing overall rates, and frequency, of HIV testing in populations at risk is a key public health objective and a critical dimension of HIV prevention efforts. In the UK, men who have sex with men (MSM) remain one of the communities most at risk of HIV and, within this, young gay men are a key risk group. Understanding HIV testing practices is important in the development of interventions to promote testing among young gay and bisexual men. Qualitative interviews were conducted with thirty young gay and bisexual men (aged 18-29) in Scotland. Thematic analysis of men's accounts of their approach to HIV testing identified three overarching patterns of testing: 'habitual', 'reactive' and ' ad hoc'. This qualitative study, the first to explore patterns of HIV testing practices among young gay and bisexual men in the UK, contributes novel findings around the role of social support and 'community' in shaping young men's approaches to HIV testing. The findings suggest that social support can play an important role in encouraging and facilitating HIV testing among young gay men, however, social norms of non-testing also have the potential to act as a barrier to development of a regular routine. Men with habitual testing practices framed HIV testing as both a personal and 'community' responsibility, and more effective than testing in response to risk events or emergent symptoms. Men who reported reactive testing practices described testing for HIV primarily in response to perceived exposure to sexual risk, along with 'transitional moments' such as starting, ending or changes to a relationship. Among young men who reported testing on an ad hoc basis, inconvenience and disruptions to HIV testing practices, particularly where men lacked social support, acted as a barrier to developing a routine of regular testing. Our findings suggest that interventions which seek to increase rates of HIV testing and testing frequency among young gay and bisexual men should include a

Habitual alcohol seeking: modeling the transition from casual drinking to addiction

PubMed Central

Barker, Jacqueline M; Taylor, Jane R

2014-01-01

The transition from goal-directed actions to habitual ethanol seeking models the development of addictive behavior that characterizes alcohol use disorders. The progression to habitual ethanol-seeking behavior occurs more rapidly than for natural rewards, suggesting that ethanol may act on habit circuit to drive the loss of behavioral flexibility. This review will highlight recent research that has focused on the formation and expression of habitual ethanol seeking, and the commonalities and distinctions between ethanol and natural reward-seeking habits, with the goal of highlighting important, understudied research areas that we believe will lead toward the development of novel treatment and prevention strategies for uncontrolled drinking. PMID:25193245

Preventive drugs restore visual evoked habituation and attention in migraineurs.

PubMed

Ince, Ferda; Erdogan-Bakar, Emel; Unal-Cevik, Isin

2017-06-01

Visual system pathway dysfunction has been postulated in migraineurs. We wanted to investigate if any difference exists interictally in visual attention and visual evoked habituation of frequently attacked migraineurs compared to the healthy control group. The effects of 3-month prophylactic migraine treatment on these parameters were also assessed. The migraineurs at headache-free interval (n = 52) and age, sex-matched healthy controls (n = 35) were compared by habituation response to 10 blocks of repetitive pattern-reversal visual stimuli (each block consisted 100 responses). The amplitude changes of 5th and 10th blocks were further compared with that of block 1 to assess the response of habituation (i.e., decrease) or potentiation (i.e., increase). The level of sustained visual attention was assessed by Cancellation test. Migraineurs were randomized to three different preventive treatments: propranolol 40 mg tid, flunarizine 5 mg bid, or topiramate 50 mg bid. After 3 months of preventive treatment, migraineurs data were compared with their baseline values. The groups did not differ by sex and age. In electrophysiological studies, the habituation ability observed in the healthy group was not observed in migraineurs. However, it was restored 3 months after preventive treatment. In migraineurs, compared to their baseline values, the distorted visual attention parameters also improved after treatment. All drugs were effective. The loss of habituation ability and low visual attention performance in migraineurs can be restored by migraine preventive treatment. This electrophysiological study accompanied by neuropsychological test may aid an objective and quantitative assessment tool for understanding migraine pathophysiology.

Amygdala Reactivity and Anterior Cingulate Habituation Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Maintenance After Acute Civilian Trauma.

PubMed

Stevens, Jennifer S; Kim, Ye Ji; Galatzer-Levy, Isaac R; Reddy, Renuka; Ely, Timothy D; Nemeroff, Charles B; Hudak, Lauren A; Jovanovic, Tanja; Rothbaum, Barbara O; Ressler, Kerry J

2017-06-15

Studies suggest that exaggerated amygdala reactivity is a vulnerability factor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, our understanding is limited by a paucity of prospective, longitudinal studies. Recent studies in healthy samples indicate that, relative to reactivity, habituation is a more reliable biomarker of individual differences in amygdala function. We investigated reactivity of the amygdala and cortical areas to repeated threat presentations in a prospective study of PTSD. Participants were recruited from the emergency department of a large level I trauma center within 24 hours of trauma. PTSD symptoms were assessed at baseline and approximately 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after trauma. Growth curve modeling was used to estimate symptom recovery trajectories. Thirty-one individuals participated in functional magnetic resonance imaging around the 1-month assessment, passively viewing fearful and neutral face stimuli. Reactivity (fearful > neutral) and habituation to fearful faces was examined. Amygdala reactivity, but not habituation, 5 to 12 weeks after trauma was positively associated with the PTSD symptom intercept and predicted symptoms at 12 months after trauma. Habituation in the ventral anterior cingulate cortex was positively associated with the slope of PTSD symptoms, such that decreases in ventral anterior cingulate cortex activation over repeated presentations of fearful stimuli predicted increasing symptoms. Findings point to neural signatures of risk for maintaining PTSD symptoms after trauma exposure. Specifically, chronic symptoms were predicted by amygdala hyperreactivity, and poor recovery was predicted by a failure to maintain ventral anterior cingulate cortex activation in response to fearful stimuli. The importance of identifying patients at risk after trauma exposure is discussed. Copyright © 2017 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Association between habitual dietary intake and lipoprotein subclass profile in healthy young adults.

PubMed

Bogl, L H; Pietiläinen, K H; Rissanen, A; Kangas, A J; Soininen, P; Rose, R J; Ala-Korpela, M; Kaprio, J

2013-11-01

Nutritional epidemiology is increasingly shifting its focus from studying single nutrients to the exploration of the whole diet utilizing dietary pattern analysis. We analyzed associations between habitual diet (including macronutrients, dietary patterns, biomarker of fish intake) and lipoprotein particle subclass profile in young adults. Complete dietary data (food-frequency questionnaire) and lipoprotein subclass profile (via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) were available for 663 subjects from the population-based FinnTwin12 study (57% women, age: 21-25 y). The serum docosahexaenoic to total fatty acid ratio was used as a biomarker of habitual fish consumption. Factor analysis identified 5 dietary patterns: "Fruit and vegetables", "Meat", "Sweets and desserts", "Junk food" and "Fish". After adjustment for sex, age, body mass index, waist circumference, physical activity, smoking status and alcohol intake, the "Junk food" pattern was positively related to serum triglycerides (r = 0.12, P = 0.002), a shift in the subclass distribution of VLDL toward larger particles (r = 0.12 for VLDL size, P < 0.001) and LDL toward smaller particles (r = -0.15 for LDL size, P < 0.001). In addition, higher scores on this pattern were positively correlated with concentrations of small, dense HDL (r = 0.16, P < 0.001). Habitual fish intake associated negatively with VLDL particle diameter ("Fish" pattern and biomarker) and positively with HDL particle diameter (biomarker). Our results suggest that in young adults, higher habitual fish consumption is related to favorable subclass distributions of VLDL and HDL, while junk food intake is associated with unfavorable alterations in the distribution of all lipoprotein subclasses independent of adiposity and other lifestyle factors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Physical Activity in Older Men: Longitudinal Associations with Inflammatory and Hemostatic Biomarkers, N-Terminal Pro-Brain Natriuretic Peptide, and Onset of Coronary Heart Disease and Mortality

PubMed Central

Jefferis, Barbara J; Whincup, Peter H; Lennon, Lucy T; Papacosta, Olia; Goya Wannamethee, S

2014-01-01

Objectives To examine associations between habitual physical activity (PA) and changes in PA and onset of coronary heart disease (CHD) and the pathways linking PA to CHD. Design British Regional Heart Study population-based cohort; men completed questionnaires in 1996 and 1998 to 2000, attended rescreen in 1998 to 2000, and were followed up to June 2010. Setting Community. Participants Of 4,252 men recruited from primary care centers (77% of those invited and eligible) who were rescreened in 1998 to 2000, 3,320 were ambulatory and free from CHD, stroke, and heart failure and participated in the current study. Measurements Usual PA (regular walking and cycling, recreational activity and sport). Outcome was first fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction. Results In 3,320 ambulatory men, 303 first and 184 fatal CHD events occurred during a median of 11 years of follow-up; 9% reported no usual PA, 23% occasional PA, and 68% light or more-intense PA. PA was inversely associated with novel risk markers C-reactive protein, D-dimer, von Willebrand Factor and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Compared with no usual PA, hazard ratios (HRs) for CHD events, adjusted for age and region, were 0.52 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.34–0.79) for occasional PA, 0.47 (95% CI = 0.30–0.74) for light PA, 0.51 (95% CI = 0.32–0.82) for moderate PA, and 0.44 (95% CI = 0.29–0.65) for moderately vigorous or vigorous PA (P for linear trend = .004). Adjustment for established and novel risk markers somewhat attenuated HRs and abolished linear trends. Compared with men who remained inactive, men who maintained at least light PA had an HR for CHD events of 0.73 (95% CI = 0.53–1.02) and men whose PA level increased had an HR of 0.86 (95% CI = 0.55–1.35). Conclusion Even light PA was associated with significantly lower risk of CHD events in healthy older men, partly through inflammatory and hemostatic mechanisms and cardiac function (NT-proBNP). PMID

Emotional outlook on life predicts increases in physical activity among initially inactive men.

PubMed

Baruth, Meghan; Lee, Duck-Chul; Sui, Xuemei; Church, Timothy S; Marcus, Bess H; Wilcox, Sara; Blair, Steven N

2011-04-01

This study examined the relationship between emotional outlook on life and change in physical activity among inactive adults in the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study. A total of 2,132 sedentary adults completed a baseline medical examination and returned for a follow-up examination at least 6 months later. Participants self-reported physical activity level and emotional outlook on life. Emotional outlook on life was significantly and positively related to physical activity participation at the follow-up visit in men but not women. Men who were usually very happy and optimistic at baseline had significantly greater increases in physical activity compared to men who were not happy. Men with a more positive outlook on life (e.g., happier) may be more likely to increase physical activity levels. Physical activity interventions targeting men may be more successful if they first increase happiness.

Neural responsivity during soft drink intake, anticipation, and advertisement exposure in habitually consuming youth.

PubMed

Burger, Kyle S; Stice, Eric

2014-02-01

Although soft drinks are heavily advertised, widely consumed, and have been associated with obesity, little is understood regarding neural responsivity to soft drink intake, anticipated intake, and advertisements. Functional MRI was used to assess examine neural response to carbonated soft drink intake, anticipated intake and advertisement exposure as well as milkshake intake in 27 adolescents that varied on soft drink consumer status. Intake and anticipated intake of carbonated Coke® activated regions implicated in gustatory, oral somatosensory, and reward processing, yet high-fat/sugar milkshake intake elicited greater activation in these regions vs. Coke intake. Advertisements highlighting the Coke product vs. nonfood control advertisements, but not the Coke logo, activated gustatory and visual brain regions. Habitual Coke consumers vs. nonconsumers showed greater posterior cingulate responsivity to Coke logo ads, suggesting that the logo is a conditioned cue. Coke consumers exhibited less ventrolateral prefrontal cortex responsivity during anticipated Coke intake relative to nonconsumers. Results indicate that soft drinks activate reward and gustatory regions, but are less potent in activating these regions than high-fat/sugar beverages, and imply that habitual soft drink intake promotes hyper-responsivity of regions encoding salience/attention toward brand specific cues and hypo-responsivity of inhibitory regions while anticipating intake. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society.

Neural responsivity during soft drink intake, anticipation, and advertisement exposure in habitually consuming youth

PubMed Central

Burger, Kyle S.; Stice, Eric

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE Although soft drinks are heavily advertised, widely consumed, and have been associated with obesity, little is understood regarding neural responsivity to soft drink intake, anticipated intake, and advertisements. METHODS Functional MRI was used to assess examine neural response to carbonated soft drink intake, anticipated intake and advertisement exposure as well as milkshake intake in 27 adolescents that varied on soft drink consumer status. RESULTS Intake and anticipated intake of carbonated Coke® activated regions implicated in gustatory, oral somatosensory, and reward processing, yet high-fat/sugar milkshake intake elicited greater activation in these regions versus Coke intake. Advertisements highlighting the Coke product vs. non-food control advertisements, but not the Coke logo, activated gustatory and visual brain regions. Habitual Coke consumers vs. non-consumers showed greater posterior cingulate responsivity to Coke logo ads, suggesting that the logo is a conditioned cue. Coke consumers exhibited less ventrolateral prefrontal cortex responsivity during anticipated Coke intake relative to non-consumers. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that soft drinks activate reward and gustatory regions, but are less potent in activating these regions than high-fat/sugar beverages, and imply that habitual soft drink intake promotes hyper-responsivity of regions encoding salience/attention toward brand specific cues and hypo-responsivity of inhibitory regions while anticipating intake. PMID:23836764

Risk of glucose intolerance and gestational diabetes mellitus in relation to maternal habitual snoring during early pregnancy.

PubMed

Qiu, Chunfang; Lawrence, Wayne; Gelaye, Bizu; Stoner, Lee; Frederick, Ihunnaya O; Enquobahrie, Daniel A; Sorensen, Tanya K; Williams, Michelle A

2017-01-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or habitual snoring is known to be associated with impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes among both men and non-pregnant women. We examined the association of habitual snoring during early pregnancy with risk of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). A cohort of 1,579 women was interviewed during early pregnancy. We collected information about snoring frequency during early pregnancy. Results from screening and diagnostic tests for IGT and GDM were abstracted from medical records. Multivariate logistic regression models were fitted to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of IGT and GDM associated with snoring in early pregnancy. Overall, women who snored "most or all of the time" had a 2.1-fold increased odds of IGT (OR 2.10; 95% CI 1.31-3.35) and a 2.5-fold increased odds of GDM (OR 2.50; 95% CI 1.34-4.67) as compared with women who never snored. Compared with lean women (pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) <25 kg/m2) who did not snore, lean snorers had a 2-fold increased odds of GDM (OR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.07-3.68). The odds of GDM risk was particularly elevated among overweight women (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) who snored (OR = 5.01; 95% CI 2.71-9.26). However, there was no evidence of an interaction between overweight and snoring with GDM risk (p-value = 0.144). These findings, if confirmed, may have important implications for tailoring prenatal care for overweight pregnant women, and /or those with a history of habitual snoring in early pregnancy.

Keeping Active and Healthy Eating for Men

MedlinePlus

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Sexual assertiveness in heterosexually active men: a test of three samples.

PubMed

Noar, Seth M; Morokoff, Patricia J; Redding, Colleen A

2002-08-01

Heterosexually active men have great potential to increase condom use rates during sexual encounters. However, this potential cannot be realized if men are not assertive with their partners regarding condom use. This study reports on the examination of condom-specific sexual assertiveness (SA) in three independent samples of heterosexually active men. In so doing, a reliable and brief four-item measure of SA was developed from a measure previously used with women. Across all three samples, those with higher SA were significantly more likely to be further along the condom stages of change, and significantly less likely to have engaged in unprotected sex. Results suggest that SA is a meaningful construct for men and that increasing SA in men may result in subsequent increases in safer sexual behaviors.

Habituation deficit of auditory N100m in patients with fibromyalgia.

PubMed

Choi, W; Lim, M; Kim, J S; Chung, C K

2016-11-01

Habituation refers to the brain's inhibitory mechanism against sensory overload and its brain correlate has been investigated in the form of a well-defined event-related potential, N100 (N1). Fibromyalgia is an extensively described chronic pain syndrome with concurrent manifestations of reduced tolerance and enhanced sensation of painful and non-painful stimulation, suggesting an association with central amplification of all sensory domains. Among diverse sensory modalities, we utilized repetitive auditory stimulation to explore the anomalous sensory information processing in fibromyalgia as evidenced by N1 habituation. Auditory N1 was assessed in 19 fibromyalgia patients and age-, education- and gender-matched 21 healthy control subjects under the duration-deviant passive oddball paradigm and magnetoencephalography recording. The brain signal of the first standard stimulus (following each deviant) and last standard stimulus (preceding each deviant) were analysed to identify N1 responses. N1 amplitude difference and adjusted amplitude ratio were computed as habituation indices. Fibromyalgia patients showed lower N1 amplitude difference (left hemisphere: p = 0.004; right hemisphere: p = 0.034) and adjusted N1 amplitude ratio (left hemisphere: p = 0.001; right hemisphere: p = 0.052) than healthy control subjects, indicating deficient auditory habituation. Further, augmented N1 amplitude pattern (p = 0.029) during the stimulus repetition was observed in fibromyalgia patients. Fibromyalgia patients failed to demonstrate auditory N1 habituation to repetitively presenting stimuli, which indicates their compromised early auditory information processing. Our findings provide neurophysiological evidence of inhibitory failure and cortical augmentation in fibromyalgia. WHAT'S ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS TOPIC?: Fibromyalgia has been associated with altered filtering of irrelevant somatosensory input. However, whether this abnormality can extend to the auditory sensory

Planned, motivated and habitual hygiene behaviour: an eleven country review

PubMed Central

Curtis, Valerie A.; Danquah, Lisa O.; Aunger, Robert V.

2009-01-01

Handwashing with soap (HWWS) may be one of the most cost-effective means of preventing infection in developing countries. However, HWWS is rare in these settings. We reviewed the results of formative research studies from 11 countries so as to understand the planned, motivated and habitual factors involved in HWWS. On average, only 17% of child caretakers HWWS after the toilet. Handwash ‘habits’ were generally not inculcated at an early age. Key ‘motivations’ for handwashing were disgust, nurture, comfort and affiliation. Fear of disease generally did not motivate handwashing, except transiently in the case of epidemics such as cholera. ‘Plans’ involving handwashing included to improve family health and to teach children good manners. Environmental barriers were few as soap was available in almost every household, as was water. Because much handwashing is habitual, self-report of the factors determining it is unreliable. Candidate strategies for promoting HWWS include creating social norms, highlighting disgust of dirty hands and teaching children HWWS as good manners. Dividing the factors that determine health-related behaviour into planned, motivated and habitual categories provides a simple, but comprehensive conceptual model. The habitual aspects of many health-relevant behaviours require further study. PMID:19286894

Habitual coffee consumption enhances attention and vigilance in hemodialysis patients.

PubMed

Nikić, Petar M; Andrić, Branislav R; Stojimirović, Biljana B; Trbojevic-Stanković, Jasna; Bukumirić, Zoran

2014-01-01

Coffee drinking is the main source of caffeine intake among adult population in the western world. It has been reported that low to moderate caffeine intake has beneficial effect on alertness and cognitive functions in healthy subjects. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of habitual coffee consumption on cognitive function in hemodialysis patients. In a cross-sectional study, 86 patients from a single-dialysis centre underwent assessment by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool and evaluation for symptoms of fatigue, mood, and sleep disorders by well-validated questionnaires. The habitual coffee use and the average daily caffeine intake were estimated by participants' response to a dietary questionnaire. Sixty-seven subjects (78%) consumed black coffee daily, mostly in low to moderate dose. Cognitive impairment was found in three-quarters of tested patients. Normal mental performance was more often in habitual coffee users (25% versus 16%). Regular coffee drinkers achieved higher mean scores on all tested cognitive domains, but a significant positive correlation was found only for items that measure attention and concentration (P = 0.024). Moderate caffeine intake by habitual coffee consumption could have beneficial impact on cognitive function in hemodialysis patients due to selective enhancement of attention and vigilance.

Habituation of medaka (Oryzias latipes) demonstrated by open-field testing.

PubMed

Matsunaga, Wataru; Watanabe, Eiji

2010-10-01

Habituation to novel environments is frequently studied to analyze cognitive phenotypes in animals, and an open-field test is generally conducted to investigate the changes that occur in animals during habituation. The test has not been used in behavioral studies of medaka (Oryzias latipes), which is recently being used in behavioral research. Therefore, we examined the open-field behavior of medaka on the basis of temporal changes in 2 conventional indexes of locomotion and position. The findings of our study clearly showed that medaka changed its behavior through multiple temporal phases as it became more familiar with new surroundings; this finding is consistent with those of other ethological studies in animals. During repeated open-field testing on 2 consecutive days, we observed that horizontal locomotion on the second day was less than that on the first day, which suggested that habituation is retained in fish for days. This temporal habituation was critically affected by water factors or visual cues of the tank, thereby suggesting that fish have spatial memory of their surroundings. Thus, the data from this study will afford useful fundamental information for behavioral phenotyping of medaka and for elucidating cognitive phenotypes in animals. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Habitual Coffee Consumption Enhances Attention and Vigilance in Hemodialysis Patients

PubMed Central

Nikić, Petar M.; Andrić, Branislav R.; Stojimirović, Biljana B.; Trbojevic-Stanković, Jasna; Bukumirić, Zoran

2014-01-01

Objective. Coffee drinking is the main source of caffeine intake among adult population in the western world. It has been reported that low to moderate caffeine intake has beneficial effect on alertness and cognitive functions in healthy subjects. The aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of habitual coffee consumption on cognitive function in hemodialysis patients. Methods. In a cross-sectional study, 86 patients from a single-dialysis centre underwent assessment by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool and evaluation for symptoms of fatigue, mood, and sleep disorders by well-validated questionnaires. The habitual coffee use and the average daily caffeine intake were estimated by participants' response to a dietary questionnaire. Results. Sixty-seven subjects (78%) consumed black coffee daily, mostly in low to moderate dose. Cognitive impairment was found in three-quarters of tested patients. Normal mental performance was more often in habitual coffee users (25% versus 16%). Regular coffee drinkers achieved higher mean scores on all tested cognitive domains, but a significant positive correlation was found only for items that measure attention and concentration (P = 0.024). Conclusions. Moderate caffeine intake by habitual coffee consumption could have beneficial impact on cognitive function in hemodialysis patients due to selective enhancement of attention and vigilance. PMID:24895603

The association of falls and various physical activities in Chinese nonagenarians/centenarians.

PubMed

Hao, Qiukui; Yang, Ming; Luo, Li; Hai, Shan; Ding, Xiang; Dong, Birong

2015-01-01

Little is known about the relationship between falls and various physical activities in the oldest old people. This study was conducted to observe the association of fall with various exercise habits and farm work in very old people. In this cross-sectional study of a Chinese cohort of men and women aged 90-108 years, we observed the association of fall with habitual (current and former) farm work and exercise in very old people. The population included 805 unrelated Chinese nonagenarians and centenarians (68.94% of the subjects were women, with a mean age of 93.70 years). In the women, the subjects with a continuing exercise habit had a significantly lower prevalence of fall than those without an exercise habit; the subjects who had never exercised had a significantly higher prevalence of fall than those who exercised. In men, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of these habits between the subjects with and without fall. After adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, educational levels, life styles, vision levels and temperament, we found that current habitual farm work (OR=1.755 95% CI (1.107, 2.780)) and exercise OR=0.666 95% CI (0.445, 0.997) had a significant odds ratio for fall; among the females, continuing exercise (vs. having never exercised) had a significant odds ratio for fall (OR=0.620 95% CI (0.395, 0.973)). Habitual farm work might be positively associated with fall; however, habitual exercise might be negatively associated with fall in Chinese long-lived old people. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does acute or habitual protein deprivation influence liking for monosodium glutamate?

PubMed

Masic, Una; Yeomans, Martin R

2017-03-15

The umami flavour generated by monosodium glutamate (MSG) has been proposed as the marker for the presence of protein in foods. As protein is the most closely regulated macronutrient in the diet, the present study addressed whether acute protein deprivation, habitual protein intake or a combination of the two influenced liking for the taste of MSG. 24 low-restraint male participants (mean age: 22; BMI: 23) consumed either their habitual breakfast (baseline), a low protein breakfast (breakfast meal with low protein milk and milkshake) or a high protein breakfast (breakfast meal with high protein milk and milkshake) on three different days, and then evaluated the acceptability of umami (MSG), salty (NaCl) or sweet (Acesulphame K) tastes at low or high concentrations in a soup context at lunchtime. Participants also completed a habitual protein intake questionnaire (39-item protein Food Frequency Questionnaire). Liking for all tastes was higher on the low than on the high protein day, and NaCl and Acesulphame K were liked less on both protein manipulation days when compared to the no added flavour control. Habitual protein intake was not related to liking for MSG stimuli alone but habitual high protein consumers rated a high concentration of MSG as more pleasant than any other taste when in protein deficit. Overall, these findings suggest that liking for high MSG concentrations may be moderated by nutritional need in high protein consumers. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sunlight irradiance and habituation of visual evoked potentials in migraine: The environment makes its mark.

PubMed

Lisicki, Marco; D'Ostilio, Kevin; Erpicum, Michel; Schoenen, Jean; Magis, Delphine

2017-01-01

Background Migraine is a complex multifactorial disease that arises from the interaction between a genetic predisposition and an enabling environment. Habituation is considered as a fundamental adaptive behaviour of the nervous system that is often impaired in migraine populations. Given that migraineurs are hypersensitive to light, and that light deprivation is able to induce functional changes in the visual cortex recognizable through visual evoked potentials habituation testing, we hypothesized that regional sunlight irradiance levels could influence the results of visual evoked potentials habituation studies performed in different locations worldwide. Methods We searched the literature for visual evoked potentials habituation studies comparing healthy volunteers and episodic migraine patients and correlated their results with levels of local solar radiation. Results After reviewing the literature, 26 studies involving 1291 participants matched our inclusion criteria. Deficient visual evoked potentials habituation in episodic migraine patients was reported in 19 studies. Mean yearly sunlight irradiance was significantly higher in locations of studies reporting deficient habituation. Correlation analyses suggested that visual evoked potentials habituation decreases with increasing sunlight irradiance in migraine without aura patients. Conclusion Results from this hypothesis generating analysis suggest that variations in sunlight irradiance may induce adaptive modifications in visual processing systems that could be reflected in visual evoked potentials habituation, and thus partially account for the difference in results between studies performed in geographically distant centers. Other causal factors such as genetic differences could also play a role, and therefore well-designed prospective trials are warranted.

Determinants of modern contraceptive use among sexually active men in Kenya.

PubMed

Ochako, Rhoune; Temmerman, Marleen; Mbondo, Mwende; Askew, Ian

2017-04-27

Research in Kenya has focussed on family planning from women's perspectives, with the aim of helping reduce the burden of unintended pregnancies. As such, the determinants of modern contraceptive use among sexually active women are well documented. However, the perspectives of men should be considered not only as women's partners, but also as individuals with distinct reproductive histories and desires of their own. This study seeks to understand the determinants of modern contraceptive use among sexually active men, by exploring factors that are correlated with modern contraceptive use. The data source is the nationally representative 2014 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) of men aged 15-54 years. The analysis is restricted to 9,514 men who reported being sexually active in the past 12 months prior to the survey, as they were likely to report either doing something or not to avoid or delay pregnancy. We use bivariate and multinomial logistic regression to assess factors that influence modern contraceptive use among sexually active men. Findings from the bivariate and multinomial logistic regression indicate that region of residence, marital status, religion, wealth, interaction with a health care provider, fertility preference, number of sexual partners and access to media were all significantly associated with modern contraceptive use among sexually active men. Provider-client interaction as well as dissemination of information through mass media has the potential to increase knowledge and uptake of modern contraceptives. Similar efforts targeting segments of the population where contraceptive uptake is low are recommended.

Individual variation in habituation: behaviour over time toward different stimuli in threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

PubMed Central

Bell, Alison M.; Peeke, Harman V.S.

2014-01-01

Habituation, or the relatively permanent waning of a response as a result of repeated stimulation, is a form of behavioural plasticity that allows animals to filter out irrelevant stimuli and to focus selectively on important stimuli. Individuals that fail to habituate might be at a disadvantage if they continue to respond to irrelevant stimuli; therefore, habituation can have adaptive significance. In this study we compared rates of behaviour over time toward three different ecologically-relevant stimuli (food, a male intruder and a gravid female) in threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). We detected evidence for habituation to the stimuli, and males in this study were especially aggressive toward both male and female conspecifics. Although there were some clear temporal patterns that could be detected by looking at average behaviour, not all individuals behaved in the same ‘average’ way. We detected substantial inter-individual variation in behaviour toward all three stimuli, inter-individual variation in rates of habituation to both male and female conspecifics, but no evidence for correlations between behaviours across stimuli (behavioural syndromes). These results suggest that individual animals vary in rates of habituation, and prompt hypotheses about the causes and consequences of variation in rates of habituation. PMID:25678715

The Association Between Unhealthy Lifestyle Behaviors and the Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in Middle-Aged and Older Men

PubMed Central

Michishita, Ryoma; Matsuda, Takuro; Kawakami, Shotaro; Kiyonaga, Akira; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Morito, Natsumi; Higaki, Yasuki

2016-01-01

Background This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged and older men. Methods The subjects included 445 men without a history of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or dialysis treatment, who were not taking medications. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviors were evaluated using a standardized self-administered questionnaire and were defined as follows: 1) lack of habitual moderate exercise, 2) lack of daily physical activity, 3) slow walking speed, 4) fast eating speed, 5) late-night dinner, 6) bedtime snacking, and 7) skipping breakfast. The participants were divided into four categories, which were classified into quartile distributions based on the number of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (0–1, 2, 3, and ≥4 unhealthy behaviors). Results According to a multivariate analysis, the odds ratio (OR) for CKD (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and/or proteinuria) was found to be significantly higher in the ≥4 group than in the 0–1 group (OR 4.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.51–14.40). Moreover, subjects’ lack of habitual moderate exercise (OR 3.06; 95% CI, 1.13–8.32) and presence of late-night dinner (OR 2.84; 95% CI, 1.40–5.75) and bedtime snacking behaviors (OR 2.87; 95% CI, 1.27–6.45) were found to be significantly associated with the prevalence of CKD. Conclusions These results suggest that an accumulation of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, especially those related to lack of habitual moderate exercise and presence of late-night dinner and bedtime snacking may be associated with the prevalence of CKD. PMID:26947951

Habituation contributes to the decline in wheel running within wheel-running reinforcement periods.

PubMed

Belke, Terry W; McLaughlin, Ryan J

2005-02-28

Habituation appears to play a role in the decline in wheel running within an interval. Aoyama and McSweeney [Aoyama, K., McSweeney, F.K., 2001. Habituation contributes to within-session changes in free wheel running. J. Exp. Anal. Behav. 76, 289-302] showed that when a novel stimulus was presented during a 30-min interval, wheel-running rates following the stimulus increased to levels approximating those earlier in the interval. The present study sought to assess the role of habituation in the decline in running that occurs over a briefer interval. In two experiments, rats responded on fixed-interval 30-s schedules for the opportunity to run for 45 s. Forty reinforcers were completed in each session. In the first experiment, the brake and chamber lights were repeatedly activated and inactivated after 25 s of a reinforcement interval had elapsed to assess the effect on running within the remaining 20 s. Presentations of the brake/light stimulus occurred during nine randomly determined reinforcement intervals in a session. In the second experiment, a 110 dB tone was emitted after 25 s of the reinforcement interval. In both experiments, presentation of the stimulus produced an immediate decline in running that dissipated over sessions. No increase in running following the stimulus was observed in the first experiment until the stimulus-induced decline dissipated. In the second experiment, increases in running were observed following the tone in the first session as well as when data were averaged over several sessions. In general, the results concur with the assertion that habituation plays a role in the decline in wheel running that occurs within both long and short intervals. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors among Chilean young men and women].

PubMed

Arteaga, Antonio; Bustos, Patricia; Soto, Rodrigo; Velasco, Nicolás; Amigo, Hugo

2010-10-01

Physical activity (PA) has a protective role in cardiovascular diseases. To quantify PA in young adults and to correlate it with cardiovascular risk factors. A cross-sectional study was performed employing the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ), to measure the PA of 983 randomly selected young adults from Valparaiso region born between 1974 and 1978. Its results were associated with levels of obesity, insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors defined by the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP- ATP III) RESULTS: Mean physical activity among men and women was 3731 ± 3923 and 1360 ± 2303 METs-minutes/week, respectively (p < 0.001). Fifty percent of women and 21.5% of men had an insufficient level of physical activity (p < 0.001). Sixty percent of men and 23.4% of women had an intense level of physical activity (p < 0.001). There was an inverse association of physical activity and insulin resistance. A high physical activity was protective, specially among men, against a low HDL cholesterol level and high triglyceride levels with Odds Ratios of 0.59 (confidence interval (CI): 0,35-0.98) and 0.49 (CI: 0,27-0,87) respectively, after adjusting for body mass index and age. In this sample, men had higher levels of physical activity, that was protective against insulin resistance and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors.

Beyond ‘MSM’: Sexual Desire Among Bisexually-Active Latino Men in New York City

PubMed Central

Muñoz-Laboy, Miguel A.

2015-01-01

Latino male bisexuality has been studied for the most part with a focus on men who have sex with men (MSM) and with little attention to sexual desire. The goal of this article is to present a comprehensive understanding of how sexual desire is organized, enacted through sexual activity, and interpreted in the sexual lives of bisexually-active Latino men. To achieve this aim, an analysis was made of 18 sexual histories of bisexually active Latino men who participated in a two-year ethnographic study. Four configurations of sexual desire were constructed to reflect what was found in this population of bisexually-active Latino men: (a) lifetime homoerotic desire and casual sex with women; (b) lifetime heteroerotic desire, but commercial sex with men; (c) lifetime heteroerotic/transgender desire; (d) lifetime sexual desire for women and men. These configurations are explored in detail in this article. The analysis presented here is intended to offer insights into the overall study of Latino male bisexuality and into the foundations for the design of HIV and STI prevention programs directed toward bisexually-active Latino men and their partners. PMID:26412977

Effect of interpersonal and cognitive stressors on habituation and the utility of heart rate variability to measure habituation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interpersonal stressors promote eating. Habituation to the sensory properties of a food slows or stops motivated responding for a food. Stress may increase eating by acting as a dishabituator that prolongs responding for a food. Mental arithmetic (memory requirements), Stroop task (cognitive disson...

Foetal response to maternal coffee intake: role of habitual versus non-habitual caffeine consumption.

PubMed

Mulder, E J H; Tegaldo, L; Bruschettini, P; Visser, G H A

2010-11-01

Little is known about the effect on the human foetus of long-term and acute exposure to caffeine. We studied the organisation of foetal sleep-wake states in 13 healthy near-term foetuses over a wide range of maternal plasma caffeine concentrations (0-13 μg/mL) reflecting normal lifestyle conditions (day 0) and again following intake of two cups of regular coffee (~300 mg of caffeine) intermitted by 50 h of abstinence (day 2; acute effects). On either day, 2 h simultaneous recordings were made of foetal heart rate, general-, eye-, and breathing-movements. The recordings were analysed for the presence of each of four foetal behavioural states: quiet- and active-sleep, quiet- and active-wakefulness. There was a linear relationship between maternal caffeine content and the incidence of foetal general movements during active sleep on day 0 (R = 0.74; P < 0.02). After coffee loading on day 2, foetuses of non- or low-caffeine consumers showed increases in active wakefulness (P < 0.001), general movements (P < 0.05) and heart rate variation (P < 0.01) but lower basal heart rate (P < 0.01) compared with their day 0 values. The changes in foetal heart rate (variation) and behaviour occurred between 90 and 180 min post-consumption. In contrast, foetuses of habitual caffeine consumers remained unaffected suggestive of foetal tolerance to caffeine. The results indicate differential performance between foetuses regularly exposed to caffeine and those caffeine-naive, both under normal maternal lifestyle conditions and in response to maternal coffee ingestion.

Habituation based synaptic plasticity and organismic learning in a quantum perovskite.

PubMed

Zuo, Fan; Panda, Priyadarshini; Kotiuga, Michele; Li, Jiarui; Kang, Mingu; Mazzoli, Claudio; Zhou, Hua; Barbour, Andi; Wilkins, Stuart; Narayanan, Badri; Cherukara, Mathew; Zhang, Zhen; Sankaranarayanan, Subramanian K R S; Comin, Riccardo; Rabe, Karin M; Roy, Kaushik; Ramanathan, Shriram

2017-08-14

A central characteristic of living beings is the ability to learn from and respond to their environment leading to habit formation and decision making. This behavior, known as habituation, is universal among all forms of life with a central nervous system, and is also observed in single-cell organisms that do not possess a brain. Here, we report the discovery of habituation-based plasticity utilizing a perovskite quantum system by dynamical modulation of electron localization. Microscopic mechanisms and pathways that enable this organismic collective charge-lattice interaction are elucidated by first-principles theory, synchrotron investigations, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and in situ environmental breathing studies. We implement a learning algorithm inspired by the conductance relaxation behavior of perovskites that naturally incorporates habituation, and demonstrate learning to forget: a key feature of animal and human brains. Incorporating this elementary skill in learning boosts the capability of neural computing in a sequential, dynamic environment.Habituation is a learning mechanism that enables control over forgetting and learning. Zuo, Panda et al., demonstrate adaptive synaptic plasticity in SmNiO 3 perovskites to address catastrophic forgetting in a dynamic learning environment via hydrogen-induced electron localization.

Challenges and motivators to physical activity faced by retired men when ageing: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Bredland, Ebba Langum; Söderström, Sylvia; Vik, Kjersti

2018-05-15

Active ageing reflects the message from World Health Organisation about addressing the challenge faced by the rapidly ageing population. Knowledge about barriers and facilitators to an active lifestyle must be given more attention. In addition, men seem to participate less in cultural activities and less in fall-prevention groups than women do. When mostly women work with the elderly in primary care, one might question whether the activities offered to older men meet their activity preferences. The aim of this study is to provide new knowledge about challenges and motivators encountered by retired men in maintaining physical activity when ageing. Nine retired men, aged between 66 and 83, wrote a Time Geographic Diary for 7 days each. Two focus group discussions with the men were held. A Systemic Text Condensation was used to analyse the data. The analyses identified three categories to describe challenges in being physical active: differences between men and women; meaningful physical activity; and environmental - especially socio-cultural - constraints. Motivating conditions were seen as: new activities to get younger friends, and more information about how to cope. To achieve the aim of active ageing, service providers as well as local authorities need to have a better understanding of the challenges retired men encounter when ageing. This study highlights vital aspects of the challenges faced by retired men in maintaining their physical activity level.

[The effects of marital communication and social activity on alienation in married women and men].

PubMed

Ito, Y; Ikeda, M; Kawaura, Y

1999-04-01

Effects of marital communication and friendship- and job-related social activities on emotional support and alienation among married women and men were examined. Causal analyses of questionnaire responses by 259 women and 185 men indicated that for both women and men, richness of marital communication made the spouse more important as the agent of emotional support, and at the same time decreased alienation. Job-related activities decreased women's alienation, while they tended to increase men's alienation. Men's social activities had a negative influence on their marital relation. In short, women and men appeared to seek different psychological functions in social activities, which in turn determined their levels of alienation.

Aging affects the balance between goal-guided and habitual spatial attention.

PubMed

Twedell, Emily L; Koutstaal, Wilma; Jiang, Yuhong V

2017-08-01

Visual clutter imposes significant challenges to older adults in everyday tasks and often calls on selective processing of relevant information. Previous research has shown that both visual search habits and task goals influence older adults' allocation of spatial attention, but has not examined the relative impact of these two sources of attention when they compete. To examine how aging affects the balance between goal-driven and habitual attention, and to inform our understanding of different attentional subsystems, we tested young and older adults in an adapted visual search task involving a display laid flat on a desk. To induce habitual attention, unbeknownst to participants, the target was more often placed in one quadrant than in the others. All participants rapidly acquired habitual attention toward the high-probability quadrant. We then informed participants where the high-probability quadrant was and instructed them to search that screen location first-but pitted their habit-based, viewer-centered search against this instruction by requiring participants to change their physical position relative to the desk. Both groups prioritized search in the instructed location, but this effect was stronger in young adults than in older adults. In contrast, age did not influence viewer-centered search habits: the two groups showed similar attentional preference for the visual field where the target was most often found before. Aging disrupted goal-guided but not habitual attention. Product, work, and home design for people of all ages--but especially for older individuals--should take into account the strong viewer-centered nature of habitual attention.

Yellowstone grizzly bear mortality, human habituation, and whitebark pine seed crops

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattson, David J.; Blanchard, Bonnie M.; Knight, Richard R.

1992-01-01

The Yellowstone grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) population may be extirpated during the next 100-200 years unless mortality rates stabilize and remain at acceptable low levels. Consequently, we analyzed relationships between Yellowstone grizzly bear mortality and frequency of human habituation among bears and size of the whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) seed crop. During years of large seed crops, bears used areas within 5 km of roads and 8 km of developments half as intensively as during years of small seed crops because whitebark pine's high elevation distribution is typically remote from human facilities. On average, management trappings of bears were 6.2 times higher, mortality of adult females 2.3 times higher, and mortality of subadult males 3.3 times higher during years of small seed crops. We hypothesize that high mortality of adult females and subadult males during small seed crop years was a consequence of their tendency to range closest (of all sex-age cohorts) to human facilities; they also had a higher frequency of human habituation compared with adult males. We also hypothesize that low morality among subadult females during small seed crop years was a result of fewer energetic stressors compared with adult females and greater familiarity with their range compared with subadult males; mortality was low even though they ranged close to humans and exhibited a high frequency of human habituation. Human-habituated and food-conditioned bears were 2.9 times as likely to range within 4 km of developments and 3.1 times as often killed by humans compared with nonhabituated bears. We argue that destruction of habituated bears that use native foods near humans results in a decline in the overall ability of bears to use available habitat; and that the number and extent of human facilities in occupied grizzly bear habitat needs to be minimized unless habituated bears are preserved and successful ways to manage the associated risks to humans are developed.

"My worries are rational, climate change is not": habitual ecological worrying is an adaptive response.

PubMed

Verplanken, Bas; Roy, Deborah

2013-01-01

Qualifications such as "global warming hysteria" and "energy policy schizophrenia" put forward by some climate change skeptics, usually outside the academic arena, may suggest that people who seriously worry about the environment suffer from psychological imbalance. The present study aimed to refute this thesis. While habitual worrying in general is strongly associated with psychopathological symptoms, in a survey a near-zero correlation was found between habitual ecological worrying and pathological worry. Instead, habitual ecological worrying was associated with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors, and with a personality structure characterized by imagination and an appreciation for new ideas. The study had sufficient statistical power and measures were valid and reliable. The results confirm that those who habitually worry about the ecology are not only lacking in any psychopathology, but demonstrate a constructive and adaptive response to a serious problem. In the public domain, these findings may contribute to a more rational and less emotional debate on climate change and to the prevention of stigmatization of people who are genuinely concerned about our habitat and are prepared to do something about it ("habitual worriers are not crazy"). In the academic arena this study may contribute to environmental psychology ("habitual worrying is part of a green identity"), as well as to the literature on worry and anxiety ("habitual worrying can be a constructive response").

A Systematic Review of the Clinimetric Properties of Habitual Physical Activity Measures in Young Children with a Motor Disability

PubMed Central

Oftedal, Stina; Bell, Kristie L.; Mitchell, Louise E.; Davies, Peter S. W.; Ware, Robert S.; Boyd, Roslyn N.

2012-01-01

Aim. To identify and systematically review the clinimetric properties of habitual physical activity (HPA) measures in young children with a motor disability. Method. Five databases were searched for measures of HPA including: children aged <6.0 years with a neuromuscular disorder, physical activity defined as “bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles causing caloric expenditure”, reported HPA as duration, frequency, intensity, mode or energy expenditure, and evaluated clinimetric properties. The quality of papers was assessed using the COSMIN-checklist. A targeted search of identified measures found additional studies of typically developing young children (TDC). Results. Seven papers assessing four activity monitors met inclusion criteria. Four studies were of good methodological quality. The Minimod had good ability to measure continuous walking but the demonstrated poor ability to measure steps during free-living activities. The Intelligent Device for Energy Expenditure and Activity and Ambulatory Monitoring Pod showed poor ability to measure activity during both continuous walking and free-living activities. The StepWatch showed good ability to measure steps during continuous walking in TDC. Interpretation. Studies assessing the clinimetric properties of measures of HPA in this population are urgently needed to allow assessment of the relationship between HPA and health outcomes in this group. PMID:22927865

Lack of habituation of evoked visual potentials in analytic information processing style: evidence in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Buonfiglio, Marzia; Toscano, M; Puledda, F; Avanzini, G; Di Clemente, L; Di Sabato, F; Di Piero, V

2015-03-01

Habituation is considered one of the most basic mechanisms of learning. Habituation deficit to several sensory stimulations has been defined as a trait of migraine brain and also observed in other disorders. On the other hand, analytic information processing style is characterized by the habit of continually evaluating stimuli and it has been associated with migraine. We investigated a possible correlation between lack of habituation of evoked visual potentials and analytic cognitive style in healthy subjects. According to Sternberg-Wagner self-assessment inventory, 15 healthy volunteers (HV) with high analytic score and 15 HV with high global score were recruited. Both groups underwent visual evoked potentials recordings after psychological evaluation. We observed significant lack of habituation in analytical individuals compared to global group. In conclusion, a reduced habituation of visual evoked potentials has been observed in analytic subjects. Our results suggest that further research should be undertaken regarding the relationship between analytic cognitive style and lack of habituation in both physiological and pathophysiological conditions.

African American men's perspectives on promoting physical activity: "We're not that difficult to figure out!".

PubMed

Friedman, Daniela B; Hooker, Steven P; Wilcox, Sara; Burroughs, Ericka L; Rheaume, Carol E

2012-01-01

African American men report poorer health than do White men and have significantly greater odds for developing chronic diseases partly because of limited physical activity. Understanding how to encourage healthy behaviors among African American men will be critical in the development of effective physical activity messages and programs. Guided by principles of cultural sensitivity and social marketing, this research examined middle-aged and older African American men's recommended strategies for promoting physical activity to African American men of their age. The authors report results from 49 interviews conducted with middle-aged (45-64 years) and older (65-84 years) African American men in South Carolina. Four groups of African American men were recruited: middle-aged active men (n = 17), middle-aged inactive men (n = 12), older active men (n = 10), older inactive men (n = 10). Themes related to marketing and recruitment strategies, message content, and spokesperson characteristics emerged and differed by age and physical activity level. Recommended marketing strategies included word of mouth; use of mass media; partnering with churches, businesses, and fraternities; strategic placement of messages; culturally appropriate message framing; and careful attention to selection of program spokespersons. Findings will help in the marketing, design, implementation, and evaluation of culturally appropriate interventions to encourage physical activity among middle-aged and older African American men in the South.

Dietary fat intake, circulating and membrane fatty acid composition of healthy Norwegian men and women.

PubMed

Min, Y; Blois, A; Geppert, J; Khalil, F; Ghebremeskel, K; Holmsen, H

2014-02-01

The present study aimed to assess the dietary fat intake and blood fatty acid status of healthy Norwegian men and women living in Bergen whose habitual diet is known to be high in long-chain omega-3 fat. Healthy men (n = 41) and women (n = 40) aged 20-50 years who were regular blood donors completed 7-day food diaries and their nutrient intake was analysed by Norwegian food database software, kbs, version 4.9 (kostberegningssystem; University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway). Blood samples were obtained before blood donation and assessed for the fatty acid composition of plasma triglycerides and cholesterol esters, phosphatidylcholine, and red cell phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. There was no difference in dietary fat intake between men and women. Total and saturated fat intakes exceeded the upper limits of the recommendations of the National Nutrition Council of Norway. Although polyunsaturated fat intake was close to the lower limit of the recommended level, the intake varied greatly among individuals, partly as a result of the use of supplementary fish oil. Moreover, the proportional fatty acid composition of plasma and red cell lipids was similar between men and women. Enrichment of docosahexaenoic acid in red cell phosphatidylethanolamine was found in fish oil users. The results of the present study provide a snapshot of the current nutritional status of healthy Norwegian adults. Moreover, the detailed blood fatty acid composition of men and women whose habitual diet constitutes high long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fat as well as saturated fat could be used as reference value for population studies. © 2013 The Authors Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics © 2013 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Habitual sleep variability, not sleep duration, is associated with caloric intake in adolescents

PubMed Central

Fan, HE; BIXLER, Edward O.; BERG, Arthur; KAWASAWA, Yuka IMAMURA; VGONTZAS, Alexandros N.; FERNANDEZ-MENDOZA, Julio; YANOSKY, Jeff; LIAO, Duanping

2015-01-01

Objective To investigate the associations between objectively-measured habitual sleep duration (HSD), habitual sleep variability (HSV) and energy and snack intake in adolescents. Methods We used data from 324 adolescents participated in the Penn State Child Cohort follow-up examination. Actigraphy was used over 7 consecutive nights to estimate nightly sleep duration. The 7-night mean and standard deviation of sleep duration were used to represent HSD and HSV, respectively. Youth/Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to obtain daily average total energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates intakes, and number of snacks consumed. Linear regression models were used to investigate the associations between habitual sleep patterns and caloric, protein, fat, and carbohydrates intakes. Proportional odds models were used to associate habitual sleep patterns and snack consumption. Results After adjusting for age, sex, race, BMI percentile, and smoking status, increased HSV was associated with higher energy intake, particularly from fat and carbohydrate. For example, with 1-hour increase in HSV, there was 170 (66) kcal increase in daily total energy intake. Increased HSV also related to increased snack consumption, especially snacks consumed after dinner. For instance, 1 hour increase in HSV was associated with 65% and 94% higher odds of consuming more snacks after dinner during school/work days and weekends/vacation days, respectively. Neither energy intake nor snack consumption was significantly related to HSD. Conclusion High variability in habitual sleep duration, not habitual sleep duration, is related to increased energy and food consumptions in adolescents. Maintaining a regular sleep pattern may decrease the risk of obesity in adolescents. PMID:26002758

Tryptophan Depletion Promotes Habitual over Goal-Directed Control of Appetitive Responding in Humans.

PubMed

Worbe, Yulia; Savulich, George; de Wit, Sanne; Fernandez-Egea, Emilio; Robbins, Trevor W

2015-02-05

Optimal behavioral performance results from a balance between goal-directed and habitual systems of behavioral control, which are modulated by ascending monoaminergic projections. While the role of the dopaminergic system in behavioral control has been recently addressed, the extent to which changes in global serotonin neurotransmission could influence these 2 systems is still poorly understood. We employed the dietary acute tryptophan depletion procedure to reduce serotonin neurotransmission in 18 healthy volunteers and 18 matched controls. We used a 3-stage instrumental learning paradigm that includes an initial instrumental learning stage, a subsequent outcome-devaluation test, and a slip-of-action stage, which directly tests the balance between hypothetical goal-directed and habitual systems. We also employed a separate response inhibition control test to assess the behavioral specificity of the results. Acute tryptophan depletion produced a shift of behavioral performance towards habitual responding as indexed by performance on the slip-of-action test. Moreover, greater habitual responding in the acute tryptophan depletion group was predicted by a steeper decline in plasma tryptophan levels. In contrast, acute tryptophan depletion left intact the ability to use discriminative stimuli to guide instrumental choice as indexed by the instrumental learning stage and did not impair inhibitory response control. The major implication of this study is that serotonin modulates the balance between goal-directed and stimulus-response habitual systems of behavioral control. Our findings thus imply that diminished serotonin neurotransmission shifts behavioral control towards habitual responding. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.

The joint impact of habitual exercise and glycemic control on the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged and older males.

PubMed

Michishita, Ryoma; Matsuda, Takuro; Kawakami, Shotaro; Tanaka, Satoshi; Kiyonaga, Akira; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Morito, Natsumi; Higaki, Yasuki

2017-11-06

This retrospective study evaluated the influence of the joint impact of habitual exercise and glycemic control on the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) during a 6-year follow-up period in middle-aged and older males. The study population included 303 males without a history of cardiovascular disease, stroke, renal dysfunction, or dialysis treatment. Their lifestyle behaviors regarding exercise and physical activity were evaluated using a standardized self-administered questionnaire. The participants were divided into four categories according to the performance or non-performance of habitual exercise and the presence or absence of hyperglycemia. After 6 years, 32 subjects (10.6%) developed CKD (estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 ml/min/1.73 m 2 and/or proteinuria). The cumulative incidence of CKD was significantly higher among subjects who did not perform habitual exercise and hyperglycemic subjects (log-rank test: p < 0.05, respectively). According to a Cox proportional hazards model, the hazard ratio (HR) for the incidence of CKD in subjects with a normal glucose tolerance (NGT) who did not perform habitual exercise (HR = 2.82, 95% confidence of interval (CI) = 1.07-7.36, p = 0.034) and that in hyperglycemic subjects who did not perform habitual exercise (HR = 5.89, 95% CI = 1.87-16.63, p = 0.003) were significantly higher in comparison to the subjects with a NGT who performed habitual exercise. These results suggest that the habitual exercise and good glycemic control and their combination were associated with the incidence of CKD.

Physical Activity among Somali Men in Minnesota: Barriers, Facilitators and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Mohamed, Ahmed A.; Hassan, Abdullahi M.; Weis, Jennifer A.; Sia, Irene G.; Wieland, Mark L.

2014-01-01

Immigrants and refugees arrive to the US healthier than the general population, but this advantage declines with increasing duration of residence. One factor contributing to this decline is sub-optimal physical activity, but reasons for this are poorly understood. Persons from Somalia represent the largest African refugee population to the United States, yet little is known about perceptions of physical activity among Somali men. Somali members of a community-based participatory research partnership implemented three age-stratified focus groups and three semi-structured interviews among 20 Somali men in Rochester, MN. Team-based inductive analysis generated themes for barriers and facilitators to physical activity. Barriers to physical activity included less walking opportunities in the US, embarrassment about exercise clothing and lack of familiarity with exercise equipment/modalities, fear of harassment, competing priorities, facility costs, transportation, and winter weather. Facilitators to physical activity included high knowledge about how to be active, success stories from others in their community as inspiration, and community cohesion. Findings may be used to derive interventions aimed to promote physical activity among Somali men in the US. PMID:23697961

Baroreflex buffering in sedentary and endurance exercise-trained healthy men.

PubMed

Christou, Demetra D; Jones, Pamela Parker; Seals, Douglas R

2003-06-01

Baroreflex buffering plays an important role in arterial blood pressure control. Previous reports suggest that baroreflex sensitivity may be altered in endurance exercise-trained compared with untrained subjects. It is unknown, however, if in vivo baroreflex buffering is altered in the endurance exercise-trained state in humans. Baroreflex buffering was determined in 36 healthy normotensive men (18 endurance exercise-trained, 41+/-5 [SEM] years; 18 untrained, 41+/-4 years) by measuring the potentiation of the systolic blood pressure responses to a phenylephrine bolus and to incremental phenylephrine infusion during compared with before ganglionic blockade with trimethaphan. The exercise-trained men had a lower resting heart rate and higher maximal oxygen consumption and heart rate variability than the sedentary control subjects (all P=0.01). Mean levels and variability of blood pressure, cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (change in heart rate/change in systolic blood pressure), and basal muscle sympathetic nerve activity were not different in the two groups. The systolic blood pressure responses to phenylephrine were not different in the endurance-trained and untrained men before or during ganglionic blockade (P>0.6). Measures of baroreflex buffering with the use of a phenylephrine bolus (3.9+/-0.8 versus 4.0+/-0.7, trained versus untrained, P=0.85) and incremental infusion (2.8+/-0.4 versus 2.5+/-0.6, P=0.67) were similar in the two groups. Baroreflex buffering does not differ in endurance exercise-trained compared with untrained healthy men. These results support the concept that habitual vigorous endurance exercise does not modulate in vivo baroreflex buffering in healthy humans.

Physical activity is not related to semen quality in young healthy men

PubMed Central

Mínguez-Alarcón, Lidia; Chavarro, Jorge E; Mendiola, Jaime; Gaskins, Audrey J; Torres-Cantero, Alberto M

2015-01-01

Objective To study the relation of physical activity with semen quality among healthy young men from Spain. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting University and college campuses of Murcia Region, Spain. Patients Healthy young men with untested fertility (n=215). Intervention A physical examination, blood and semen samples, and completion of a questionnaire. Main outcomes measure Semen quality parameters. Results Physical activity was not related to semen quality parameters. The adjusted percentage differences (95% confidence interval) in semen parameters comparing men in the top quartile of moderate to vigorous physical activity (≥9.5h/wk) to men in the bottom quartile (≤3h/wk) were 4.3% (−30.2, 38.9) for total sperm count, 7.2% (−30.6, 45.1) for sperm concentration, −2.42% (−6.53, 1.69) for sperm motility, and 12.6% (−12.0, 37.2) for sperm morphology. Conclusion In contrast to previous research among athletes, these data suggest that physical activity is not deleterious to testicular function, as captured by semen quality parameters in this population of healthy young men in Spain. PMID:25064411

Physical activity is not related to semen quality in young healthy men.

PubMed

Mínguez-Alarcón, Lidia; Chavarro, Jorge E; Mendiola, Jaime; Gaskins, Audrey J; Torres-Cantero, Alberto M

2014-10-01

To study the relationship of physical activity with semen quality among healthy young men from Spain. Cross-sectional study. University and college campuses of Murcia Region, Spain. Healthy young men with untested fertility (n = 215). A physical examination, blood and semen samples, and completion of a questionnaire. Semen quality parameters. Physical activity was not related to semen quality parameters. The adjusted percentage differences (95% confidence interval) in semen parameters comparing men in the top quartile of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (≥9.5 h/wk) with men in the bottom quartile (≤3 h/wk) were 4.3% (-30.2%, 38.9%) for total sperm count, 7.2% (-30.6%, 45.1%) for sperm concentration, -2.42% (-6.53%, 1.69%) for sperm motility, and 12.6% (-12.0%, 37.2%) for sperm morphology. In contrast to previous research among athletes, these data suggest that physical activity is not deleterious to testicular function, as captured by semen quality parameters in this population of healthy young men in Spain. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variation in Foot Strike Patterns during Running among Habitually Barefoot Populations

PubMed Central

Hatala, Kevin G.; Dingwall, Heather L.; Wunderlich, Roshna E.; Richmond, Brian G.

2013-01-01

Endurance running may have a long evolutionary history in the hominin clade but it was not until very recently that humans ran wearing shoes. Research on modern habitually unshod runners has suggested that they utilize a different biomechanical strategy than runners who wear shoes, namely that barefoot runners typically use a forefoot strike in order to avoid generating the high impact forces that would be experienced if they were to strike the ground with their heels first. This finding suggests that our habitually unshod ancestors may have run in a similar way. However, this research was conducted on a single population and we know little about variation in running form among habitually barefoot people, including the effects of running speed, which has been shown to affect strike patterns in shod runners. Here, we present the results of our investigation into the selection of running foot strike patterns among another modern habitually unshod group, the Daasanach of northern Kenya. Data were collected from 38 consenting adults as they ran along a trackway with a plantar pressure pad placed midway along its length. Subjects ran at self-selected endurance running and sprinting speeds. Our data support the hypothesis that a forefoot strike reduces the magnitude of impact loading, but the majority of subjects instead used a rearfoot strike at endurance running speeds. Their percentages of midfoot and forefoot strikes increased significantly with speed. These results indicate that not all habitually barefoot people prefer running with a forefoot strike, and suggest that other factors such as running speed, training level, substrate mechanical properties, running distance, and running frequency, influence the selection of foot strike patterns. PMID:23326341

Variation in foot strike patterns during running among habitually barefoot populations.

PubMed

Hatala, Kevin G; Dingwall, Heather L; Wunderlich, Roshna E; Richmond, Brian G

2013-01-01

Endurance running may have a long evolutionary history in the hominin clade but it was not until very recently that humans ran wearing shoes. Research on modern habitually unshod runners has suggested that they utilize a different biomechanical strategy than runners who wear shoes, namely that barefoot runners typically use a forefoot strike in order to avoid generating the high impact forces that would be experienced if they were to strike the ground with their heels first. This finding suggests that our habitually unshod ancestors may have run in a similar way. However, this research was conducted on a single population and we know little about variation in running form among habitually barefoot people, including the effects of running speed, which has been shown to affect strike patterns in shod runners. Here, we present the results of our investigation into the selection of running foot strike patterns among another modern habitually unshod group, the Daasanach of northern Kenya. Data were collected from 38 consenting adults as they ran along a trackway with a plantar pressure pad placed midway along its length. Subjects ran at self-selected endurance running and sprinting speeds. Our data support the hypothesis that a forefoot strike reduces the magnitude of impact loading, but the majority of subjects instead used a rearfoot strike at endurance running speeds. Their percentages of midfoot and forefoot strikes increased significantly with speed. These results indicate that not all habitually barefoot people prefer running with a forefoot strike, and suggest that other factors such as running speed, training level, substrate mechanical properties, running distance, and running frequency, influence the selection of foot strike patterns.

Habituation in Frankliniella occidentalis to deterrent plant compounds and their blends.

PubMed

Egger, Barbara; Spangl, Bernhard; Koschier, Elisabeth Helene

2014-06-01

Feeding and oviposition deterrence of three secondary plant compounds and their 1:1 blends to adult female Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and the potential for habituation of the thrips to the pure compounds and the 1:1 blends at various concentrations were investigated. In choice assays, we tested dose-dependent feeding and oviposition deterrence of the two fatty acid derivatives methyl jasmonate and cis -jasmone, the phenylpropanoid allylanisole, and their blends when directly applied to bean leaf discs. The concentration required to reduce the feeding damage by 50% relative to the control treatment (FDC 50 ) was lowest for cis -jasmone and highest for allylanisole. The feeding deterrent effect of both jasmonates was increased when blended with allylanisole. Feeding deterrence and oviposition deterrence were strongly correlated. In no-choice assays conducted over four consecutive days, we discovered that dilutions at low concentrations (FDC 15 ) applied to bean leaves resulted in habituation to the deterrents, whereas no habituation occurred at higher concentrations (FDC 50 ). We observed a tendency that the 1:1 blends reduce the probability that thrips habituate to the deterrent compounds. Our results may be useful in the development of integrated crop protection strategies with the implementation of allelochemicals as pest behaviour-modifying agents.

The effect of antimotion sickness drugs on habituation to motion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, C. D.; Manno, J. E.; Manno, B. R.; Odenheimer, R. C.; Bairnsfather, L. E.

1986-01-01

The mechanism which allows for increased exposure to motion and accelerates habituation is investigated. The responses of 12 male and female subjects between 18-30 years rotated once a day for 5 days on the Contraves Goerz rotating chair after receiving placebo, 10 mg d-amphetamine, 0.6 mg scopolamine with 5 mg d-amphetamine, and 1.0 mg scopolamine are studied. It is observed that with placebo the subjects performed 48 more head movements than untreated subjects, 118 more movements with d-amphetamine, 176 more with 0.6 mg scopolamine with d-amphetamine, and 186 more with 1.0 scopolamine. The data reveal that exposure to rotation increases tolerance from 88 head movements on day 2 to 159 on day 4 at 17.4 rpm and with placebo; 96 to 186 at 19.9 rpm with 10 mg d-amphetamine; 111 to 273 at 20.2 rpm with scopolamine with d-amphetamine, and 141 to 279 at 22.4 rpm with 1.0 mg scopolamine. It is noted that a combination of cholinergic blocking and norepinephrine activation action is most effective in preventing the development of motion sickness and habituation is due to the greater exposure to vestibular simulation permitted by the drugs.

Factors influencing men undertaking active surveillance for the management of low-risk prostate cancer.

PubMed

Davison, B Joyce; Oliffe, John L; Pickles, Tom; Mroz, Lawrence

2009-01-01

To identify and describe decision-making influences on men who decide to manage their low-risk prostate cancer with active surveillance. Qualitative, semistructured interview. The Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital in Canada. 25 patients diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer and on active surveillance. An interpretative, descriptive, qualitative design. Factors that influenced men's decisions to take up active surveillance. The specialists' description of the prostate cancer was the most influential factor on men choosing active surveillance. Patients did not consider their prostate cancer to be life threatening and, in general, were relieved that no treatment was required. Avoiding treatment-related suffering and physical dysfunction and side effects such as impotence and incontinence was cited as the major reason to delay treatment. Few men actively sought treatment or health-promotion information following their treatment decision. Female partners played a supportive role in the decision. The need for active treatment if the cancer progressed was acknowledged. Patients were hopeful that new treatments would be available when and if they needed them. Being older and having comorbidities did not preclude the desire for future active treatment. Patients carried on with their lives as usual and did not report having any major distress related to being on active surveillance. The study findings indicate that men are strongly influenced by the treating specialist in taking up active surveillance and planning future active treatments. As such, most men relied on their specialists' recommendation and did not perceive the need for any adjunct therapy or support until the cancer required active treatment. Oncology nurses should work collaborative-ly with specialists to ensure that men receive the information they need to make informed treatment decisions.

Physical activity and television watching in relation to semen quality in young men.

PubMed

Gaskins, Audrey Jane; Mendiola, Jaime; Afeiche, Myriam; Jørgensen, Niels; Swan, Shanna H; Chavarro, Jorge E

2015-02-01

Semen quality appears to have declined over the past decades but reasons for this decline are unresolved. The concurrent increase in sedentary behaviour may be a contributing factor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship of physical activity and television (TV) watching with sperm parameters in a population of young, healthy men. Men aged 18-22 years (n=189) from the Rochester Young Men's Study (2009-2010) participated in this analysis. Physical activity (h/week of moderate and vigorous exercise) and TV watching (h/week of TV, video or DVD watching) over the past 3 months were assessed via questionnaire. Semen quality was assessed by sperm concentration, motility, morphology and total sperm count. Sperm concentration and total sperm count were directly related to physical activity after multivariable adjustment (p-trend=0.01 and 0.04); men in the highest quartile of moderate-to-vigorous activity (≥15 h/week) had 73% (95% CI 15% to 160%) higher sperm concentration than men in the lowest quartile (<5 h/week). TV watching was inversely associated with sperm concentration and total sperm count in multivariable analyses (p-trend=0.05 and 0.06); men in the highest quartile of TV watching (>20 h/week) had 44% (95% CI 15 to 63%) lower sperm concentration than men in the lowest quartile (0 h/week). These measures of physical and leisure time activities were not significantly associated with sperm motility or morphology. In this population of healthy men, higher moderate-to-vigorous activity and less TV watching were significantly associated with higher total sperm count and sperm concentration. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Effects of exercise and conditioning on clotting and fibrinolytic activity in men

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferguson, Earl W.; Bernier, Lani L.; Banta, Guy R.; Yu-Yahiro, Janet; Schoomaker, Eric B.

1987-01-01

Blood clotting and fibrinolytic activity in three groups of nonsmoking, nonobese, healthy men ranging from 19 to 59 years are studied. The groups consisted of (1) marathoners (men running more than 50 miles/week); (2) joggers (men running 5-15 miles/week; and (3) sedentary subjects (men who did not exercise routinely). It is observed that the rate of blood clotting is accelerated by exercise; marathoners had greater increases in fibrinolytic activity than the other two groups; and fibrin degradation products increased with exercise. The data reveal that the changes in clotting assays with exercise do not correlate with changes in whole blood lactate, blood pyruvate, or rectal temperatures. It is noted that the level of acceleration for fibrinolytic activity is directly related to the maximum aerobic capacity and work load of the individual, and that conditioning enhances the fibrinolytic response to exercise.

Habituation to a stressor predicts adolescents' adiposity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background and Objectives: Stress is associated with gains in adiposity. One factor that determines how much stress is experienced is how quickly an adolescent reduces responding (habituates) across repeated stressors. The purpose of this study was to determine the association of body mass index pe...

Influence of mobility restriction on habituation of the vestibular apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorgiladze, G. I.; Kazanskaya, G. S.

1980-01-01

Test results presented indicate that 30-day hypokinesia did not affect the intensity of nystagmus: velocity of slow phase, total number of jerks, and duration of the reaction in animals were the same as before mobility restriction and did not differ from those of the control group. However, hypokinesia resulted in the disappearance of habituation of the vestibulary system to repeated angular accelerations. The known hypokinetic changes in the endocrine system were studied. It was concluded that reduction in adrenergic function may be the cause of disappearance of vestibular apparatus habituation during hypokinesia.

Provider, father, and bro--Sedentary Māori men and their thoughts on physical activity.

PubMed

Warbrick, Isaac; Wilson, Denise; Boulton, Amohia

2016-02-04

Māori (indigenous peoples of New Zealand) men have a disproportionate prevalence of lifestyle-related illnesses and are targeted for national physical activity initiatives. While physical activity impacts on physical and mental health and overall wellbeing, current approaches to health promotion often lack cultural relevance. Having better understanding and incorporating relevant cultural values and motivators into program designs could improve the success of health initiatives for indigenous and minority men. Nevertheless, little is known about Māori men's preferences, attitudes, or perspectives about physical activity, which are often interpreted through a colonized or dominant Western lens. Understanding perspectives of those groups whose values do not align with dominant cultural approaches will better equip health promoters and trainers to develop relevant community initiatives and private programs for indigenous and minority men. An indigenous research approach informed a qualitative study with 18 sedentary, 'overweight' Māori men aged 28 to 72 years. From 2014 to 2015 these men participated in three focus group discussions aimed at understanding their views about physical activity and exercise. Data were thematically analysed and interpeted using a Māori worldview. Four key themes were identified - Cameraderie and 'Bro-ship'; Adulthood Distractions and Priorities; Problems with Contemporary Gym Culture; and Provider Orientation. Key motivators for physical activity included a sense of 'brotherhood' in sport and physical activity and accountability to others. Participants reported the need to highlight the value of people and relationships, and having an orientation to the collective to enhance physical activity experiences for Māori men in general. Modern lifestyle distractions (such as being time deficient, and family responsibilities) along with other priorities contributed to difficulties incorporating physical activity into their daily lives. In

Becoming active: more to exercise than weight loss for indigenous men.

PubMed

Warbrick, Isaac; Wilson, Denise; Griffith, Derek

2018-03-27

To understand what motivates sedentary indigenous and ethnic minority men to become more physically active. We use thematic analysis to present data from a qualitative study exploring 23 sedentary indigenous Māori (New Zealand) men's experiences of completing a 12-week exercise intervention to improve their metabolic health. Four themes emerged: The Bros - having fellowship and mutual motivation; Being better informed about exercise; Impacting overall wellbeing; and Disseminating the findings beyond the study Exercise interventions informed by indigenous Māori cultural values and knowledge increased its relevance to their daily lives. The motivation for these indigenous men was more culturally-based external factors than an inherent desire to lose weight. Indigenous and minority men in many developed countries have high morbidity and premature mortality related to sedentary lifestyles. The low uptake of physical activities possibly relates to focusing more on outcomes such as weight loss which lacks cultural relevance. When offering health promotion interventions for marginalized populations these findings highlight the importance of culturally tailoring interventions to the unique sources of motivation for each group to increase activity to improve their efficacy.

Central gene expression changes associated with enhanced neuroendocrine and autonomic response habituation to repeated noise stress after voluntary wheel running in rats

PubMed Central

Sasse, Sarah K.; Nyhuis, Tara J.; Masini, Cher V.; Day, Heidi E. W.; Campeau, Serge

2013-01-01

Accumulating evidence indicates that regular physical exercise benefits health in part by counteracting some of the negative physiological impacts of stress. While some studies identified reductions in some measures of acute stress responses with prior exercise, limited data were available concerning effects on cardiovascular function, and reported effects on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis responses were largely inconsistent. Given that exposure to repeated or prolonged stress is strongly implicated in the precipitation and exacerbation of illness, we proposed the novel hypothesis that physical exercise might facilitate adaptation to repeated stress, and subsequently demonstrated significant enhancement of both HPA axis (glucocorticoid) and cardiovascular (tachycardia) response habituation to repeated noise stress in rats with long-term access to running wheels compared to sedentary controls. Stress habituation has been attributed to modifications of brain circuits, but the specific sites of adaptation and the molecular changes driving its expression remain unclear. Here, in situ hybridization histochemistry was used to examine regulation of select stress-associated signaling systems in brain regions representing likely candidates to underlie exercise-enhanced stress habituation. Analyzed brains were collected from active (6 weeks of wheel running) and sedentary rats following control, acute, or repeated noise exposures that induced a significantly faster rate of glucocorticoid response habituation in active animals but preserved acute noise responsiveness. Nearly identical experimental manipulations also induce a faster rate of cardiovascular response habituation in exercised, repeatedly stressed rats. The observed regulation of the corticotropin-releasing factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor systems across several brain regions suggests widespread effects of voluntary exercise on central functions and related adaptations to stress across

Tetrahydrobiopterin augments endothelium-dependent dilatation in sedentary but not in habitually exercising older adults

PubMed Central

Eskurza, Iratxe; Myerburgh, Laura A; Kahn, Zachary D; Seals, Douglas R

2005-01-01

Endothelium-dependent dilatation (EDD) is impaired with ageing in sedentary, but not in regularly exercising adults. We tested the hypotheses that differences in tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) bioactivity are key mechanisms explaining the impairment in EDD with sedentary ageing, and the maintenance of EDD with ageing in regularly exercising adults. Brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD), normalized for local shear stress, was measured after acute oral placebo or BH4 in young sedentary (YS) (n = 10; 22 ± 1 years, mean ± s.e.m.), older sedentary (OS) (n = 9; 62 ± 2), and older habitually aerobically trained (OT) (n = 12; 66 ± 1) healthy men. At baseline, FMD was ∼50% lower in OS versus YS (1.12 ± 0.09 versus 0.57 ± 0.09 (Δmm (dyn cm−2)) × 10−2, P < 0.001; 1 dyn = 10−5 N), but was preserved in OT (0.93 ± 0.08 (Δmm (dyn cm−2)) × 10−2). BH4 administration improved FMD by ∼45% in OS (1.00 ± 0.10 (Δmm (dyn cm−2)) × 10−2, P < 0.01 versus baseline), but did not affect FMD in YS or OT. Endothelium-independent dilatation neither differed between groups at baseline nor changed with BH4 administration. These results suggest that BH4 bioactivity may be a key mechanism involved in the impairment of conduit artery EDD with sedentary ageing, and the EDD-preserving effect of habitual exercise. PMID:16141271

A comparative biomechanical analysis of habitually unshod and shod runners based on a foot morphological difference.

PubMed

Mei, Qichang; Fernandez, Justin; Fu, Weijie; Feng, Neng; Gu, Yaodong

2015-08-01

Running is one of the most accessible physical activities and running with and without footwear has attracted extensive attention in the past several years. In this study 18 habitually male unshod runners and 20 habitually male shod runners (all with dominant right feet) participated in a running test. A Vicon motion analysis system was used to capture the kinematics of each participant's lower limb. The in-shoe plantar pressure measurement system was employed to measure the pressure and force exerted on the pressure sensors of the insole. The function of a separate hallux in unshod runners is analyzed through the comparison of plantar pressure parameters. Owing to the different strike patterns in shod and unshod runners, peak dorsiflexion and plantarflexion angle were significantly different. Habitually shod runners exhibited a decreased foot strike angle (FSA) under unshod conditions; and the vertical average loading rate (VALR) of shod runners under unshod conditions was larger than that under shod conditions. This suggests that the foot strike pattern is more important than the shod or unshod running style and runners need to acquire the technique. It can be concluded that for habitually unshod runners the separate hallux takes part of the foot loading and reduces loading to the forefoot under shod conditions. The remaining toes of rearfoot strike (RFS) runners function similarly under unshod conditions. These morphological features of shod and unshod runners should be considered in footwear design to improve sport performance and reduce injury. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

“My Worries Are Rational, Climate Change Is Not”: Habitual Ecological Worrying Is an Adaptive Response

PubMed Central

Verplanken, Bas; Roy, Deborah

2013-01-01

Qualifications such as “global warming hysteria” and “energy policy schizophrenia” put forward by some climate change skeptics, usually outside the academic arena, may suggest that people who seriously worry about the environment suffer from psychological imbalance. The present study aimed to refute this thesis. While habitual worrying in general is strongly associated with psychopathological symptoms, in a survey a near-zero correlation was found between habitual ecological worrying and pathological worry. Instead, habitual ecological worrying was associated with pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors, and with a personality structure characterized by imagination and an appreciation for new ideas. The study had sufficient statistical power and measures were valid and reliable. The results confirm that those who habitually worry about the ecology are not only lacking in any psychopathology, but demonstrate a constructive and adaptive response to a serious problem. In the public domain, these findings may contribute to a more rational and less emotional debate on climate change and to the prevention of stigmatization of people who are genuinely concerned about our habitat and are prepared to do something about it (“habitual worriers are not crazy”). In the academic arena this study may contribute to environmental psychology (“habitual worrying is part of a green identity”), as well as to the literature on worry and anxiety (“habitual worrying can be a constructive response”). PMID:24023958

Associative learning versus fear habituation as predictors of long-term extinction retention.

PubMed

Brown, Lily A; LeBeau, Richard T; Chat, Ka Yi; Craske, Michelle G

2017-06-01

Violation of unconditioned stimulus (US) expectancy during extinction training may enhance associative learning and result in improved long-term extinction retention compared to within-session habituation. This experiment examines variation in US expectancy (i.e., expectancy violation) as a predictor of long-term extinction retention. It also examines within-session habituation of fear-potentiated startle (electromyography, EMG) and fear of conditioned stimuli (CS) throughout extinction training as predictors of extinction retention. Participants (n = 63) underwent fear conditioning, extinction and retention and provided continuous ratings of US expectancy and EMG, as well as CS fear ratings before and after each phase. Variation in US expectancy throughout extinction and habituation of EMG and fear was entered into a regression as predictors of retention and reinstatement of levels of expectancy and fear. Greater variation in US expectancy throughout extinction training was significantly predictive of enhanced extinction performance measured at retention test, although not after reinstatement test. Slope of EMG and CS fear during extinction did not predict retention of extinction. Within-session habituation of EMG and self-reported fear is not sufficient for long-term retention of extinction learning, and models emphasizing expectation violation may result in enhanced outcomes.

[Physical activity, dietary habits and plasma lipoproteins in young men and women].

PubMed

Malara, Marzena; Lutosławska, Grazyna

2010-01-01

There are studies suggesting that in young women strenuous physical activity and inadequate daily energy intake cause unfavorable changes in lipoprotein profile. However until know data concerning this issue are contradictory, possibly due to small number of participants. This study aimed at evaluation of lipoprotein profile in young men and women with different weekly physical activity together with their dietary habits. A total of 202 subjects volunteered to participate of the study--54 female and 56 male students of physical education and 46 female and 49 male students representing other specialization. Daily energy and macronutrient intakes were assessed using FOOD 2 computer program. Plasma TG, TC and HDL-C were assayed colorimetically using Randox commercial kits (Great Britain). It has been demonstrated that high physical activity adversely affects lipoprotein profile in young women characterized by higher TC and LDL-C in comparison with women with low physical activity and with men with high physical activity. The effect of high physical activity on plasma lipoproteins is equivocal. Active men are characterized by higher HDL, but also by higher frequency of unfavorable plasma TC and similar frequency of unfavorable plasma LDL-C C as compared with their less active counterparts. The mean daily energy intake in highly active men and women covered 82% and 72.2% recommended intake, respectively. It seems feasible that in both sexes high physical activity and inadequate energy intake brings about unfavorable changes in plasma lipoproteins.

Hyperactivity and impaired response habituation in hyperdopaminergic mice

PubMed Central

Zhuang, Xiaoxi; Oosting, Ronald S.; Jones, Sara R.; Gainetdinov, Raul R.; Miller, Gary W.; Caron, Marc G.; Hen, René

2001-01-01

Abnormal dopaminergic transmission is implicated in schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and drug addiction. In an attempt to model aspects of these disorders, we have generated hyperdopaminergic mutant mice by reducing expression of the dopamine transporter (DAT) to 10% of wild-type levels (DAT knockdown). Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and in vivo microdialysis revealed that released dopamine was cleared at a slow rate in knockdown mice, which resulted in a higher extracellular dopamine concentration. Unlike the DAT knockout mice, the DAT knockdown mice do not display a growth retardation phenotype. They have normal home cage activity but display hyperactivity and impaired response habituation in novel environments. In addition, we show that both the indirect dopamine receptor agonist amphetamine and the direct agonists apomorphine and quinpirole inhibit locomotor activity in the DAT knockdown mice, leading to the hypothesis that a shift in the balance between dopamine auto and heteroreceptor function may contribute to the therapeutic effect of psychostimulants in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. PMID:11172062

The Role of Marital Status in Physical Activity Among African American and White Men

PubMed Central

Porch, Tichelle C.; Bell, Caryn N.; Bowie, Janice V.; Usher, Therri; Kelly, Elizabeth A.; LaVeist, Thomas A.; Thorpe, Roland J.

2018-01-01

Racial differences in physical activity among men are well documented; however, little is known about the impact of marital status on this relationship. Data from the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2006 was used to determine whether the association of race and physical activity among men varied by marital status. Marital status was divided into two categories: married and unmarried. Physical activity was determined by the number of minutes per week a respondent engaged in household/yard work, moderate and vigorous activity, or transportation (bicycling and walking) over the past 30 days. The sample included 7,131 African American (29%) and White(71%) men aged 18 years and older. All models were estimated using logistic regression. Because the interaction term of race and marital status was statistically significant (p < .001), the relationship between race, physical activity, and marital status was examined using a variable that reflects the different levels of the interaction term. After adjusting for age, income, education, weight status, smoking status, and self-rated health, African American married men had lower odds (odds ratio = 0.53, 95% confidence interval = [0.46–0.61], p < .001) of meeting federal physical activity guidelines compared with White married men. Possible dissimilarities in financial and social responsibilities may contribute to the racial differences observed in physical activity among African American and White married men. PMID:25804218

The Role of Marital Status in Physical Activity Among African American and White Men.

PubMed

Porch, Tichelle C; Bell, Caryn N; Bowie, Janice V; Usher, Therri; Kelly, Elizabeth A; LaVeist, Thomas A; Thorpe, Roland J

2016-11-01

Racial differences in physical activity among men are well documented; however, little is known about the impact of marital status on this relationship. Data from the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2006 was used to determine whether the association of race and physical activity among men varied by marital status. Marital status was divided into two categories: married and unmarried. Physical activity was determined by the number of minutes per week a respondent engaged in household/yard work, moderate and vigorous activity, or transportation (bicycling and walking) over the past 30 days. The sample included 7,131 African American (29%) and White(71%) men aged 18 years and older. All models were estimated using logistic regression. Because the interaction term of race and marital status was statistically significant (p < .001), the relationship between race, physical activity, and marital status was examined using a variable that reflects the different levels of the interaction term. After adjusting for age, income, education, weight status, smoking status, and self-rated health, African American married men had lower odds (odds ratio = 0.53, 95% confidence interval = [0.46-0.61], p < .001) of meeting federal physical activity guidelines compared with White married men. Possible dissimilarities in financial and social responsibilities may contribute to the racial differences observed in physical activity among African American and White married men. © The Author(s) 2015.

Habituation in non-neural organisms: evidence from slime moulds.

PubMed

Boisseau, Romain P; Vogel, David; Dussutour, Audrey

2016-04-27

Learning, defined as a change in behaviour evoked by experience, has hitherto been investigated almost exclusively in multicellular neural organisms. Evidence for learning in non-neural multicellular organisms is scant, and only a few unequivocal reports of learning have been described in single-celled organisms. Here we demonstrate habituation, an unmistakable form of learning, in the non-neural organism Physarum polycephalum In our experiment, using chemotaxis as the behavioural output and quinine or caffeine as the stimulus, we showed that P. polycephalum learnt to ignore quinine or caffeine when the stimuli were repeated, but responded again when the stimulus was withheld for a certain time. Our results meet the principle criteria that have been used to demonstrate habituation: responsiveness decline and spontaneous recovery. To distinguish habituation from sensory adaptation or motor fatigue, we also show stimulus specificity. Our results point to the diversity of organisms lacking neurons, which likely display a hitherto unrecognized capacity for learning, and suggest that slime moulds may be an ideal model system in which to investigate fundamental mechanisms underlying learning processes. Besides, documenting learning in non-neural organisms such as slime moulds is centrally important to a comprehensive, phylogenetic understanding of when and where in the tree of life the earliest manifestations of learning evolved. © 2016 The Author(s).

Habituation in non-neural organisms: evidence from slime moulds

PubMed Central

Boisseau, Romain P.; Vogel, David; Dussutour, Audrey

2016-01-01

Learning, defined as a change in behaviour evoked by experience, has hitherto been investigated almost exclusively in multicellular neural organisms. Evidence for learning in non-neural multicellular organisms is scant, and only a few unequivocal reports of learning have been described in single-celled organisms. Here we demonstrate habituation, an unmistakable form of learning, in the non-neural organism Physarum polycephalum. In our experiment, using chemotaxis as the behavioural output and quinine or caffeine as the stimulus, we showed that P. polycephalum learnt to ignore quinine or caffeine when the stimuli were repeated, but responded again when the stimulus was withheld for a certain time. Our results meet the principle criteria that have been used to demonstrate habituation: responsiveness decline and spontaneous recovery. To distinguish habituation from sensory adaptation or motor fatigue, we also show stimulus specificity. Our results point to the diversity of organisms lacking neurons, which likely display a hitherto unrecognized capacity for learning, and suggest that slime moulds may be an ideal model system in which to investigate fundamental mechanisms underlying learning processes. Besides, documenting learning in non-neural organisms such as slime moulds is centrally important to a comprehensive, phylogenetic understanding of when and where in the tree of life the earliest manifestations of learning evolved. PMID:27122563

Light and sporadic physical activity overlooked by current guidelines makes older women more active than older men.

PubMed

Amagasa, Shiho; Fukushima, Noritoshi; Kikuchi, Hiroyuki; Takamiya, Tomoko; Oka, Koichiro; Inoue, Shigeru

2017-05-02

Men are generally believed to be more physically active than women when evaluated using current physical activity (PA) guidelines, which count only moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in bouts lasting at least 10 min. However, it remains unclear men are truly more physically active provided that all-intensity PA are evaluated. This population based cross-sectional study aimed to examine gender differences in patterns of objectively-assessed PA in older adults. One thousand two hundred ten community-dwelling Japanese older adults who were originally randomly selected from residential registry of three municipalities were asked to respond a questionnaire and wear an accelerometer (HJA-350IT, Omron Healthcare). The prevalence of achieving current PA guidelines, ≥150 min/week MVPA in bouts lasting at least 10 min, was calculated. Gender differences in volume of each-intensity activity (METs-hour) were assessed by analysis of covariance after adjustment for age and wear time. Data from 450 (255 men, mean 74 years) participants who had valid accelerometer data were analyzed. Women were less likely to meet the guidelines (men: 31.0, women: 21.5%; p < 0.05). However, women accumulated more light-intensity PA (LPA) and short-bout (1-9 min) MVPA, and thus established higher total volume of PA (men: 22.0 METs-hour/day, women: 23.9 METs-hour/day) (p < 0.05). Older women were less active when evaluated against current PA guidelines, but more active by total PA. Considering accumulated evidence on health benefits of LPA and short-bout MVPA, our findings highlight the potential for the limitation of assessing PA using current PA guidelines.

Active Transportation Surveillance - United States, 1999-2012.

PubMed

Whitfield, Geoffrey P; Paul, Prabasaj; Wendel, Arthur M

2015-08-28

Physical activity is a health-enhancing behavior, and most U.S. adults do not meet the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Active transportation, such as by walking or bicycling, is one way that persons can be physically active. No comprehensive, multiyear assessments of active transportation surveillance in the United States have been conducted. 1999-2012. Five surveillance systems assess one or more components of active transportation. The American Community Survey and the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) both assess the mode of transportation to work in the past week. From these systems, the proportion of respondents who reported walking or bicycling to work can be calculated. NHTS and the American Time Use Survey include 1-day assessments of trips or activities. With that information, the proportion of respondents who report any walking or bicycling for transportation can be calculated. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the National Health Interview Survey both assess recent (i.e., in the past week or past month) habitual physical activity behaviors, including those performed during active travel. From these systems, the proportion of respondents who report any recent habitual active transportation can be calculated. The prevalence of active transportation as the primary commute mode to work in the past week ranged from 2.6% to 3.4%. The 1-day assessment indicated that the prevalence of any active transportation ranged from 10.5% to 18.5%. The prevalence of any habitual active transportation ranged from 23.9% to 31.4%. No consistent trends in active transportation across time periods and surveillance systems were identified. Among systems, active transportation was usually more common among men, younger respondents, and minority racial/ethnic groups. Among education groups, the highest prevalence of active transportation was usually among the least or most educated groups, and active transportation tended to be more

Speed/accuracy trade-off between the habitual and the goal-directed processes.

PubMed

Keramati, Mehdi; Dezfouli, Amir; Piray, Payam

2011-05-01

Instrumental responses are hypothesized to be of two kinds: habitual and goal-directed, mediated by the sensorimotor and the associative cortico-basal ganglia circuits, respectively. The existence of the two heterogeneous associative learning mechanisms can be hypothesized to arise from the comparative advantages that they have at different stages of learning. In this paper, we assume that the goal-directed system is behaviourally flexible, but slow in choice selection. The habitual system, in contrast, is fast in responding, but inflexible in adapting its behavioural strategy to new conditions. Based on these assumptions and using the computational theory of reinforcement learning, we propose a normative model for arbitration between the two processes that makes an approximately optimal balance between search-time and accuracy in decision making. Behaviourally, the model can explain experimental evidence on behavioural sensitivity to outcome at the early stages of learning, but insensitivity at the later stages. It also explains that when two choices with equal incentive values are available concurrently, the behaviour remains outcome-sensitive, even after extensive training. Moreover, the model can explain choice reaction time variations during the course of learning, as well as the experimental observation that as the number of choices increases, the reaction time also increases. Neurobiologically, by assuming that phasic and tonic activities of midbrain dopamine neurons carry the reward prediction error and the average reward signals used by the model, respectively, the model predicts that whereas phasic dopamine indirectly affects behaviour through reinforcing stimulus-response associations, tonic dopamine can directly affect behaviour through manipulating the competition between the habitual and the goal-directed systems and thus, affect reaction time.

Modulation of Energy Intake and Expenditure Due to Habitual Physical Exercise.

PubMed

Martin, Matoulek; Krystof, Slaby; Jiri, Radvansky; Martina, Dankova; Renata, Vetrovska; Ondrej, Mikes; Stepan, Svacina; Vladimir, Tuka

2016-01-01

The 20th and 21st centuries are marked by an increase in life expectancy on one hand and on the other hand by the increase of so called civilization diseases. Their share one common trait: the energy metabolism imbalance, with low energy expenditure and high energy uptake. Our age can be viewed as the age of inactivity and wealth. The aim of the present review is to highlight the influence of habitual physical activity on energy metabolism and balance. Energy balance is the difference between energy intake and energy expenditure, where energy expenditure further divides into resting metabolic rate, thermic effect of feeding and energy used by physical activity. In general population, resting metabolic rate remains constant and proportional to muscle body mass. Muscle mass increases with exercise, especially resistance exercise, concomitantly with increasing energy expenditure. The effect of exercise on appetite is very strong, proportional to exercise intensity. An acute bout of aerobic exercise suppresses appetite by decreasing ghrelin plasma levels, and increasing gut hormones. Different subgroups of patients respond differently to the same exercise or habitual activity and have thus distinct effects on energy balance. Different myokines plasma levels after exercise could explain these different reactions although most of their effect is still unclear. Physical activity plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of many disorders, like obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypertension, coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, psychiatric and neurologic disorders. It is evident, that physical activity has an effect not only on energy balance but also has a direct effect on other body organ via its own molecules - myokines. The pharmacological effect of myokines gives hope that one day we could have a "myokine drug" that could be used in patients who are unable to exercise. Until then we should use our &

Physical activity and body image among men and boys: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Bassett-Gunter, Rebecca; McEwan, Desmond; Kamarhie, Aria

2017-09-01

Three meta-analytic reviews have concluded that physical activity is positively related to body image. Historically, research regarding physical activity and body image has been disproportionately focused on female samples. For example, the most recent meta-analysis (2009) extracted 56 effect sizes for women and only 12 for men. The current paper provides an update to the literature regarding the relationship between physical activity and body image among men and boys across 84 individual effect sizes. The analysis also provides insight regarding moderator variables including participant age, and physical activity type and intensity. Overall, physical activity was positively related to body image among men and boys with various moderator variables warranting further investigation. Pragmatic implications are discussed as well as the limitations within existing research and need for additional research to further understand moderator and mediator variables. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Habituation based synaptic plasticity and organismic learning in a quantum perovskite

DOE PAGES

Zuo, Fan; Panda, Priyadarshini; Kotiuga, Michele; ...

2017-08-14

A central characteristic of living beings is the ability to learn from and respond to their environment leading to habit formation and decision making. This behavior, known as habituation, is universal among all forms of life with a central nervous system, and is also observed in single-cell organisms that do not possess a brain. Here, we report the discovery of habituation-based plasticity utilizing a perovskite quantum system by dynamical modulation of electron localization. Microscopic mechanisms and pathways that enable this organismic collective charge-lattice interaction are elucidated by first-principles theory, synchrotron investigations, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and in situ environmentalmore » breathing studies. In conclusion, we implement a learning algorithm inspired by the conductance relaxation behavior of perovskites that naturally incorporates habituation, and demonstrate learning to forget: a key feature of animal and human brains. Incorporating this elementary skill in learning boosts the capability of neural computing in a sequential, dynamic environment.« less

Habituation based synaptic plasticity and organismic learning in a quantum perovskite

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zuo, Fan; Panda, Priyadarshini; Kotiuga, Michele

A central characteristic of living beings is the ability to learn from and respond to their environment leading to habit formation and decision making. This behavior, known as habituation, is universal among all forms of life with a central nervous system, and is also observed in single-cell organisms that do not possess a brain. Here, we report the discovery of habituation-based plasticity utilizing a perovskite quantum system by dynamical modulation of electron localization. Microscopic mechanisms and pathways that enable this organismic collective charge-lattice interaction are elucidated by first-principles theory, synchrotron investigations, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and in situ environmentalmore » breathing studies. In conclusion, we implement a learning algorithm inspired by the conductance relaxation behavior of perovskites that naturally incorporates habituation, and demonstrate learning to forget: a key feature of animal and human brains. Incorporating this elementary skill in learning boosts the capability of neural computing in a sequential, dynamic environment.« less

Sex Trade Behavior Among Heterosexually Active Homeless Men

PubMed Central

Tucker, Joan S.; Wenzel, Suzanne L.; Kennedy, David P.; Golinelli, Daniela; Ewing, Brett

2013-01-01

Sex trade behavior is fairly common among homeless adults and may contribute to higher rates of HIV/AIDS in this population. This study provides a detailed examination of the sex trade-related attitudes and behaviors of homeless men by: (1) determining the prevalence of sex trade-related behaviors, including sex with female sex workers (FSWs); (2) identifying risk factors for having sex with FSWs; and (3) comparing men's relationships with FSWs and non-FSWs in terms of relationship qualities and HIV-related risk behaviors, such as condom use. Structured interviews were conducted with a probability sample of 305 heterosexually active homeless men recruited from meal lines in Los Angeles. Recent sex with a FSW was reported by 26% of men, and more likely among those who were older, used crack cocaine, had more sex partners, believed that sometimes men just need to have sex no matter what, and were embedded in networks that were denser and where risky sex was more normative. Compared to non-FSW partners, men with FSW partners felt less emotionally close to them, were more likely to believe the partner had never been tested for HIV, and were more likely to have sex with them under the influence of drugs or alcohol; however, they were not more likely to talk about using condoms or to use condoms with FSWs. Whether the relationship was considered “serious” was a stronger correlate of condom use than whether the partner was a FSW. Implications of these findings for HIV prevention efforts among homeless adults are discussed. PMID:23720137

Health status and years of sexually active life among older men and women in South Africa.

PubMed

Chirinda, Witness; Zungu, Nompumelelo

2016-11-01

Little is known about sexual activity in old age, particularly in Africa. The objective of this paper is to estimate years of sexually active life for older men and women, and examine the association between sexual activity and self-rated health status. Data were extracted from two large cross sectional HIV household surveys conducted in 2005 and 2012 in South Africa. The Sullivan method was used to estimate sexually active life expectancy, whilst logistic regression was used to assess associations with sexual activity. Sexually active life expectancy was higher among men across all the age groups in both surveys. At age 50, the sexually active life expectancy for men was double that for women - 2005 (12.6 vs. 5.9 years), 2012 (12.7 vs. 7.2 years). Self-rated health was significantly associated with sexual activity in men (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR) 1.56; 95% CI 1.11-2.19; p<0.001). Among older women, moderate exercise was associated with being sexual active, while HIV infection was significantly associated with reduced sexual activity. The presence of chronic conditions was also significantly associated with reduced sexual activity among men. The results confirm that older adults are sexually active, and that factors associated with sexual activity are different for men and women. HIV among women and chronic conditions among men are areas of intervention to improve sexual activity in older people. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The association between changes in lifestyle behaviors and the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in middle-aged and older men.

PubMed

Michishita, Ryoma; Matsuda, Takuro; Kawakami, Shotaro; Tanaka, Satoshi; Kiyonaga, Akira; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Morito, Natsumi; Higaki, Yasuki

2017-08-01

This study was designed to evaluate whether changes in lifestyle behaviors are correlated with the incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The subjects consisted of 316 men without a history of cardiovascular disease, stroke, or renal dysfunction or dialysis treatment. The following lifestyle behaviors were evaluated using a standardized self-administered questionnaire: habitual moderate exercise, daily physical activity, walking speed, eating speed, late-night dinner, bedtime snacking, skipping breakfast, and drinking and smoking habits. The subjects were divided into four categories according to the change in each lifestyle behavior from baseline to the end of follow-up (healthy-healthy, unhealthy-healthy, healthy-unhealthy and unhealthy-unhealthy). A multivariate analysis showed that, with respect to habitual moderate exercise and late-night dinner, maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle resulted in a significantly higher odds ratio (OR) for the incidence of CKD than maintaining a lifestyle (OR 8.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.10-15.40 for habitual moderate exercise and OR 4.00; 95% CI, 1.38-11.57 for late-night dinner). In addition, with respect to bedtime snacking, the change from a healthy to an unhealthy lifestyle and maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle resulted in significantly higher OR for incidence of CKD than maintaining a healthy lifestyle (OR 4.44; 95% CI, 1.05-13.93 for healthy-unhealthy group and OR 11.02; 95% CI, 2.83-26.69 for unhealthy-unhealthy group). The results of the present study suggest that the lack of habitual moderate exercise, late-night dinner, and bedtime snacking may increase the risk of CKD. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Early reduction in toe flexor strength is associated with physical activity in elderly men.

PubMed

Suwa, Masataka; Imoto, Takayuki; Kida, Akira; Yokochi, Takashi

2016-05-01

[Purpose] To compare the toe flexor, hand grip and knee extensor strengths of young and elderly men, and to examine the association between toe flexor strength and physical activity or inactivity levels. [Subjects and Methods] Young (n=155, 18-23 years) and elderly (n=60, 65-88 years) men participated in this study. Toe flexor, hand grip, and knee extensor strength were measured. Physical activity (time spent standing/walking per day) and inactivity (time spent sitting per day) were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. [Results] Toe flexor, hand grip, and knee extensor strength of the elderly men were significantly lower than those of the young men. Standing/walking and sitting times of the elderly men were lower than those of the young men. Toe flexor strength correlated with hand grip and knee extensor strength in both groups. In elderly men, toe flexor strength correlated with standing/walking time. In comparison to the young men's mean values, toe flexor strength was significantly lower than knee extensor and hand grip strength in the elderly group. [Conclusion] The results suggest that age-related reduction in toe flexor strength is greater than those of hand grip and knee extensor strengths. An early loss of toe flexor strength is likely associated with reduced physical activity in elderly men.

Habituation of 10-year-old hockey players to treadmill skating.

PubMed

Lockwood, Kelly L; Frost, Gail

2007-05-01

This study assessed changes in selected physiological and kinematic variables over 6 weeks of treadmill skating in an effort to understand the process of habituation to this novel training modality. Seven male, Atom-A hockey players who were injury-free and had no previous treadmill skating experience participated in the study. Players performed four 1-min skating bouts at progressively increasing speeds, each week, for 6 weeks. One speed (10.5 km/h) was repeated weekly to allow for assessment of the habituation process. Our criteria for habituation were: a decrease in stride rate, heart rate and rating of perceived exertion, and an increase in stride length, trunk angle and vertical movement of the centre of mass, leading to a plateau, over the course of the 6-week study. Significant decreases were seen in stride rate, heart rate and ratings of perceived exertion, and significant increases were found in stride length. Some of these changes were evident after only one week of training and all were present by week 4. After 6 weeks (24 min) of exposure to treadmill skating, all participants displayed a visibly more efficient skating style.

Individual variation in behavioural plasticity: direct and indirect effects of boldness, exploration and sociability on habituation to predators in lizards.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Prieto, Iñaki; Martín, José; Fernández-Juricic, Esteban

2011-01-22

Little is known about the factors causing variation in behavioural plasticity and the interplay between personality and plasticity. Habituation to predators is a special case of behavioural plasticity. We investigated the direct and indirect effects of boldness, exploration and sociability traits on the habituation ability of Iberian wall lizards, considering exposure and sex effects. Individual boldness was consistent across several non-habituation contexts, but it did not significantly affect habituation. Exploration had a strong direct effect on habituation, with more exploratory individuals being able to habituate faster than less exploratory ones, probably because of their ability to assess risk better. Individual variation in habituation was also affected by sociability, but this was an indirect effect mediated by exposure to the predator. Less social individuals avoided refuges with conspecific cues, increasing exposure to the predator and eventually habituation. Finally, the direct effects of sex (females habituated faster than males) were opposite to its indirect effects through exposure. We conclude that risk assessment, instead of the proactivity-reactivity gradient usually considered in the literature, can affect behavioural plasticity through complex interactions between direct and indirect effects, including exploratory behaviour, degree of exposure to the predator and sex, which represent novel mechanisms generating inter-individual variation in plasticity.

Temporomandibular Disorders: The Habitual Chewing Side Syndrome

PubMed Central

Santana-Mora, Urbano; López-Cedrún, José; Mora, María J.; Otero, Xosé L.; Santana-Penín, Urbano

2013-01-01

Background Temporomandibular disorders are the most common cause of chronic orofacial pain, but, except where they occur subsequent to trauma, their cause remains unknown. This cross-sectional study assessed chewing function (habitual chewing side) and the differences of the chewing side and condylar path and lateral anterior guidance angles in participants with chronic unilateral temporomandibular disorder. This is the preliminary report of a randomized trial that aimed to test the effect of a new occlusal adjustment therapy. Methods The masticatory function of 21 randomly selected completely dentate participants with chronic temporomandibular disorders (all but one with unilateral symptoms) was assessed by observing them eat almonds, inspecting the lateral horizontal movement of the jaw, with kinesiography, and by means of interview. The condylar path in the sagittal plane and the lateral anterior guidance angles with respect to the Frankfort horizontal plane in the frontal plane were measured on both sides in each individual. Results Sixteen of 20 participants with unilateral symptoms chewed on the affected side; the concordance (Fisher’s exact test, P = .003) and the concordance-symmetry level (Kappa coefficient κ = 0.689; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38 to 0.99; P = .002) were significant. The mean condylar path angle was steeper (53.47(10.88) degrees versus 46.16(7.25) degrees; P = .001), and the mean lateral anterior guidance angle was flatter (41.63(13.35) degrees versus 48.32(9.53) degrees P = .036) on the symptomatic side. Discussion The results of this study support the use of a new term based on etiology, “habitual chewing side syndrome”, instead of the nonspecific symptom-based “temporomandibular joint disorders”; this denomination is characterized in adults by a steeper condylar path, flatter lateral anterior guidance, and habitual chewing on the symptomatic side. PMID:23593156

Placebo analgesia is not due to compliance or habituation: EEG and behavioural evidence.

PubMed

Watson, Alison; El-Deredy, Wael; Vogt, Brent A; Jones, Anthony K P

2007-05-28

This study was designed to resolve whether experimental placebo responses are due to either increased compliance or habituation. We stimulated both forearms and recorded laser-evoked potentials from 18 healthy volunteers treated on one arm with a sham analgesic cream and an inactive cream on the other (treatment group), and 13 volunteers with an inactive cream on both arms (controls). The treatment group showed a significant reduction in the pain ratings and laser-evoked potentials with both the sham and inactive creams. The control group showed no evidence of habituation to the laser stimulus. The results indicate that the reduction in pain during experimental placebo response is unlikely to be due to sensory habituation or compliance with the experimental instructions.

Relationship between Young Children's Habitual Computer Use and Influencing Variables on Socio-Emotional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seo, Hyun Ah; Chun, Hui Young; Jwa, Seung Hwa; Choi, Mi Hyun

2011-01-01

This study investigates the relationship between young children's habitual computer use and influencing variables on socio-emotional development. The participants were 179 five-year-old children. The Internet Addiction Scale for Young Children (IASYC) was used to identify children with high and low levels of habituation to computer use. The data…

Urbanisation and sexual health: understanding bisexually active men in Hanoi, Vietnam

PubMed Central

Higgs, Peter; Reddel, Siobhan; Pham, Hanh Van; Dang, Khoat Van; Hellard, Margaret

2014-01-01

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) in Vietnam are receiving increased attention in recognition of their high-risk behaviours and potential for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and transmission. Due to societal pressures, many MSM in Vietnam are also bisexually active, which ultimately increases the transmission risks beyond the MSM population. Evidence is emerging that indicates a greater proportion of women in Asia with low-risk sexual activities are contracting HIV from their male partners who have become HIV infected through male–male sex. Methodology: Fourteen focus group discussions exploring sexual and social networks were conducted in Hanoi between July 2010 and September 2010. A total of 96 individuals participated in these sessions. Findings: A risk environment approach was used to analyse the focus group themes of social stigma and marriage, sex with other men in closed settings and transactional sex in Hanoi, an increasingly urbanising and westernising city. Implications: Despite limited evidence globally that bisexual men act as a bridge for sexually transmitted diseases, there is particular concern in Vietnam about this potential risk. HIV rates amongst MSM are rapidly rising and there are reports of women contracting HIV from their male partners who are bisexually active. PMID:25750805

Urbanisation and sexual health: understanding bisexually active men in Hanoi, Vietnam.

PubMed

Higgs, Peter; Reddel, Siobhan; Pham, Hanh Van; Dang, Khoat Van; Hellard, Margaret

2014-01-01

Background : Men who have sex with men (MSM) in Vietnam are receiving increased attention in recognition of their high-risk behaviours and potential for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and transmission. Due to societal pressures, many MSM in Vietnam are also bisexually active, which ultimately increases the transmission risks beyond the MSM population. Evidence is emerging that indicates a greater proportion of women in Asia with low-risk sexual activities are contracting HIV from their male partners who have become HIV infected through male-male sex. Methodology : Fourteen focus group discussions exploring sexual and social networks were conducted in Hanoi between July 2010 and September 2010. A total of 96 individuals participated in these sessions. Findings : A risk environment approach was used to analyse the focus group themes of social stigma and marriage, sex with other men in closed settings and transactional sex in Hanoi, an increasingly urbanising and westernising city. Implications : Despite limited evidence globally that bisexual men act as a bridge for sexually transmitted diseases, there is particular concern in Vietnam about this potential risk. HIV rates amongst MSM are rapidly rising and there are reports of women contracting HIV from their male partners who are bisexually active.

Are HIV/AIDS Prevention Interventions for Heterosexually Active Men in the United States Gender-Specific?

PubMed Central

Fullilove, Robert E.; Peacock, Dean

2009-01-01

Although gender-specific theories are often deployed in interventions to reduce women's HIV risks, the same is often not true for interventions among men. Theories of masculinity are not guiding most US research on the risky sexual behavior of heterosexual men or on what can be done to intervene. We first assess the extent to which evidence-based HIV-prevention interventions among heterosexually active men in the United States draw upon relevant theories of masculinity. Next, we introduce a useful framework within masculinity and gender studies that can be applied to HIV-prevention interventions with heterosexually active men. Finally, we make suggestions to improve the gender specificity of HIV-prevention interventions for heterosexually active men in the United States. PMID:19372506

Variability in HOMA-IR, lipoprotein profile and selected hormones in young active men.

PubMed

Keska, Anna; Lutoslawska, Grazyna; Czajkowska, Anna; Tkaczyk, Joanna; Mazurek, Krzysztof

2013-01-01

Resistance to insulin actions is contributing to many metabolic disturbances. Such factors as age, sex, nutrition, body fat, and physical activity determine body insulin resistance. Present study attempted to asses insulin resistance and its metabolic effects with respect to energy intake in young, lean, and active men. A total of 87 men aged 18-23 participated in the study. Plasma levels of glucose, insulin, lipoproteins, cortisol, and TSH were determined. Insulin resistance was expressed as Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and calculated using homeostatic model. The median value of HOMA-IR (1.344) was used to divide subjects into two groups. Men did not differ in anthropometric parameters, daily physical activity, and plasma TSH and cortisol levels. However, in men with higher HOMA-IR significantly lower daily energy intake was observed concomitantly with higher TG, TC, and HDL-C concentrations in plasma versus their counterparts with lower HOMA-IR. Exclusively in subjects with higher HOMA-IR significant and positive correlation was noted between HOMA-IR and TC and LDL-C. We concluded that despite a normal body weight and physical activity, a subset of young men displayed unfavorable changes in insulin sensitivity and lipid profile, probably due to insufficient energy intake.

Brain activation while forming memories of fearful and neutral faces in women and men.

PubMed

Fischer, Håkan; Sandblom, Johan; Nyberg, Lars; Herlitz, Agneta; Bäckman, Lars

2007-11-01

Event-related functional MRI (fMRI) was used to assess brain activity during encoding of fearful and neutral faces in 12 women and 12 men. In a subsequent memory analysis, the authors separated successful from unsuccessful encoding of both types of faces, based on whether they were remembered or forgotten in a later recognition memory test. Overall, women and men recruited overlapping neural circuitries. Both sexes activated right-sided medial-temporal regions during successful encoding of fearful faces. Successful encoding of neutral faces was associated with left-sided lateral prefrontal and right-sided superior frontal activation in both sexes. In women, relatively greater encoding related activity for neutral faces was seen in the superior parietal and parahippocampal cortices. By contrast, men activated the left and right superior/middle frontal cortex more than women during successful encoding of the same neutral faces. These findings suggest that women and men use similar neural networks to encode facial information, with only subtle sex differences observed for neutral faces.

Disparate Vitamin D Activity in the Prostate of Men with African Ancestry

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and determined by several cytochrome P450 metabolism enzymes that bioactivate/inactivate the active form of the hormone...activity of vitamin D3 is mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and determined by several cytochrome P450 metabolism enzymes that bioactivate...Unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT African American (AA) men are disproportionally affected by prostate cancer (PCa). AA men are not only at

Urinary excretion of cortisol from rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) habituated to restraint

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wade, C. E.; Ortiz, R. M.

1997-01-01

Use of monkeys in research has often required that they be restrained in a chair. However, chair restraint can elicit an initial neuroendocrine stress response. Also, inactivity associated with restraint can induce muscular atrophy. We proposed that prior habituation of monkeys to chair restraint would attenuate these neuroendocrine responses without causing substantial muscle wasting. Four rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were trained and habituated to a restraint chair specifically designed for spaceflight. During the study, monkeys were placed in metabolic cages for 7 days (prerestraint, Phase I), placed in a chair restraint for 18 days (Phase II), and then returned to their metabolic cages for 5 days (postrestraint, Phase III). Urine was collected between 0700-1100 daily, and measurements of cortisol, creatinine, and electrolyte concentrations were adjusted for hourly excretion rates. Body weights of the monkeys did not change between start of the prerestraint and postrestraint phases (10.3 +/- 0.8 vs. 10.3 +/- 0.9 kg, respectively). During the 3 phases, mean excretion rate of cortisol did not change (24.1 +/- 10.3, 26.7 +/- 7.7, and 19.3 +/- 5.8 microg/h, respectively). Mean excretion rate of creatinine (37.3 +/- 7.5, 37.5 +/- 12.2, and 36.9 +/- 17.1 mg/h, respectively), Na+ (3.3 +/- 1.2, 3.2 +/- 1.2, 2.2 +/- 1.8 mmol/h, respectively), and K+ (5.3 +/- 1.8, 5.4 +/- 1.6, and 4.3 +/- 2.8 mmol/h, respectively) were also not altered. Lack of an increase in excreted urinary cortisol suggested that prior habituation to chair restraint attenuated neuroendocrine responses reported previously. Also, the chair restraint method used appeared to allow adequate activity, because the monkeys did not have indices of muscle wasting.

Cardiac Deceleration in Newborns: Habituation, Dishabituation, and Offset Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adkinson, Cheryl D.; Berg, W. Keith

1976-01-01

A total of 20 neonates were presented with mild intensity blue or blue-green light during presentation of habituation and dishabituation stimuli. Orienting and defensive responses were measured by monitoring heart rate deceleration. (GO)

Repeated exposure to two stressors in sequence demonstrates that corticosterone and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus interleukin-1β responses habituate independently.

PubMed

Lovelock, D F; Deak, T

2017-09-01

A wide range of stress-related pathologies such as post-traumatic stress disorder are considered to arise from aberrant or maladaptive forms of stress adaptation. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis readily adapts to repeated stressor exposure, yet little is known about adaptation in neuroimmune responses to repeated or sequential stress challenges. In Experiment 1, rats were exposed to 10 days of restraint alone (60 minutes daily), forced swim alone (30 minutes daily) or daily sequential exposure to restraint (60 minutes) followed immediately by forced swim (30 minutes), termed sequential stress exposure. Habituation of the corticosterone (CORT) response occurred to restraint by 5 days and swim at 10 days, whereas rats exposed to sequential stress exposure failed to display habituation to the combined challenge. Experiment 2 compared 1 or 5 days of forced swim with sequential stress exposure and examined how each affected expression of several neuroimmune and cellular activation genes in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HPC). Sequential exposure to restraint and swim increased interleukin (IL)-1β in the PVN, an effect that was attenuated after 5 days. Sequential stress exposure also elicited IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α responses in the HPC and PFC, respectively, which did not habituate after 5 days. Experiment 3 tested whether prior habituation to restraint (5 days) would alter the IL-1β response evoked by swim exposure imposed immediately after the sixth day of restraint. Surprisingly, a history of repeated exposure to restraint attenuated the PVN IL-1β response after swim in comparison to acutely-exposed subjects despite an equivalent CORT response. Overall, these findings suggest that habituation of neuroimmune responses to stress proceeds: (i) independent of HPA axis habituation; (ii) likely requires more daily sessions of stress to develop; and (iii) IL-1β displays

Activational effects of sex hormones on cognition in men.

PubMed

Ulubaev, A; Lee, D M; Purandare, N; Pendleton, N; Wu, F C W

2009-11-01

Changing world demographic patterns, such as the increasing number of older people and the growing prevalence of cognitive impairment, present serious obstacles to preserving the quality of life and productivity of individuals. The severity of dementia varies from subclinical, mild cognitive impairment to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. In normally ageing men, these age-related cognitive declines are accompanied by gradual but marked decreases in androgen levels and changes in other hormone profiles. While developmental effects of sex hormones on cognition in the pre- and early postnatal period have been demonstrated, their activational effects in later life are still a focus of contemporary research. Although there is a plethora of published research on the topic, results have been inconsistent with different studies reporting positive, negative or no effects of sex hormones on various aspects of mental agility. This review summarizes the evidence supporting the biological plausibility of the activational effects of sex hormones upon cognition and describes the mechanisms of their actions. It offers a comprehensive summary of the studies of the effects of sex hormones on fluid intelligence in men utilizing elements from the Cochrane Collaboration Guidelines for Reviews. The results of both observational (cross-sectional and longitudinal) and interventional studies published to date are collated in table form and further discussed in the text. Factors contributing to the difficulties in understanding the effects of sex hormones on cognition are also examined. Although there is convincing evidence that steroid sex hormones play an organizational role in brain development in men, the evidence for activational effects of sex hormones affecting cognition in healthy men throughout adult life remains inconsistent. To address this issue, a new multifactorial approach is proposed which takes into account the status of other elements of the sex hormones axis

Qualitative insights into how men with low-risk prostate cancer choosing active surveillance negotiate stress and uncertainty.

PubMed

Mader, Emily M; Li, Hsin H; Lyons, Kathleen D; Morley, Christopher P; Formica, Margaret K; Perrapato, Scott D; Irwin, Brian H; Seigne, John D; Hyams, Elias S; Mosher, Terry; Hegel, Mark T; Stewart, Telisa M

2017-05-08

Active surveillance is a management strategy for men diagnosed with early-stage, low-risk prostate cancer in which their cancer is monitored and treatment is delayed. This study investigated the primary coping mechanisms for men following the active surveillance treatment plan, with a specific focus on how these men interact with their social network as they negotiate the stress and uncertainty of their diagnosis and treatment approach. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews at two academic institutions located in the northeastern US. Participants include 15 men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer following active surveillance. The decision to follow active surveillance reflects the desire to avoid potentially life-altering side effects associated with active treatment options. Men on active surveillance cope with their prostate cancer diagnosis by both maintaining a sense of control over their daily lives, as well as relying on the support provided them by their social networks and the medical community. Social networks support men on active surveillance by encouraging lifestyle changes and serving as a resource to discuss and ease cancer-related stress. Support systems for men with low-risk prostate cancer do not always interface directly with the medical community. Spousal and social support play important roles in helping men understand and accept their prostate cancer diagnosis and chosen care plan. It may be beneficial to highlight the role of social support in interventions targeting the psychosocial health of men on active surveillance.

Habituation of the cold shock response is inhibited by repeated anxiety: Implications for safety behaviour on accidental cold water immersions.

PubMed

Barwood, Martin J; Corbett, Jo; Tipton, Mike; Wagstaff, Christopher; Massey, Heather

2017-05-15

Accidental cold-water immersion (CWI) triggers the life-threatening cold shock response (CSR) which is a precursor to sudden death on immersion. One practical means of reducing the CSR is to induce an habituation by undergoing repeated short CWIs. Habituation of the CSR is known to be partially reversed by the concomitant experience of acute anxiety, raising the possibility that repeated anxiety could prevent CSR habituation; we tested this hypothesis. Sixteen participants (12 male, 4 female) completed seven, seven-minute immersions in to cold water (15°C). Immersion one acted as a control (CON1). During immersions two to five, which would ordinarily induce an habituation, anxiety levels were repeatedly increased (CWI-ANX rep ) by deception and a demanding mathematical task. Immersions six and seven were counter-balanced with another high anxiety condition (CWI-ANX rep ) or a further control (CON2). Anxiety (20cm visual analogue scale) and cardiorespiratory responses (cardiac frequency [f c ], respiratory frequency [f R ], tidal volume [V T ], minute ventilation [V̇ E ]) were measured. Comparisons were made between experimental immersions (CON1, final CWI-ANX rep , CON2), across habituation immersions and with data from a previous study. Anxiety levels were sustained at a similar level throughout the experimental and habituation immersions (mean [SD] CON1: 7.0 [4.0] cm; CON2: 5.8 [5.2] cm cf CWI-ANX rep : 7.3 [5.5] cm; p>0.05). This culminated in failure of the CSR to habituate even when anxiety levels were not manipulated (i.e. CON2). These data were different (p<0.05) to previous studies where anxiety levels were allowed to fall across habituation immersions and the CSR consequently habituated. Repeated anxiety prevented CSR habituation. A protective strategy that includes inducing habituation for those at risk should include techniques to lower anxiety associated with the immersion event or habituation may not be beneficial in the emergency scenario. Copyright

Early reduction in toe flexor strength is associated with physical activity in elderly men

PubMed Central

Suwa, Masataka; Imoto, Takayuki; Kida, Akira; Yokochi, Takashi

2016-01-01

[Purpose] To compare the toe flexor, hand grip and knee extensor strengths of young and elderly men, and to examine the association between toe flexor strength and physical activity or inactivity levels. [Subjects and Methods] Young (n=155, 18–23 years) and elderly (n=60, 65–88 years) men participated in this study. Toe flexor, hand grip, and knee extensor strength were measured. Physical activity (time spent standing/walking per day) and inactivity (time spent sitting per day) were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. [Results] Toe flexor, hand grip, and knee extensor strength of the elderly men were significantly lower than those of the young men. Standing/walking and sitting times of the elderly men were lower than those of the young men. Toe flexor strength correlated with hand grip and knee extensor strength in both groups. In elderly men, toe flexor strength correlated with standing/walking time. In comparison to the young men’s mean values, toe flexor strength was significantly lower than knee extensor and hand grip strength in the elderly group. [Conclusion] The results suggest that age-related reduction in toe flexor strength is greater than those of hand grip and knee extensor strengths. An early loss of toe flexor strength is likely associated with reduced physical activity in elderly men. PMID:27313353

A Comparison of the Habitual Landing Strategies from Differing Drop Heights of Parkour Practitioners (Traceurs) and Recreationally Trained Individuals.

PubMed

Standing, Regan J; Maulder, Peter S

2015-12-01

Parkour is an activity that encompasses methods of jumping, climbing and vaulting. With landing being a pertinent part of this practise, Parkour participants (traceurs) have devised their own habitual landing strategies, which are suggested to be a safer and more effective style of landing. The purpose of this study was to compare the habitual landing strategies of traceurs and recreationally trained individuals from differing drop heights. Comparisons between landing sound and mechanical parameters were also assessed to gauge the level of landing safety. Ten recreationally trained participants and ten traceurs performed three landings from 25% and 50% body height using their own habitual landing strategies. Results at 25% showed significantly lower maximal vertical force (39.9%, p < 0.0013, ES = -1.88), longer times to maximal vertical force (68.6%, p < 0.0015, ES = 1.72) and lower loading rates (65.1%, p < 0.0002, ES = -2.22) in the traceur group. Maximal sound was also shown to be lower (3.6%), with an effect size of -0.63, however this was not statistically significant (p < 0.1612). At 50%, traceurs exhibited significantly different values within all variables including maximal sound (8.6%, p < 0.03, ES = -1.04), maximal vertical force (49.0%, p < 0.0002, ES = -2.38), time to maximal vertical force (65.9%, p < 0.0067, ES = 1.32) and loading rates (66.3%, p < 0.0002, ES = -2.00). Foot strike analysis revealed traceurs landed using forefoot or forefoot-midfoot strategies in 93.2% of trials; whereas recreationally trained participants used these styles in only 8.3% of these landings. To conclude, the habitual landings of traceurs are more effective at lowering the kinetic landing variables associated with a higher injury risk in comparison to recreationally trained individuals. Sound as a measure of landing effectiveness and safety holds potential significance; however requires further research to confirm. Key pointsHabitual traceur landings were observed to be

Energy expenditure and activity among Hadza hunter-gatherers.

PubMed

Pontzer, Herman; Raichlen, David A; Wood, Brian M; Emery Thompson, Melissa; Racette, Susan B; Mabulla, Audax Z P; Marlowe, Frank W

2015-01-01

Studies of total energy expenditure, (TEE; kcal/day) among traditional populations have challenged current models relating habitual physical activity to daily energy requirements. Here, we examine the relationship between physical activity and TEE among traditional Hadza hunter-gatherers living in northern Tanzania. Hadza adults were studied at two camps, with minimal intervention so as to monitor energy expenditure and activity during normal daily life. We measured daily walking distance and walking speed using wearable GPS units for 41 adults. For a subset of 30 adults, we measured TEE using doubly labeled water, three indices of work load (foraging return rate, maternal status, and number of dependent children), and urinary biomarkers of metabolic activity and stress (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, cortisol, and testosterone). Fat-free mass was the single strongest predictor of TEE among Hadza adults (r(2)  = 0.66, P < 0.001). Hadza men used greater daily walking distances and faster walking speeds compared with that of Hadza women, but neither sex nor any measure of physical activity or work load were correlated with TEE in analyses controlling for fat-free mass. Compared with developed, industrial populations, Hadza adults had similar TEE but elevated levels of metabolic stress as measured by 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine. Our results indicate that daily physical activity may not predict TEE within traditional hunter-gatherer populations like the Hadza. Instead, adults with high levels of habitual physical activity may adapt by reducing energy allocation to other physiological activity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Endogenous testosterone levels are associated with neural activity in men with schizophrenia during facial emotion processing.

PubMed

Ji, Ellen; Weickert, Cynthia Shannon; Lenroot, Rhoshel; Catts, Stanley V; Vercammen, Ans; White, Christopher; Gur, Raquel E; Weickert, Thomas W

2015-06-01

Growing evidence suggests that testosterone may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia given that testosterone has been linked to cognition and negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Here, we determine the extent to which serum testosterone levels are related to neural activity in affective processing circuitry in men with schizophrenia. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal changes as 32 healthy controls and 26 people with schizophrenia performed a facial emotion identification task. Whole brain analyses were performed to determine regions of differential activity between groups during processing of angry versus non-threatening faces. A follow-up ROI analysis using a regression model in a subset of 16 healthy men and 16 men with schizophrenia was used to determine the extent to which serum testosterone levels were related to neural activity. Healthy controls displayed significantly greater activation than people with schizophrenia in the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). There was no significant difference in circulating testosterone levels between healthy men and men with schizophrenia. Regression analyses between activation in the IFG and circulating testosterone levels revealed a significant positive correlation in men with schizophrenia (r=.63, p=.01) and no significant relationship in healthy men. This study provides the first evidence that circulating serum testosterone levels are related to IFG activation during emotion face processing in men with schizophrenia but not in healthy men, which suggests that testosterone levels modulate neural processes relevant to facial emotion processing that may interfere with social functioning in men with schizophrenia. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Habituation/Fatigue behavior of a synapse memristor based on IGZO-HfO2 thin film.

PubMed

Jiang, Ran; Ma, Pengfei; Han, Zuyin; Du, Xianghao

2017-08-24

A synaptic memristor based on IGZO and oxygen-deficient HfO 2 films has been demonstrated. The memristor exhibits a fatigue response to a monotonic stimulus of voltage pulses, which is analogous to the habituation behavior of biological memory. The occurrence of habituation is nearly simultaneous with the transition from short-term memory to long-term memory. The movement and redistribution of oxygen species with the assistance of polarization in HfO 2 layer are responsible for the above results. The observation of habituation behavior proves the potential prospect of memristor on the mimic of biological neuron.

Effects of allocation of attention on habituation to olfactory and visual food stimuli in children.

PubMed

Epstein, Leonard H; Saad, Frances G; Giacomelli, April M; Roemmich, James N

2005-02-15

Responding to food cues may be disrupted by allocating attention to other tasks. We report two experiments examining the effects of allocation of attention on salivary habituation to olfactory plus visual food cues in 8-12-year-old children. In Experiment 1, 42 children were presented with a series of 8 hamburger food stimulus presentations. During each intertrial interval, participants completed a controlled (hard), or automatic (easy) visual memory task, or no task (control). In Experiment 2, 22 children were presented with 10 presentations of a pizza food stimulus and either listened to an audiobook or no audiobook control. Results of Experiment 1 showed group differences in rate of change in salivation (p=0.014). Children in the controlled task did not habituate to repeated food cues, while children in the automatic (p<0.005) or no task (p<0.001) groups decreased responding over time. In Experiment 2, groups differed in the rate of change in salivation (p=0.004). Children in the no audiobook group habituated (p<0.001), while children in the audiobook group did not habituate. Changes in the rate of habituation when attending to non-food stimuli while eating may be a mechanism for increasing energy intake.

Habit Doesn’t Make the Predictions Stronger: Implicit Alcohol Associations and Habitualness Predict Drinking Uniquely

PubMed Central

Lindgren, Kristen P.; Neighbors, Clayton; Teachman, Bethany A.; Gasser, Melissa L.; Kaysen, Debra; Norris, Jeanette; Wiers, Reinout W.

2015-01-01

Introduction As research on implicit (in the sense of fast/reflexive/impulsive) alcohol associations and alcohol advances, there is increasing emphasis on understanding the circumstances under which implicit alcohol associations predict drinking. In this study, we investigated habitualness of drinking (i.e., the extent to which drinking is automatic or occurs without thinking) as a moderator of the relations between several measures of implicit alcohol associations and key drinking outcomes. Method A sample of 506 participants (57% female) completed web-based measures of implicit alcohol associations (drinking identity, alcohol approach, and alcohol excitement), along with indicators of habitualness, and typical alcohol consumption, alcohol problems, and risk of alcohol use disorders. Results As expected, implicit alcohol associations, especially drinking identity, were positively associated with, and predicted unique variance in, drinking outcomes. Further, habitualness emerged as a consistent, positive predictor of drinking outcomes. Contrary to expectations, habitualness rarely moderated the relation between implicit alcohol associations and drinking outcomes. Conclusions Although moderation was rarely observed, findings indicated that even mild levels of habitualness are risky. Findings also continue to support implicit alcohol associations, particularly drinking identity, as a risk factor for hazardous drinking. Collectively, this suggests the importance of targeting both in prevention and intervention efforts. PMID:25665917

Lesion of medial prefrontal dopamine terminals abolishes habituation of accumbens shell dopamine responsiveness to taste stimuli.

PubMed

Bimpisidis, Zisis; De Luca, Maria Antonietta; Pisanu, Augusta; Di Chiara, Gaetano

2013-02-01

Taste stimuli increase extracellular dopamine (DA) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). This effect shows single-trial habituation in NAc shell but not in core or in mPFC. Morphine sensitization abolishes habituation of DA responsiveness in NAc shell but induces it in mPFC. These observations support the hypothesis of an inhibitory influence of mPFC DA on NAc DA. To test this hypothesis, we used in vivo microdialysis to investigate the effect of mPFC 6-hydroxy-dopamine (6-OHDA) lesions on the NAc DA responsiveness to taste stimuli. 6-OHDA was infused bilaterally in the mPFC of rats implanted with guide cannulae. After 1 week, rats were implanted with an intraoral catheter, microdialysis probes were inserted into the guide cannulae, and dialysate DA was monitored in NAc shell/core after intraoral chocolate. 6-OHDA infusion reduced tissue DA in the mPFC by 75%. Tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry showed that lesions were confined to the mPFC. mPFC 6-OHDA lesion did not affect the NAc shell DA responsiveness to chocolate in naive rats but abolished habituation in rats pre-exposed to the taste. In the NAc core, mPFC lesion potentiated, delayed and prolonged the stimulatory DA response to taste but failed to affect DA in pre-exposed rats. Behavioural taste reactions and motor activity were not affected. The results indicate a top-down control of NAc DA by mPFC and a reciprocal relationship between DA transmission in these two areas. Moreover, habituation of DA responsiveness in the NAc shell is dependent upon an intact DA input to the mPFC. © 2012 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Disparate Vitamin D Activity in the Prostate of Men with African Ancestry

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-01

activity of vitamin D3 is mediated by the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and determined by several cytochrome P450 metabolism enzymes that bioactivate...vitamin D receptor (VDR) and determined by several cytochrome P450 metabolism enzymes that bioactivate/inactivate the active form of the hormone... cancer (PCa). AA men are not only at increased risk of PCa compared to American men of European descent (EA), but also are at the highest risk of

Self-objectification, habitual body monitoring, and body dissatisfaction in older European American women: exploring age and feminism as moderators.

PubMed

Grippo, Karen P; Hill, Melanie S

2008-06-01

This study examined the influence of feminist attitudes on self-objectification, habitual body monitoring, and body dissatisfaction in middle age and older women. The participants were 138 European American heterosexual women ranging in age from 40 to 87 years old. Consistent with previous research, self-objectification and habitual body monitoring were positively correlated with body dissatisfaction and, self-objectification and habitual body monitoring remained stable across the lifespan. While age did not moderate the relationship between self-objectification and body dissatisfaction, age was found to moderate the relationship between habitual body monitoring and body dissatisfaction such that the relationship was smaller for older women than for middle-aged women. Interestingly, feminist attitudes were not significantly correlated with body dissatisfaction, self-objectification, or habitual body monitoring, and endorsement of feminist attitudes was not found to moderate the relationship between self-objectification or habitual body monitoring and body dissatisfaction. Potential implications for older women are discussed.

A habituation based approach for detection of visual changes in surveillance camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sha'abani, M. N. A. H.; Adan, N. F.; Sabani, M. S. M.; Abdullah, F.; Nadira, J. H. S.; Yasin, M. S. M.

2017-09-01

This paper investigates a habituation based approach in detecting visual changes using video surveillance systems in a passive environment. Various techniques have been introduced for dynamic environment such as motion detection, object classification and behaviour analysis. However, in a passive environment, most of the scenes recorded by the surveillance system are normal. Therefore, implementing a complex analysis all the time in the passive environment resulting on computationally expensive, especially when using a high video resolution. Thus, a mechanism of attention is required, where the system only responds to an abnormal event. This paper proposed a novelty detection mechanism in detecting visual changes and a habituation based approach to measure the level of novelty. The objective of the paper is to investigate the feasibility of the habituation based approach in detecting visual changes. Experiment results show that the approach are able to accurately detect the presence of novelty as deviations from the learned knowledge.

Habitual reappraisal in context: peer victimisation moderates its association with physiological reactivity to social stress.

PubMed

Christensen, Kara A; Aldao, Amelia; Sheridan, Margaret A; McLaughlin, Katie A

2017-02-01

Although the emotion regulation strategy of reappraisal has been associated with adaptive outcomes, there is a growing evidence that it may not be adaptive in all contexts. In the present study, adolescents reported their use of habitual reappraisal and their experiences with peer victimisation, a chronic stressor that is associated with reduced well-being in this population. We examined how these variables predicted physiological reactivity (vagal withdrawal and changes in pre-ejection period) during a social stressor (i.e., Trier Social Stress Task). In line with previous research, at high levels of victimisation, habitual reappraisal predicted adaptive physiological reactivity (i.e., greater vagal withdrawal). Conversely, at low levels of victimisation, habitual reappraisal predicted maladaptive physiological reactivity (i.e., blunted vagal withdrawal). These findings were specific to parasympathetic reactivity. They suggest that habitual reappraisal may exert different effects on parasympathetic reactivity depending on the presence of stressors, and highlight the importance of examining the role of contextual factors in determining the adaptiveness of emotion regulation strategies.

Habitual reappraisal in context: peer victimisation moderates its association with physiological reactivity to social stress

PubMed Central

Christensen, Kara A.; Aldao, Amelia; Sheridan, Margaret A.; McLaughlin, Katie A.

2016-01-01

Although the emotion regulation strategy of reappraisal has been associated with adaptive outcomes, there is a growing evidence that it may not be adaptive in all contexts. In the present study, adolescents reported their use of habitual reappraisal and their experiences with peer victimisation, a chronic stressor that is associated with reduced well-being in this population. We examined how these variables predicted physiological reactivity (vagal withdrawal and changes in pre-ejection period) during a social stressor (i.e., Trier Social Stress Task). In line with previous research, at high levels of victimisation, habitual reappraisal predicted adaptive physiological reactivity (i.e., greater vagal withdrawal). Conversely, at low levels of victimisation, habitual reappraisal predicted maladaptive physiological reactivity (i.e., blunted vagal withdrawal). These findings were specific to parasympathetic reactivity. They suggest that habitual reappraisal may exert different effects on parasympathetic reactivity depending on the presence of stressors, and highlight the importance of examining the role of contextual factors in determining the adaptiveness of emotion regulation strategies. PMID:26654477

Control of upper airway muscle activity in younger versus older men during sleep onset

PubMed Central

Fogel, Robert B; White, David P; Pierce, Robert J; Malhotra, Atul; Edwards, Jill K; Dunai, Judy; Kleverlaan, Darci; Trinder, John

2003-01-01

Pharyngeal dilator muscles are clearly important in the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSA). We have previously shown that the activity of both the genioglossus (GGEMG) and tensor palatini (TPEMG) are decreased at sleep onset, and that this decrement in muscle activity is greater in the apnoea patient than in healthy controls. We have also previously shown this decrement to be greater in older men when compared with younger ones. In order to explore the mechanisms responsible for this decrement in muscle activity nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) was applied to reduce negative pressure mediated muscle activation. We then investigated the effect of sleep onset (transition from predominantly α to predominantly θ EEG activity) on ventilation, upper airway muscle activation and upper airway resistance (UAR) in middle-aged and younger healthy men. We found that both GGEMG and TPEMG were reduced by the application of nasal CPAP during wakefulness, but that CPAP did not alter the decrement in activity in either muscle seen in the first two breaths following an α to θ transition. However, CPAP prevented both the rise in UAR at sleep onset that occurred on the control night, and the recruitment in GGEMG seen in the third to fifth breaths following the α to θ transition. Further, GGEMG was higher in the middle-aged men than in the younger men during wakefulness and was decreased more in the middle-aged men with the application of nasal CPAP. No differences were seen in TPEMG between the two age groups. These data suggest that the initial sleep onset reduction in upper airway muscle activity is due to loss of a ‘wakefulness’ stimulus, rather than to loss of responsiveness to negative pressure. In addition, it suggests that in older men, higher wakeful muscle activity is due to an anatomically more collapsible upper airway with more negative pressure driven muscle activation. Sleep onset per se does not appear to have a greater

Reproducibility and validity of the Shanghai Men's Health Study physical activity questionnaire.

PubMed

Jurj, Adriana L; Wen, Wanqing; Xiang, Yong-Bing; Matthews, Charles E; Liu, Dake; Zheng, Wei; Shu, Xiao-Ou

2007-05-15

Reproducibility and validity of the physical activity questionnaire (PAQ) used in the Shanghai Men's Health Study (2003-2006, People's Republic of China) was evaluated in a random sample of 196 participants aged 40-74 years. Participants completed a PAQ at baseline and again 1 year later, 12 monthly 7-day physical activity recalls, and four quarterly 1-week physical activity logs. Reproducibility was evaluated by using the two PAQs and validity by comparing the PAQs with 1-year averages of the two criterion measures: 7-day physical activity recall and physical activity log. The PAQ had moderate to high reproducibility for measuring adult exercise participation (kappa = 0.60) and energy expenditure (r(s) = 0.68), nonexercise activities (correlation coefficients = 0.42-0.68), and total daily energy expenditure (r(s) = 0.68, kappa(quartiles) = 0.47). Correlations between the PAQ and criterion measures of adult exercise were 0.45 (7-day physical activity recall) and 0.51 (physical activity log) for the first PAQ and 0.62 (7-day physical activity recall) and 0.71 (physical activity log) for the second PAQ. Correlations between PAQ nonexercise activities and the physical activity log and 7-day physical activity recall were 0.31-0.86. Correlations for total energy expenditure were high (0.62-0.77). Results indicate that the Shanghai Men's Health Study PAQ has reasonable reproducibility and validity for classifying men by their level of exercise and nonexercise activities in this cohort.

Acceptability of mHealth Technology for Self-Monitoring Eating and Activity among Rural Men.

PubMed

Eisenhauer, Christine M; Hageman, Patricia A; Rowland, Sheri; Becker, Betsy J; Barnason, Susan A; Pullen, Carol H

2017-03-01

To examine rural men's use and perceptions of mobile and wireless devices to self-monitor eating and physical activity (mHealth). Men in this 3-week pilot study used FitBit One ® to log daily food intake and monitor activity. A companion application (app) allowed activity monitoring of fellow participants. Health-related text messages were received 1-3 times daily. A purposive sample of 12 rural men (ages 40-67) was recruited by community leaders. (1) baseline heart rate, blood pressure, and BMI, (2) FitBit One ® usage, (3) investigator-generated surveys on acceptability of mHealth, and (4) focus group on experience with mHealth. Men were overweight (n = 3) or obese (n = 9) and 9 of 12 were hypertensive. Nine of twelve wore FitBit One ® all 21 days. Eleven of 12 men logged food, with 9 of 12 doing this at least 15 of 21 days. Self-monitoring and daily text messaging increased awareness of energy intake and output. Companion app's food log needed targeting for rural foods. Rotating seasons (occupational, religious, recreational) and weak cellular signals created contextual barriers to self-monitoring eating and activity. FitBit One ® and text messaging were perceived as useful among the rural men, while the companion apps require adaptation to reflect dietary norms. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Desensitization to Media Violence: Links With Habitual Media Violence Exposure, Aggressive Cognitions, and Aggressive Behavior

PubMed Central

Krahé, Barbara; Möller, Ingrid; Huesmann, L. Rowell; Kirwil, Lucyna; Felber, Juliane; Berger, Anja

2015-01-01

This study examined the links between desensitization to violent media stimuli and habitual media violence exposure as a predictor and aggressive cognitions and behavior as outcome variables. Two weeks after completing measures of habitual media violence exposure, trait aggression, trait arousability, and normative beliefs about aggression, undergraduates (N = 303) saw a violent film clip and a sad or a funny comparison clip. Skin conductance level (SCL) was measured continuously, and ratings of anxious and pleasant arousal were obtained after each clip. Following the clips, participants completed a lexical decision task to measure accessibility of aggressive cognitions and a competitive reaction time task to measure aggressive behavior. Habitual media violence exposure correlated negatively with SCL during violent clips and positively with pleasant arousal, response times for aggressive words, and trait aggression, but it was unrelated to anxious arousal and aggressive responding during the reaction time task. In path analyses controlling for trait aggression, normative beliefs, and trait arousability, habitual media violence exposure predicted faster accessibility of aggressive cognitions, partly mediated by higher pleasant arousal. Unprovoked aggression during the reaction time task was predicted by lower anxious arousal. Neither habitual media violence usage nor anxious or pleasant arousal predicted provoked aggression during the laboratory task, and SCL was unrelated to aggressive cognitions and behavior. No relations were found between habitual media violence viewing and arousal in response to the sad and funny film clips, and arousal in response to the sad and funny clips did not predict aggressive cognitions or aggressive behavior on the laboratory task. This suggests that the observed desensitization effects are specific to violent content. PMID:21186935

Desensitization to media violence: links with habitual media violence exposure, aggressive cognitions, and aggressive behavior.

PubMed

Krahé, Barbara; Möller, Ingrid; Huesmann, L Rowell; Kirwil, Lucyna; Felber, Juliane; Berger, Anja

2011-04-01

This study examined the links between desensitization to violent media stimuli and habitual media violence exposure as a predictor and aggressive cognitions and behavior as outcome variables. Two weeks after completing measures of habitual media violence exposure, trait aggression, trait arousability, and normative beliefs about aggression, undergraduates (N = 303) saw a violent film clip and a sad or a funny comparison clip. Skin conductance level (SCL) was measured continuously, and ratings of anxious and pleasant arousal were obtained after each clip. Following the clips, participants completed a lexical decision task to measure accessibility of aggressive cognitions and a competitive reaction time task to measure aggressive behavior. Habitual media violence exposure correlated negatively with SCL during violent clips and positively with pleasant arousal, response times for aggressive words, and trait aggression, but it was unrelated to anxious arousal and aggressive responding during the reaction time task. In path analyses controlling for trait aggression, normative beliefs, and trait arousability, habitual media violence exposure predicted faster accessibility of aggressive cognitions, partly mediated by higher pleasant arousal. Unprovoked aggression during the reaction time task was predicted by lower anxious arousal. Neither habitual media violence usage nor anxious or pleasant arousal predicted provoked aggression during the laboratory task, and SCL was unrelated to aggressive cognitions and behavior. No relations were found between habitual media violence viewing and arousal in response to the sad and funny film clips, and arousal in response to the sad and funny clips did not predict aggressive cognitions or aggressive behavior on the laboratory task. This suggests that the observed desensitization effects are specific to violent content.

Activities, productivity, and compensation of men and women in the life sciences.

PubMed

DesRoches, Catherine M; Zinner, Darren E; Rao, Sowmya R; Iezzoni, Lisa I; Campbell, Eric G

2010-04-01

To determine whether professional activities, professional productivity, and salaries of life sciences faculty differ by gender. The authors undertook this study because previous studies found differences in the academic experiences of women and men. In 2007, the authors conducted a mailed survey of 3,080 life sciences faculty at the 50 universities whose medical schools received the greatest amount of National Institutes of Health funding in 2004. The response rate was 74% (n = 2,168). The main outcome measures were a faculty member's total number of publications; number of publications in the past three years; average impact score of the journals in which he or she had published; professional activities; work hours per week; the numbers of hours spent specifically in teaching, patient care, research, professional activities, and administrative activities; and annual income. Among professors, the women reported greater numbers of hours worked per week and greater numbers of administrative and professional activities than did the men. Female faculty members reported fewer publications across all ranks. After control for professional characteristics and productivity, female researchers in the life sciences earned, on average, approximately $13,226 less annually than did their male counterparts. Men and women in the academic life sciences take on different roles as they advance through their careers. A substantial salary gap still exists between men and women that cannot be explained by productivity or other professional factors. Compensation and advancement policies should recognize the full scope of the roles that female researchers play.

Contribution to the understanding of how principal component analysis-derived dietary patterns emerge from habitual data on food consumption.

PubMed

Schwedhelm, Carolina; Iqbal, Khalid; Knüppel, Sven; Schwingshackl, Lukas; Boeing, Heiner

2018-02-01

Principal component analysis (PCA) is a widely used exploratory method in epidemiology to derive dietary patterns from habitual diet. Such dietary patterns seem to originate from intakes on multiple days and eating occasions. Therefore, analyzing food intake of study populations with different levels of food consumption can provide additional insights as to how habitual dietary patterns are formed. We analyzed the food intake data of German adults in terms of the relations among food groups from three 24-h dietary recalls (24hDRs) on the habitual, single-day, and main-meal levels, and investigated the contribution of each level to the formation of PCA-derived habitual dietary patterns. Three 24hDRs were collected in 2010-2012 from 816 adults for an European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam subcohort study. We identified PCA-derived habitual dietary patterns and compared cross-sectional food consumption data in terms of correlation (Spearman), consistency (intraclass correlation coefficient), and frequency of consumption across all days and main meals. Contribution to the formation of the dietary patterns was obtained through Spearman correlation of the dietary pattern scores. Among the meals, breakfast appeared to be the most consistent eating occasion within individuals. Dinner showed the strongest correlations with "Prudent" (Spearman correlation = 0.60), "Western" (Spearman correlation = 0.59), and "Traditional" (Spearman correlation = 0.60) dietary patterns identified on the habitual level, and lunch showed the strongest correlations with the "Cereals and legumes" (Spearman correlation = 0.60) habitual dietary pattern. Higher meal consistency was related to lower contributions to the formation of PCA-derived habitual dietary patterns. Absolute amounts of food consumption did not strongly conform to the habitual dietary patterns by meals, suggesting that these patterns are formed by complex combinations of variable food

Habitual intake of flavonoid subclasses and risk of colorectal cancer in 2 large prospective cohorts.

PubMed

Nimptsch, Katharina; Zhang, Xuehong; Cassidy, Aedín; Song, Mingyang; O'Reilly, Éilis J; Lin, Jennifer H; Pischon, Tobias; Rimm, Eric B; Willett, Walter C; Fuchs, Charles S; Ogino, Shuji; Chan, Andrew T; Giovannucci, Edward L; Wu, Kana

2016-01-01

Flavonoids inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells in vitro. In a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, the Polyp Prevention Trial, a higher intake of one subclass, flavonols, was statistically significantly associated with a reduced risk of recurrent advanced adenoma. Most previous prospective studies on colorectal cancer evaluated only a limited number of flavonoid subclasses and intake ranges, yielding inconsistent results. In this study, we examined whether higher habitual dietary intakes of flavonoid subclasses (flavonols, flavones, flavanones, flavan-3-ols, and anthocyanins) were associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer. Using data from validated food-frequency questionnaires administered every 4 y and an updated flavonoid food composition database, we calculated flavonoid intakes for 42,478 male participants from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study and for 76,364 female participants from the Nurses' Health Study. During up to 26 y of follow-up, 2519 colorectal cancer cases (1061 in men, 1458 in women) were documented. Intakes of flavonoid subclasses were not associated with risk of colorectal cancer in either cohort. Pooled multivariable adjusted RRs (95% CIs) comparing the highest with the lowest quintiles were 1.04 (0.91, 1.18) for flavonols, 1.01 (0.89, 1.15) for flavones, 0.96 (0.84, 1.10) for flavanones, 1.07 (0.95, 1.21) for flavan-3-ols, and 0.98 (0.81, 1.19) for anthocyanins (all P values for heterogeneity by sex >0.19). In subsite analyses, flavonoid intake was also not associated with colon or rectal cancer risk. Our findings do not support the hypothesis that a higher habitual intake of any flavonoid subclass decreases the risk of colorectal cancer.

Habituation of the metabolic and ventilatory responses to cold-water immersion in humans.

PubMed

Tipton, Michael J; Wakabayashi, Hitoshi; Barwood, Martin J; Eglin, Clare M; Mekjavic, Igor B; Taylor, Nigel A S

2013-01-01

An experiment was undertaken to answer long-standing questions concerning the nature of metabolic habituation in repeatedly cooled humans. It was hypothesised that repeated skin and deep-body cooling would produce such a habituation that would be specific to the magnitude of the cooling experienced, and that skin cooling alone would dampen the cold-shock but not the metabolic response to cold-water immersion. Twenty-one male participants were divided into three groups, each of which completed two experimental immersions in 12°C water, lasting until either rectal temperature fell to 35°C or 90min had elapsed. Between these two immersions, the control group avoided cold exposures, whilst two experimental groups completed five additional immersions (12°C). One experimental group repeatedly immersed for 45min in average, resulting in deep-body (1.18°C) and skin temperature reductions. The immersions in the second experimental group were designed to result only in skin temperature reductions, and lasted only 5min. Only the deep-body cooling group displayed a significantly blunted metabolic response during the second experimental immersion until rectal temperature decreased by 1.18°C, but no habituation was observed when they were cooled further. The skin cooling group showed a significant habituation in the ventilatory response during the initial 5min of the second experimental immersion, but no alteration in the metabolic response. It is concluded that repeated falls of skin and deep-body temperature can habituate the metabolic response, which shows tissue temperature specificity. However, skin temperature cooling only will lower the cold-shock response, but appears not to elicit an alteration in the metabolic response. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sleep extension normalizes ERP of waking auditory sensory gating in healthy habitually short sleeping individuals.

PubMed

Gumenyuk, Valentina; Korzyukov, Oleg; Roth, Thomas; Bowyer, Susan M; Drake, Christopher L

2013-01-01

Chronic sleep loss has been associated with increased daytime sleepiness, as well as impairments in memory and attentional processes. In the present study, we evaluated the neuronal changes of a pre-attentive process of wake auditory sensory gating, measured by brain event-related potential (ERP)--P50 in eight normal sleepers (NS) (habitual total sleep time (TST) 7 h 32 m) vs. eight chronic short sleeping individuals (SS) (habitual TST ≤6 h). To evaluate the effect of sleep extension on sensory gating, the extended sleep condition was performed in chronic short sleeping individuals. Thus, one week of time in bed (6 h 11 m) corresponding to habitual short sleep (hSS), and one week of extended time (∼ 8 h 25 m) in bed corresponding to extended sleep (eSS), were counterbalanced in the SS group. The gating ERP assessment was performed on the last day after each sleep condition week (normal sleep and habitual short and extended sleep), and was separated by one week with habitual total sleep time and monitored by a sleep diary. We found that amplitude of gating was lower in SS group compared to that in NS group (0.3 µV vs. 1.2 µV, at Cz electrode respectively). The results of the group × laterality interaction showed that the reduction of gating amplitude in the SS group was due to lower amplitude over the left hemisphere and central-midline sites relative to that in the NS group. After sleep extension the amplitude of gating increased in chronic short sleeping individuals relative to their habitual short sleep condition. The sleep condition × frontality interaction analysis confirmed that sleep extension significantly increased the amplitude of gating over frontal and central brain areas compared to parietal brain areas.

Sleep Extension Normalizes ERP of Waking Auditory Sensory Gating in Healthy Habitually Short Sleeping Individuals

PubMed Central

Gumenyuk, Valentina; Korzyukov, Oleg; Roth, Thomas; Bowyer, Susan M.; Drake, Christopher L.

2013-01-01

Chronic sleep loss has been associated with increased daytime sleepiness, as well as impairments in memory and attentional processes. In the present study, we evaluated the neuronal changes of a pre-attentive process of wake auditory sensory gating, measured by brain event-related potential (ERP) – P50 in eight normal sleepers (NS) (habitual total sleep time (TST) 7 h 32 m) vs. eight chronic short sleeping individuals (SS) (habitual TST ≤6 h). To evaluate the effect of sleep extension on sensory gating, the extended sleep condition was performed in chronic short sleeping individuals. Thus, one week of time in bed (6 h 11 m) corresponding to habitual short sleep (hSS), and one week of extended time (∼ 8 h 25 m) in bed corresponding to extended sleep (eSS), were counterbalanced in the SS group. The gating ERP assessment was performed on the last day after each sleep condition week (normal sleep and habitual short and extended sleep), and was separated by one week with habitual total sleep time and monitored by a sleep diary. We found that amplitude of gating was lower in SS group compared to that in NS group (0.3 µV vs. 1.2 µV, at Cz electrode respectively). The results of the group × laterality interaction showed that the reduction of gating amplitude in the SS group was due to lower amplitude over the left hemisphere and central-midline sites relative to that in the NS group. After sleep extension the amplitude of gating increased in chronic short sleeping individuals relative to their habitual short sleep condition. The sleep condition × frontality interaction analysis confirmed that sleep extension significantly increased the amplitude of gating over frontal and central brain areas compared to parietal brain areas. PMID:23520548

A detailed analysis of open-field habituation and behavioral and neurochemical antidepressant-like effects in postweaning enriched rats.

PubMed

Brenes, Juan C; Padilla, Michael; Fornaguera, Jaime

2009-01-30

Our previous work has shown that male Sprague-Dawley rats reared in social isolation, standard housing and environmental enrichment differ in their spontaneous open-field activity and in some neurobehavioral depressive-like parameters. Here, we extended this evidence by using a shorter postweaning rearing period (1 month) and including additional evaluations. First, in order to obtain a better characterization of the exploratory strategies among rearing conditions we analyzed in detail the spontaneous activity at the first minute and during the 10-min session. Second, we asked whether the changes in open-field activity were related with basal anxiety levels in the elevated plus-maze. Third, behavior in the forced-swimming test was analyzed and afterward, the tissue levels of hippocampal norepinephrine and serotonin were assessed. The possible relationship between neurotransmitters and forced-swimming behavior were explored through correlation analyses. We found that rearing conditions (i) differed on locomotor habituation and on sensory-motor exploration at the first minute and during the 10-min session without modifying the plus-maze behavior; (ii) affected differentially the grooming time, its sequential components, and the relationship between grooming and locomotor parameters; (iii) modified forced-swimming behavior and the hippocampal concentration of norepinephrine, serotonin, and its turnover; and (iv) produced different correlation patterns between both neurotransmitters and forced-swimming behaviors. Overall, environmental enrichment accelerated open-field habituation and led to behavioral and neurochemical antidepressant-like effects. In contract, isolation rearing strongly impaired habituation and simple information processing, but showed marginal effects on depressive-like behavior and on hippocampal neurochemistry. The current results suggest that differential rearing is not only a useful procedure to study behavioral plasticity or rigidity in response

Goal-directed and habitual control in the basal ganglia: implications for Parkinson’s disease

PubMed Central

Redgrave, Peter; Rodriguez, Manuel; Smith, Yoland; Rodriguez-Oroz, Maria C.; Lehericy, Stephane; Bergman, Hagai; Agid, Yves; DeLong, Mahlon R.; Obeso, Jose A.

2011-01-01

Progressive loss of the ascending dopaminergic projection in the basal ganglia is a fundamental pathological feature of Parkinson’s disease. Studies in animals and humans have identified spatially segregated functional territories in the basal ganglia for the control of goal-directed and habitual actions. In patients with Parkinson’s disease the loss of dopamine is predominantly in the posterior putamen, a region of the basal ganglia associated with the control of habitual behaviour. These patients may therefore be forced into a progressive reliance on the goal-directed mode of action control that is mediated by comparatively preserved processing in the rostromedial striatum. Thus, many of their behavioural difficulties may reflect a loss of normal automatic control owing to distorting output signals from habitual control circuits, which impede the expression of goal-directed action. PMID:20944662

Physical activity and health-related quality of life among older men: an examination of current physical activity recommendations.

PubMed

Vallance, Jeff K; Eurich, Dean T; Lavallee, Celeste M; Johnson, Steven T

2012-01-01

To determine differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between older men achieving versus not achieving American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the United States Department of Health and Human Services recommendations (USDHHS) physical activity (PA) recommendations. Older-aged men (≥ 55 years) completed a mailed survey that assessed self-reported PA and HRQoL. Data were collected between September and October of 2010. 387 older men (Mean age=65) completed the survey. Under half (48%) reported achieving the ACSM recommendation while 64% reported achieving the USDHHS recommendation. Older men achieving the ACSM recommendation reported significantly higher scores in physical health (Δ=3.5, p<0.001), mental health (Δ=4.4, p<0.001), and global health (Δ=4.3, p<0.001) component scores compared to those not achieving the recommendation. Those achieving the higher dose recommended by the USDHHS (≥ 300 min per week of moderate-intensity activity) reported significantly higher scores on the PHC (Δ=2.1, p=0.029) and GHC (Δ=2.3, p=0.027) scales compared to those achieving the USDHHS base recommendation (150-299.9 min per week of moderate-intensity activity). Self-reported PA was significantly and positively associated with higher HRQoL scores among older men. Associations were stronger for those achieving a higher volume of PA. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variation in Foot Strike Patterns among Habitually Barefoot and Shod Runners in Kenya

PubMed Central

Lieberman, Daniel E.; Castillo, Eric R.; Otarola-Castillo, Erik; Sang, Meshack K.; Sigei, Timothy K.; Ojiambo, Robert; Okutoyi, Paul; Pitsiladis, Yannis

2015-01-01

Runners are often categorized as forefoot, midfoot or rearfoot strikers, but how much and why do individuals vary in foot strike patterns when running on level terrain? This study used general linear mixed-effects models to explore both intra- and inter-individual variations in foot strike pattern among 48 Kalenjin-speaking participants from Kenya who varied in age, sex, body mass, height, running history, and habitual use of footwear. High speed video was used to measure lower extremity kinematics at ground contact in the sagittal plane while participants ran down 13 meter-long tracks with three variables independently controlled: speed, track stiffness, and step frequency. 72% of the habitually barefoot and 32% of the habitually shod participants used multiple strike types, with significantly higher levels of foot strike variation among individuals who ran less frequently and who used lower step frequencies. There was no effect of sex, age, height or weight on foot strike angle, but individuals were more likely to midfoot or forefoot strike when they ran on a stiff surface, had a high preferred stride frequency, were habitually barefoot, and had more experience running. It is hypothesized that strike type variation during running, including a more frequent use of forefoot and midfoot strikes, used to be greater before the introduction of cushioned shoes and paved surfaces. PMID:26154285

Variation in Foot Strike Patterns among Habitually Barefoot and Shod Runners in Kenya.

PubMed

Lieberman, Daniel E; Castillo, Eric R; Otarola-Castillo, Erik; Sang, Meshack K; Sigei, Timothy K; Ojiambo, Robert; Okutoyi, Paul; Pitsiladis, Yannis

2015-01-01

Runners are often categorized as forefoot, midfoot or rearfoot strikers, but how much and why do individuals vary in foot strike patterns when running on level terrain? This study used general linear mixed-effects models to explore both intra- and inter-individual variations in foot strike pattern among 48 Kalenjin-speaking participants from Kenya who varied in age, sex, body mass, height, running history, and habitual use of footwear. High speed video was used to measure lower extremity kinematics at ground contact in the sagittal plane while participants ran down 13 meter-long tracks with three variables independently controlled: speed, track stiffness, and step frequency. 72% of the habitually barefoot and 32% of the habitually shod participants used multiple strike types, with significantly higher levels of foot strike variation among individuals who ran less frequently and who used lower step frequencies. There was no effect of sex, age, height or weight on foot strike angle, but individuals were more likely to midfoot or forefoot strike when they ran on a stiff surface, had a high preferred stride frequency, were habitually barefoot, and had more experience running. It is hypothesized that strike type variation during running, including a more frequent use of forefoot and midfoot strikes, used to be greater before the introduction of cushioned shoes and paved surfaces.

Habituation, Response to Novelty, and Dishabituation in Human Infants: Tests of a Dual-Process Theory of Visual Attention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaplan, Peter S.; Werner, John S.

1986-01-01

Tests infants' dual-process performance (a process mediating response decrements called habituation and a state-dependent process mediating response increments called sensitization) on visual habituation-dishabituation tasks. (HOD)

Effect of satiety on brain activation during chocolate tasting in men and women.

PubMed

Smeets, Paul A M; de Graaf, Cees; Stafleu, Annette; van Osch, Matthias J P; Nievelstein, Rutger A J; van der Grond, Jeroen

2006-06-01

The brain plays a crucial role in the decision to eat, integrating multiple hormonal and neural signals. A key factor controlling food intake is selective satiety, ie, the phenomenon that the motivation to eat more of a food decreases more than does the motivation to eat foods not eaten. We investigated the effect of satiation with chocolate on the brain activation associated with chocolate taste in men and women. Twelve men and 12 women participated. Subjects fasted overnight and were scanned by use of functional magnetic resonance imaging while tasting chocolate milk, before and after eating chocolate until they were satiated. In men, chocolate satiation was associated with increased taste activation in the ventral striatum, insula, and orbitofrontal and medial orbitofrontal cortex and with decreased taste activation in somatosensory areas. Women showed increased taste activation in the precentral gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and putamen and decreased taste activation in the hypothalamus and amygdala. Sex differences in the effect of chocolate satiation were found in the hypothalamus, ventral striatum, and medial prefrontal cortex (all P < 0.005). Our results indicate that men and women differ in their response to satiation and suggest that the regulation of food intake by the brain may vary between the sexes. Therefore, sex differences are a covariate of interest in studies of the brain's responses to food.

Gamified physical activation of young men--a Multidisciplinary Population-Based Randomized Controlled Trial (MOPO study).

PubMed

Ahola, Riikka; Pyky, Riitta; Jämsä, Timo; Mäntysaari, Matti; Koskimäki, Heli; Ikäheimo, Tiina M; Huotari, Maija-Leena; Röning, Juha; Heikkinen, Hannu I; Korpelainen, Raija

2013-01-14

Inactive and unhealthy lifestyles are common among adolescent men. The planned intervention examines the effectiveness of an interactive, gamified activation method, based on tailored health information, peer networks and participation, on physical activity, health and wellbeing in young men. We hypothesize that following the intervention the physical activation group will have an improved physical activity, as well as self-determined and measured health compared with the controls. Conscription-aged men (18 years) attending compulsory annual call-ups for military service in the city of Oulu in Finland (n = 1500) will be randomized to a 6-months intervention (n = 640) or a control group (n = 640) during the fall 2013. A questionnaire on health, health behaviour, diet and wellbeing is administered in the beginning and end of the intervention. In addition, anthropometric measures (height, weight and waist circumference), body composition, grip strength, heart rate variability and aerobic fitness will be measured. The activation group utilizes an online gamified activation method in combination with communal youth services, objective physical activity measurement, social networking, tailored health information and exercise programs according to baseline activity level and the readiness of changes of each individual. Daily physical activity of the participants is monitored in both the activation and control groups. The activation service rewards improvements in physical activity or reductions in sedentary behaviour. The performance and completion of the military service of the participants will also be followed. The study will provide new information of physical activity, health and health behaviour of young men. Furthermore, a novel model including methods for increasing physical activity among young people is developed and its effects tested through an intervention. This unique gamified service for activating young men can provide a translational model for community

Sounds Scary? Lack of Habituation following the Presentation of Novel Sounds

PubMed Central

Biedenweg, Tine A.; Parsons, Michael H.; Fleming, Patricia A.; Blumstein, Daniel T.

2011-01-01

Background Animals typically show less habituation to biologically meaningful sounds than to novel signals. We might therefore expect that acoustic deterrents should be based on natural sounds. Methodology We investigated responses by western grey kangaroos (Macropus fulignosus) towards playback of natural sounds (alarm foot stomps and Australian raven (Corvus coronoides) calls) and artificial sounds (faux snake hiss and bull whip crack). We then increased rate of presentation to examine whether animals would habituate. Finally, we varied frequency of playback to investigate optimal rates of delivery. Principal Findings Nine behaviors clustered into five Principal Components. PC factors 1 and 2 (animals alert or looking, or hopping and moving out of area) accounted for 36% of variance. PC factor 3 (eating cessation, taking flight, movement out of area) accounted for 13% of variance. Factors 4 and 5 (relaxing, grooming and walking; 12 and 11% of variation, respectively) discontinued upon playback. The whip crack was most evocative; eating was reduced from 75% of time spent prior to playback to 6% following playback (post alarm stomp: 32%, raven call: 49%, hiss: 75%). Additionally, 24% of individuals took flight and moved out of area (50 m radius) in response to the whip crack (foot stomp: 0%, raven call: 8% and 4%, hiss: 6%). Increasing rate of presentation (12x/min ×2 min) caused 71% of animals to move out of the area. Conclusions/Significance The bull whip crack, an artificial sound, was as effective as the alarm stomp at eliciting aversive behaviors. Kangaroos did not fully habituate despite hearing the signal up to 20x/min. Highest rates of playback did not elicit the greatest responses, suggesting that ‘more is not always better’. Ultimately, by utilizing both artificial and biological sounds, predictability may be masked or offset, so that habituation is delayed and more effective deterrents may be produced. PMID:21267451

Sounds scary? Lack of habituation following the presentation of novel sounds.

PubMed

Biedenweg, Tine A; Parsons, Michael H; Fleming, Patricia A; Blumstein, Daniel T

2011-01-18

Animals typically show less habituation to biologically meaningful sounds than to novel signals. We might therefore expect that acoustic deterrents should be based on natural sounds. We investigated responses by western grey kangaroos (Macropus fulignosus) towards playback of natural sounds (alarm foot stomps and Australian raven (Corvus coronoides) calls) and artificial sounds (faux snake hiss and bull whip crack). We then increased rate of presentation to examine whether animals would habituate. Finally, we varied frequency of playback to investigate optimal rates of delivery. Nine behaviors clustered into five Principal Components. PC factors 1 and 2 (animals alert or looking, or hopping and moving out of area) accounted for 36% of variance. PC factor 3 (eating cessation, taking flight, movement out of area) accounted for 13% of variance. Factors 4 and 5 (relaxing, grooming and walking; 12 and 11% of variation, respectively) discontinued upon playback. The whip crack was most evocative; eating was reduced from 75% of time spent prior to playback to 6% following playback (post alarm stomp: 32%, raven call: 49%, hiss: 75%). Additionally, 24% of individuals took flight and moved out of area (50 m radius) in response to the whip crack (foot stomp: 0%, raven call: 8% and 4%, hiss: 6%). Increasing rate of presentation (12x/min ×2 min) caused 71% of animals to move out of the area. The bull whip crack, an artificial sound, was as effective as the alarm stomp at eliciting aversive behaviors. Kangaroos did not fully habituate despite hearing the signal up to 20x/min. Highest rates of playback did not elicit the greatest responses, suggesting that 'more is not always better'. Ultimately, by utilizing both artificial and biological sounds, predictability may be masked or offset, so that habituation is delayed and more effective deterrents may be produced.

Familial clustering of habitual constipation: a prospective study in children from West Virginia.

PubMed

Ostwani, Waseem; Dolan, Jenna; Elitsur, Yoram

2010-03-01

To investigate familial clustering of habitual constipation in pediatric patients who attended our medical facilities. Children with the diagnosis of functional, habitual constipation or patients without constipation and their respective family members were prospectively recruited to our study. Constipation was established in all participants using a standard questionnaire (Rome criteria). A total of 112 children and their families participated in the study, of which 37 were probands families (test) and 75 children and their respective family members constituted the control group. A total of 310 family members completed the questionnaire. No significant differences were found between the study and the control groups in age, sex, or family size. Siblings or parents from the study group (probands) had significantly higher rates of constipation compared with the control group (30% vs 7% and 42% vs 9%, respectively; P = 0.001). Habitual constipation in children seemed to cluster in families. The pathophysiology behind this phenomenon is yet unknown.

Clinical and laboratory characteristics of active and healthy aging (AHA) in octogenarian men.

PubMed

Rantanen, Kirsi K; Strandberg, Timo E; Stenholm, Sari S; Strandberg, Arto Y; Pitkälä, Kaisu H; Salomaa, Veikko V; Tilvis, Reijo S

2015-10-01

To investigate clinical and laboratory variables associated with good subjective and objective health ("active and healthy aging", AHA) in a cohort of octogenarian men. Cross-sectional analyses of a longitudinal study. The Helsinki Businessmen Study in Finland. A socioeconomically homogenous cohort of men (baseline n = 3293), born in 1919-1934, has been followed up from the 1960s. From 2000, the men have been regularly sent mailed questionnaires and mortality has been retrieved from national registers. In 2010 survey, AHA was defined as independently responding to the mailed survey, feeling happy without cognitive or functional impairments and without major diseases. In 2010/11, a random subgroup men was clinically investigated and survivors with healthy and nonhealthy aging were compared. By 2010, 1788 men of the baseline cohort had died, and 894 men responded to the mailed survey. 154 (17.2 %) of those fulfilled the present AHA criteria. Increasing number of criteria were negatively (P < 0.001) related to short-term mortality. In 2011, a random sample of 458 men were clinically investigated, 90 of them with AHA. Men with AHA had higher serum LDL cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure (partially explained by less frequent drug use) but no significant difference was observed in other risk factors. Men with AHA had significantly faster walking speed (P < 0.001), stronger handgrip (P = 0.017), better self-rated health and less phenotypic frailty (P = 0.02). Less than 5 % enjoyed active and healthy aging over their life course, which was significantly related to markers of frailty but not to the traditional vascular risk factors.

Emotions during sexual activity: differences between sexually functional and dysfunctional men and women.

PubMed

Nobre, Pedro J; Pinto-Gouveia, José

2006-08-01

The present study investigated the differences in emotional response to automatic thoughts presented during sexual activity between sexually functional and dysfunctional men and women. A total of 376 participants (160 women and 120 men without sexual problems and 47 women and 49 men with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of sexual dysfunction) completed the Sexual Modes Questionnaire (SMQ male and female versions; P. J. Nobre & J. Pinto-Gouveia, 2000) and measures of sexual functioning: The International Index of Sexual Function (IIEF; R. C. Rosen et al., 1997), and The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI; R. C. Rosen et al., 2000). The SMQ is a combined measure constituted by three interdependent subscales: Automatic Thought subscale (AT), Emotional Response subscale (ER), and Sexual Response subscale (SR). Emotions were assessed by the ER subscale, where participants endorsed emotional reactions (worry, sadness, disillusion, fear, guilt, shame, anger, hurt, pleasure, satisfaction) to a list of automatic thoughts (AT subscale) that may occur during sexual activity. Results showed that both men and women with sexual dysfunction had significantly less positive emotional reactions to automatic thoughts during sexual activity. Sexually dysfunctional men had significantly more emotions of sadness, disillusion, and fear, and less pleasure and satisfaction, compared to men without sexual problems. Women with sexual dysfunction had significantly less pleasure and satisfaction, and more sadness, disillusion, guilt, and anger. Findings were congruent with recent studies indicating that emotions related to depressed affect (sadness, disillusion, lack of pleasure) as opposed to negative emotions (mostly related to anxiety) were stronger correlates of sexual dysfunction.

Habitual aerobic exercise does not protect against micro- or macrovascular endothelial dysfunction in healthy estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Santos-Parker, Jessica R; Strahler, Talia R; Vorwald, Victoria M; Pierce, Gary L; Seals, Douglas R

2017-01-01

Aging causes micro- and macrovascular endothelial dysfunction, as assessed by endothelium-dependent dilation (EDD), which can be prevented and reversed by habitual aerobic exercise (AE) in men. However, in estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women, whole forearm microvascular EDD has not been studied, and a beneficial effect of AE on macrovascular EDD has not been consistently shown. We assessed forearm blood flow in response to brachial artery infusions of acetylcholine (FBF ACh ), a measure of whole forearm microvascular EDD, and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a measure of macrovascular EDD, in 12 premenopausal sedentary women (Pre-S; 24 ± 1 yr; V̇o 2max = 37.5 ± 1.6 ml·kg -1 ·min -1 ), 25 estrogen-deficient postmenopausal sedentary women (Post-S; 62 ± 1 yr; V̇o 2max = 24.7 ± 0.9 ml·kg -1 ·min -1 ), and 16 estrogen-deficient postmenopausal AE-trained women (Post-AE; 59 ± 1 yr; V̇o 2max = 40.4 ± 1.4 ml·kg -1 ·min -1 ). FBF ACh was lower in Post-S and Post-AE compared with Pre-S women (135 ± 9 and 116 ± 17 vs. 193 ± 21 AUC, respectively, both P < 0.008), whereas Post-S and Post-AE women were not different (P = 0.3). Brachial artery FMD was 34% (5.73 ± 0.67%) and 45% (4.79 ± 0.57%) lower in Post-S and Post-AE, respectively, vs. Pre-S women (8.69 ± 0.95%, both P ≤ 0.01), but not different between Post-S and Post-AE women (P = 0.3). Post-AE women had lower circulating C-reactive protein and oxidized low-density lipoprotein compared with Post-S women (0.5 ± 0.1 vs. 1.1 ± 0.2 mg/l and 40 ± 4 vs. 55 ± 3 U/l, respectively, both P = 0.01), but these markers were not correlated to FBF ACh (P = 0.3) or brachial artery FMD (P = 0.8). These findings are consistent with the idea that habitual AE does not protect against age/menopause-related whole forearm micro- and macrovascular endothelial dysfunction in healthy nonobese estrogen-deficient postmenopausal women, despite being associated with lower systemic markers of inflammation and

Female habitual self-mutilators.

PubMed

Favazza, A R; Conterio, K

1989-03-01

Data are presented on 240 female habitual self-mutilators. The typical subject is a 28-year-old Caucasian who first deliberately harmed herself at age 14. Skin cutting is her usual practice, but she has used other methods such as skin burning and self-hitting, and she has injured herself on at least 50 occasions. Her decision to self-mutilate is impulsive and results in temporary relief from symptoms such as racing thoughts, depersonalization, and marked anxiety. She now has or has had an eating disorder, and may be concerned about her drinking. She has been a heavy utilizer of medical and mental health services, although treatment generally has been unsatisfactory. In desperation over her inability to control her self-mutilative behavior this typical subject has attempted suicide by a drug overdose.

Immediate and short-term biomechanical adaptation of habitual barefoot runners who start shod running.

PubMed

Au, Ivan P H; Lau, Fannie O Y; An, Winko W; Zhang, Janet H; Chen, Tony L; Cheung, Roy T H

2018-02-01

This study investigated the immediate and short-term effects of minimalist shoes (MS) and traditional running shoes (TRS) on vertical loading rates, foot strike pattern and lower limb kinematics in a group of habitual barefoot runners. Twelve habitual barefoot runners were randomly given a pair of MS or TRS and were asked to run with the prescribed shoes for 1 month. Outcome variables were obtained before, immediate after and 1 month after shoe prescription. Average and instantaneous vertical loading rates at the 1-month follow-up were significantly higher than that at the pre-shod session (P < 0.034, η 2 p > 0.474). Foot strike angle in the TRS group was significantly lower than that in the MS group (P = 0.045, η 2 p  = 0.585). However, there was no significant time nor shoe effect on overstride, knee and ankle excursion (P > 0.061). Habitual barefoot runners appeared to land with a greater impact during shod running and they tended to have a more rearfoot strike pattern while wearing TRS. Lower limb kinematics were comparable before and after shoe prescription. Longer period of follow-up is suggested to further investigate the footwear effect on the running biomechanics in habitual barefoot runners.

Adaptive Response of Listeria monocytogenes to Heat, Salinity and Low pH, after Habituation on Cherry Tomatoes and Lettuce Leaves

PubMed Central

Poimenidou, Sofia V.; Chatzithoma, Danai-Natalia; Nychas, George-John; Skandamis, Panagiotis N.

2016-01-01

Pathogens found on fresh produce may encounter low temperatures, high acidity and limited nutrient availability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of habituation of Listeria monocytogenes on cherry tomatoes or lettuce leaves on its subsequent response to inhibitory levels of acid, osmotic and heat stress. Habituation was performed by inoculating lettuce coupons, whole cherry tomatoes or tryptic soy broth (TSB) with a three-strains composite of L. monocytogenes, which were further incubated at 5°C for 24 hours or 5 days. Additionally, cells grown overnight in TSB supplemented with 0.6% yeast extract (TSBYE) at 30°C were used as control cells. Following habituation, L. monocytogenes cells were harvested and exposed to: (i) pH 3.5 adjusted with lactic acid, acetic acid or hydrochloric acid (HCl), and pH 1.5 (HCl) for 6 h; (ii) 20% NaCl and (iii) 60°C for 150 s. Results showed that tomato-habituated L. monocytogenes cells were more tolerant (P < 0.05) to acid or osmotic stress than those habituated on lettuce, and habituation on both foods resulted in more stress resistant cells than prior growth in TSB. On the contrary, the highest resistance to heat stress (P < 0.05) was exhibited by the lettuce-habituated L. monocytogenes cells followed by TSB-grown cells at 5°C for 24 h, whereas tomato-habituated cells were highly sensitized. Prolonged starvation on fresh produce (5 days vs. 24 h) increased resistance to osmotic and acid stress, but reduced thermotolerance, regardless of the pre-exposure environment (i.e., tomatoes, lettuce or TSB). These results indicate that L. monocytogenes cells habituated on fresh produce at low temperatures might acquire resistance to subsequent antimicrobial treatments raising important food safety implications. PMID:27798688

Adaptive Response of Listeria monocytogenes to Heat, Salinity and Low pH, after Habituation on Cherry Tomatoes and Lettuce Leaves.

PubMed

Poimenidou, Sofia V; Chatzithoma, Danai-Natalia; Nychas, George-John; Skandamis, Panagiotis N

2016-01-01

Pathogens found on fresh produce may encounter low temperatures, high acidity and limited nutrient availability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of habituation of Listeria monocytogenes on cherry tomatoes or lettuce leaves on its subsequent response to inhibitory levels of acid, osmotic and heat stress. Habituation was performed by inoculating lettuce coupons, whole cherry tomatoes or tryptic soy broth (TSB) with a three-strains composite of L. monocytogenes, which were further incubated at 5°C for 24 hours or 5 days. Additionally, cells grown overnight in TSB supplemented with 0.6% yeast extract (TSBYE) at 30°C were used as control cells. Following habituation, L. monocytogenes cells were harvested and exposed to: (i) pH 3.5 adjusted with lactic acid, acetic acid or hydrochloric acid (HCl), and pH 1.5 (HCl) for 6 h; (ii) 20% NaCl and (iii) 60°C for 150 s. Results showed that tomato-habituated L. monocytogenes cells were more tolerant (P < 0.05) to acid or osmotic stress than those habituated on lettuce, and habituation on both foods resulted in more stress resistant cells than prior growth in TSB. On the contrary, the highest resistance to heat stress (P < 0.05) was exhibited by the lettuce-habituated L. monocytogenes cells followed by TSB-grown cells at 5°C for 24 h, whereas tomato-habituated cells were highly sensitized. Prolonged starvation on fresh produce (5 days vs. 24 h) increased resistance to osmotic and acid stress, but reduced thermotolerance, regardless of the pre-exposure environment (i.e., tomatoes, lettuce or TSB). These results indicate that L. monocytogenes cells habituated on fresh produce at low temperatures might acquire resistance to subsequent antimicrobial treatments raising important food safety implications.

Bourdieu Knew More than How to Play Tennis! An Empirically Based Discussion of Habituation and Reflexivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strandbu, Åse; Steen-Johnsen, Kari

2014-01-01

This paper explores the role of reflexivity in habituation by contrasting the learning of aerobics and basketball with the acquisition of gendered bodily skills. The discussion is inspired by the paper "So, how did Bourdieu learn to play tennis? Habitus, consciousness and habituation," by Noble and Watkins (2003), which represents a…

Specificity of sexual arousal for sexual activities in men and women with conventional and masochistic sexual interests.

PubMed

Chivers, Meredith L; Roy, Carolyn; Grimbos, Teresa; Cantor, James M; Seto, Michael C

2014-07-01

Prior studies consistently report that men's genital responses correspond to their sexual activity interests (consenting vs. coercive sex) whereas women's responses do not. For women, however, these results may be confounded by the sexual activities studied and lack of suitable controls. We examined the subjective and genital arousal responses of men and women with conventional (22 men and 15 women) or masochistic sexual interests (16 men and 17 women) to narratives describing conventional sex or masochistic sex. The aims of the studies were twofold: (1) to examine whether gender differences in the specificity of sexual arousal previously observed for gender also exist for sexual activity interests; and (2) to examine whether men and women with masochistic sexual interests demonstrate specificity of sexual response for their preferred sexual activities. Surprisingly, the pattern of results was very similar for men and women. Both men and women with conventional sexual interests (WCI) reported more sexual arousal, and responded more genitally, to conventional than to masochistic sex, demonstrating specificity of sexual arousal for their preferred sexual activities. Despite showing specificity for conventional sexual activities, the genital responses of WCI were still gender nonspecific. In contrast, women and men with masochistic sexual interests demonstrated nonspecific subjective and genital responses to conventional and masochistic sex. Indices of genital and subjective sexual arousal to masochistic versus conventional stimuli were positively and significantly correlated with self-reported thoughts, fantasies, interests, and behaviors involving masochism. The results suggest that gender similarities in the specificity of sexual arousal for sexual activity exist despite consistent gender differences in the specificity of sexual arousal for gender.

Drunk decisions: Alcohol shifts choice from habitual towards goal-directed control in adolescent intermediate-risk drinkers.

PubMed

Obst, Elisabeth; Schad, Daniel J; Huys, Quentin Jm; Sebold, Miriam; Nebe, Stephan; Sommer, Christian; Smolka, Michael N; Zimmermann, Ulrich S

2018-05-01

Studies in humans and animals suggest a shift from goal-directed to habitual decision-making in addiction. We therefore tested whether acute alcohol administration reduces goal-directed and promotes habitual decision-making, and whether these effects are moderated by self-reported drinking problems. Fifty-three socially drinking males completed the two-step task in a randomised crossover design while receiving an intravenous infusion of ethanol (blood alcohol level=80 mg%), or placebo. To minimise potential bias by long-standing heavy drinking and subsequent neuropsychological impairment, we tested 18- to 19-year-old adolescents. Alcohol administration consistently reduced habitual, model-free decisions, while its effects on goal-directed, model-based behaviour varied as a function of drinking problems measured with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. While adolescents with low risk for drinking problems (scoring <8) exhibited an alcohol-induced numerical reduction in goal-directed choices, intermediate-risk drinkers showed a shift away from habitual towards goal-directed decision-making, such that alcohol possibly even improved their performance. We assume that alcohol disrupted basic cognitive functions underlying habitual and goal-directed decisions in low-risk drinkers, thereby enhancing hasty choices. Further, we speculate that intermediate-risk drinkers benefited from alcohol as a negative reinforcer that reduced unpleasant emotional states, possibly displaying a novel risk factor for drinking in adolescence.

Habituation of Auditory Steady State Responses Evoked by Amplitude-Modulated Acoustic Signals in Rats

PubMed Central

Prado-Gutierrez, Pavel; Castro-Fariñas, Anisleidy; Morgado-Rodriguez, Lisbet; Velarde-Reyes, Ernesto; Martínez, Agustín D.; Martínez-Montes, Eduardo

2015-01-01

Generation of the auditory steady state responses (ASSR) is commonly explained by the linear combination of random background noise activity and the stationary response. Based on this model, the decrease of amplitude that occurs over the sequential averaging of epochs of the raw data has been exclusively linked to the cancelation of noise. Nevertheless, this behavior might also reflect the non-stationary response of the ASSR generators. We tested this hypothesis by characterizing the ASSR time course in rats with different auditory maturational stages. ASSR were evoked by 8-kHz tones of different supra-threshold intensities, modulated in amplitude at 115 Hz. Results show that the ASSR amplitude habituated to the sustained stimulation and that dishabituation occurred when deviant stimuli were presented. ASSR habituation increased as animals became adults, suggesting that the ability to filter acoustic stimuli with no-relevant temporal information increased with age. Results are discussed in terms of the current model of the ASSR generation and analysis procedures. They might have implications for audiometric tests designed to assess hearing in subjects who cannot provide reliable results in the psychophysical trials. PMID:26557360

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 deletion rescues auditory evoked potential habituation deficit in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome

PubMed Central

Lovelace, Jonathan W.; Wen, Teresa H.; Reinhard, Sarah; Hsu, Mike S.; Sidhu, Harpreet; Ethell, Iryna M.; Binder, Devin K.; Razak, Khaleel A.

2016-01-01

Sensory processing deficits are common in autism spectrum disorders, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a leading genetic cause of intellectual disability and autism. Electrophysiological responses in humans with FXS show reduced habituation with sound repetition and this deficit may underlie auditory hypersensitivity in FXS. Our previous study in Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice revealed an unusually long state of increased sound-driven excitability in auditory cortical neurons suggesting that cortical responses to repeated sounds may exhibit abnormal habituation as in humans with FXS. Here, we tested this prediction by comparing cortical event related potentials (ERP) recorded from wildtype (WT) and Fmr1 KO mice. We report a repetition-rate dependent reduction in habituation of N1 amplitude in Fmr1 KO mice and show that matrix metalloproteinase −9 (MMP-9), one of the known FMRP targets, contributes to the reduced ERP habituation. Our studies demonstrate a significant up-regulation of MMP-9 levels in the auditory cortex of adult Fmr1 KO mice, whereas a genetic deletion of Mmp-9 reverses ERP habituation deficits in Fmr1 KO mice. Although the N1 amplitude of Mmp-9/Fmr1 DKO recordings was larger than WT and KO recordings, the habituation of ERPs in Mmp-9/Fmr1 DKO mice is similar to WT mice implicating MMP-9 as a potential target for reversing sensory processing deficits in FXS. Together these data establish ERP habituation as a translation relevant, physiological pre-clinical marker of auditory processing deficits in FXS and suggest that abnormal MMP-9 regulation is a mechanism underlying auditory hypersensitivity in FXS. PMID:26850918

The effects of age, physical activity level, and body anthropometry on calcaneal speed of sound value in men.

PubMed

Chin, Kok-Yong; Soelaiman, Ima-Nirwana; Mohamed, Isa Naina; Ibrahim, Suraya; Wan Ngah, Wan Zurinah

2012-01-01

The influences of age, physical activity, and body anthropometry on calcaneal speed of sound are different among young adults, middle-aged, and elderly men. Quantitative ultrasound assessment of bone health status is much needed for developing countries in the screening of osteoporosis, but further studies on the factors that influence the quantitative ultrasound indices are required. The present study examined the influence of age, lifestyle factors, and body anthropometry on calcaneal speed of sound (SOS) in a group of Malaysian men of diverse age range. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and data from 687 eligible males were used for analysis. They answered a detailed questionnaire on their physical activity status, and their anthropometric measurements were taken. Their calcaneal SOS values were evaluated using the CM-200 sonometer (Furuno, Nishinomiya City, Japan). Subjects with higher body mass index (BMI) had higher calcaneal SOS values albeit significant difference was only found in the elderly subjects (p < 0.05). Sedentary subjects had lower calcaneal SOS values than physically active subjects, but significant difference was only found in the middle-aged subjects (p < 0.05). Calcaneal SOS was significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with age in young men; height, BMI, and physical activity score in middle-aged men; height and physical activity score in elderly men; and age and physical activity score for overall subjects. In a multivariate regression model, significant (p < 0.05) predictors for calcaneal SOS included age for young men; physical activity, BMI, body fat percentage, and height for middle-aged men; height for elderly men; and age, height, physical activity, weight, and body fat percentage for overall subjects. Age, body anthropometry, and physical activity level have significant effects on the calcaneal SOS value in men.

HIV-positive men sexually active with women: sexual behaviors and sexual risks.

PubMed

Aidala, Angela A; Lee, Gunjeong; Howard, Joyce Moon; Caban, Maria; Abramson, David; Messeri, Peter

2006-07-01

This study examines patterns of sexual behavior, sexual relating, and sexual risk among HIV-positive men sexually active with women. A total of 278 HIV-positive men were interviewed every 6-12 months between 1994 and 2002 and reported considerable variability in sexual behaviors over time. Many were not sexually active at all for months at a time; many continued to have multiple female and at times male partners. Over one-third of the cohort had one or more periods when they had engaged in unprotected sex with a female partner who was HIV-negative or status unknown (unsafe sex). Periods of unsafe sex alternated with periods of safer sex. Contextual factors such as partner relations, housing status, active drug use, and recently exchanging sex showed the strongest association with increased odds of unsafe sex. A number of predictors of unsafe sex among African American men were not significant among the Latino sub-population, suggesting race/ethnic differences in factors contributing to heterosexual transmission. Implications for prevention interventions are discussed.

HIV-Positive Men Sexually Active with Women: Sexual Behaviors and Sexual Risks

PubMed Central

Lee, Gunjeong; Howard, Joyce Moon; Caban, Maria; Abramson, David; Messeri, Peter

2006-01-01

This study examines patterns of sexual behavior, sexual relating, and sexual risk among HIV-positive men sexually active with women. A total of 278 HIV-positive men were interviewed every 6–12 months between 1994 and 2002 and reported considerable variability in sexual behaviors over time. Many were not sexually active at all for months at a time; many continued to have multiple female and at times male partners. Over one-third of the cohort had one or more periods when they had engaged in unprotected sex with a female partner who was HIV-negative or status unknown (unsafe sex). Periods of unsafe sex alternated with periods of safer sex. Contextual factors such as partner relations, housing status, active drug use, and recently exchanging sex showed the strongest association with increased odds of unsafe sex. A number of predictors of unsafe sex among African American men were not significant among the Latino sub-population, suggesting race/ethnic differences in factors contributing to heterosexual transmission. Implications for prevention interventions are discussed. PMID:16770702

Habituated Reason: Aristotle and the "Paradox of Moral Education"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kristjansson, Kristjan

2006-01-01

R.S. Peters coined the term "paradox of moral education". In this article, the author identifies two subordinate paradoxes: how habituated reason is psychologically possible and how heteronomously formed autonomy is morally/politically possible and justifiable. He sketches possible Aristotelian solutions of those paradoxes and argues that for…

The effects of workplace physical activity interventions in men: a systematic review.

PubMed

Wong, Jason Y L; Gilson, Nicholas D; van Uffelen, Jannique G Z; Brown, Wendy J

2012-07-01

The workplace is cited as a promising setting for physical activity (PA) promotion, but workplace PA interventions tend not to specifically target men. The aim of this article was to review the literature on workplace PA interventions for men and to identify key issues for future intervention development. Articles targeting PA at the workplace were located through a structured database search. Information on intervention strategies and PA outcomes were extracted. Only 13 studies (10.5%) reviewed focused on men, of which 5 showed significant increases in PA. These studies used generic, multicomponent, health promotion strategies with a variety of timeframes, self-report PA measures, and PA outcomes. The systematic review identified that evidence on the effectiveness of workplace PA interventions for men is equivocal and highlighted methodological concerns. Future research should use reliable and valid measures of PA and interventions that focus specifically on men's needs and PA preferences.

Differences in acoustic and perceptual parameters of the voice between elderly and young women at habitual and high intensity.

PubMed

Mazzetto de Menezes, Keyla S; Master, Suely; Guzman, Marco; Bortnem, Cori; Ramos, Luiz Roberto

2014-01-01

The present study aimed to compare elderly and young female voices in habitual and high intensity. The effect of increased intensity on the acoustic and perceptual parameters was assessed. Sound pressure level, fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and harmonic to noise ratio were obtained at habitual and high intensity voice in a group of 30 elderly women and 30 young women. Perceptual assessment was also performed. Both groups demonstrated an increase in sound pressure level and fundamental frequency from habitual voice to high intensity voice. No differences were found between groups in any acoustic variables on samples recorded with habitual intensity level. No significant differences between groups were found in habitual intensity level for pitch, hoarseness, roughness, and breathiness. Asthenia and instability obtained significant higher values in elderly than young participants, whereas, the elderly demonstrated lower values for perceived tension and loudness than young subjects. Acoustic and perceptual measures do not demonstrate evident differences between elderly and young speakers in habitual intensity level. The parameters analyzed may lack the sensitivity necessary to detect differences in subjects with normal voices. Phonation with high intensity highlights differences between groups, especially in perceptual parameters. Therefore, high intensity should be included to compare elderly and young voice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Adaptive integration of habits into depth-limited planning defines a habitual-goal–directed spectrum

PubMed Central

Keramati, Mehdi; Smittenaar, Peter; Dolan, Raymond J.; Dayan, Peter

2016-01-01

Behavioral and neural evidence reveal a prospective goal-directed decision process that relies on mental simulation of the environment, and a retrospective habitual process that caches returns previously garnered from available choices. Artificial systems combine the two by simulating the environment up to some depth and then exploiting habitual values as proxies for consequences that may arise in the further future. Using a three-step task, we provide evidence that human subjects use such a normative plan-until-habit strategy, implying a spectrum of approaches that interpolates between habitual and goal-directed responding. We found that increasing time pressure led to shallower goal-directed planning, suggesting that a speed-accuracy tradeoff controls the depth of planning with deeper search leading to more accurate evaluation, at the cost of slower decision-making. We conclude that subjects integrate habit-based cached values directly into goal-directed evaluations in a normative manner. PMID:27791110

Usual Physical Activity and Hip Fracture in Older Men: An Application of Semiparametric Methods to Observational Data

PubMed Central

Mackey, Dawn C.; Hubbard, Alan E.; Cawthon, Peggy M.; Cauley, Jane A.; Cummings, Steven R.; Tager, Ira B.

2011-01-01

Few studies have examined the relation between usual physical activity level and rate of hip fracture in older men or applied semiparametric methods from the causal inference literature that estimate associations without assuming a particular parametric model. Using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, the authors measured usual physical activity level at baseline (2000–2002) in 5,682 US men ≥65 years of age who were enrolled in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study. Physical activity levels were classified as low (bottom quartile of Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly score), moderate (middle quartiles), or high (top quartile). Hip fractures were confirmed by central review. Marginal associations between physical activity and hip fracture were estimated with 3 estimation methods: inverse probability-of-treatment weighting, G-computation, and doubly robust targeted maximum likelihood estimation. During 6.5 years of follow-up, 95 men (1.7%) experienced a hip fracture. The unadjusted risk of hip fracture was lower in men with a high physical activity level versus those with a low physical activity level (relative risk = 0.51, 95% confidence interval: 0.28, 0.92). In semiparametric analyses that controlled confounding, hip fracture risk was not lower with moderate (e.g., targeted maximum likelihood estimation relative risk = 0.92, 95% confidence interval: 0.62, 1.44) or high (e.g., targeted maximum likelihood estimation relative risk = 0.88, 95% confidence interval: 0.53, 2.03) physical activity relative to low. This study does not support a protective effect of usual physical activity on hip fracture in older men. PMID:21303805

Quality of care and economic considerations of active surveillance of men with prostate cancer

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

The current health care climate mandates the delivery of high-value care for patients considering active surveillance for newly-diagnosed prostate cancer. Value is defined by increasing benefits (e.g., quality) for acceptable costs. This review discusses quality of care considerations for men contemplating active surveillance, and highlights cost implications at the patient, health-system, and societal level related to pursuit of non-interventional management of men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer. In general, most quality measures are focused on prostate cancer care in general, rather that active surveillance patients specifically. However, most prostate cancer quality measures are pertinent to men seeking close observation of their prostate tumors with active surveillance. These include accurate documentation of clinical stage, informed discussion of all treatment options, and appropriate use of imaging for less-aggressive prostate cancer. Furthermore, interventions that may help improve the quality of care for active surveillance patients are reviewed (e.g., quality collaboratives, judicious antibiotic use, etc.). Finally, the potential economic impact and benefits of broad acceptance of active surveillance strategies are highlighted. PMID:29732278

Quality of care and economic considerations of active surveillance of men with prostate cancer.

PubMed

Filson, Christopher P

2018-04-01

The current health care climate mandates the delivery of high-value care for patients considering active surveillance for newly-diagnosed prostate cancer. Value is defined by increasing benefits (e.g., quality) for acceptable costs. This review discusses quality of care considerations for men contemplating active surveillance, and highlights cost implications at the patient, health-system, and societal level related to pursuit of non-interventional management of men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer. In general, most quality measures are focused on prostate cancer care in general, rather that active surveillance patients specifically. However, most prostate cancer quality measures are pertinent to men seeking close observation of their prostate tumors with active surveillance. These include accurate documentation of clinical stage, informed discussion of all treatment options, and appropriate use of imaging for less-aggressive prostate cancer. Furthermore, interventions that may help improve the quality of care for active surveillance patients are reviewed (e.g., quality collaboratives, judicious antibiotic use, etc.). Finally, the potential economic impact and benefits of broad acceptance of active surveillance strategies are highlighted.

Estimation model for habitual 24-hour urinary-sodium excretion using simple questionnaires from normotensive Koreans.

PubMed

Kong, Ji-Sook; Lee, Yeon-Kyung; Kim, Mi Kyung; Choi, Mi-Kyeong; Heo, Young-Ran; Hyun, Taisun; Kim, Sun Mee; Lyu, Eun-Soon; Oh, Se-Young; Park, Hae-Ryun; Rhee, Moo-Yong; Ro, Hee-Kyong; Song, Mi Kyung

2018-01-01

This study was conducted to develop an equation for estimation of 24-h urinary-sodium excretion that can serve as an alternative to 24-h dietary recall and 24-h urine collection for normotensive Korean adults. In total, data on 640 healthy Korean adults aged 19 to 69 years from 4 regions of the country were collected as a training set. In order to externally validate the equation developed from that training set, 200 subjects were recruited independently as a validation set. Due to heterogeneity by gender, we constructed a gender-specific equation for estimation of 24-h urinary-sodium excretion by using a multivariable linear regression model and assessed the performance of the developed equation in validation set. The best model consisted of age, body weight, dietary behavior ('eating salty food', 'Kimchi consumption', 'Korean soup or stew consumption', 'soy sauce or red pepper paste consumption'), and smoking status in men, and age, body weight, dietary behavior ('salt preference', 'eating salty food', 'checking sodium content for processed foods', 'nut consumption'), and smoking status in women, respectively. When this model was tested in the external validation set, the mean bias between the measured and estimated 24-h urinary-sodium excretion from Bland-Altman plots was -1.92 (95% CI: -113, 110) mmol/d for men and -1.51 (95% CI: -90.6, 87.6) mmol/d for women. The cut-points of sodium intake calculated based on the equations were ≥4,000 mg/d for men and ≥3,500 mg/d for women, with 89.8 and 76.6% sensitivity and 29.3 and 64.2% specificity, respectively. In this study, a habitual 24-hour urinary-sodium-excretion-estimation model of normotensive Korean adults based on anthropometric and lifestyle factors was developed and showed feasibility for an asymptomatic population.

Estimation model for habitual 24-hour urinary-sodium excretion using simple questionnaires from normotensive Koreans

PubMed Central

Choi, Mi-Kyeong; Heo, Young-Ran; Hyun, Taisun; Kim, Sun Mee; Lyu, Eun-Soon; Oh, Se-Young; Park, Hae-Ryun; Rhee, Moo-Yong; Ro, Hee-Kyong; Song, Mi Kyung

2018-01-01

This study was conducted to develop an equation for estimation of 24-h urinary-sodium excretion that can serve as an alternative to 24-h dietary recall and 24-h urine collection for normotensive Korean adults. In total, data on 640 healthy Korean adults aged 19 to 69 years from 4 regions of the country were collected as a training set. In order to externally validate the equation developed from that training set, 200 subjects were recruited independently as a validation set. Due to heterogeneity by gender, we constructed a gender-specific equation for estimation of 24-h urinary-sodium excretion by using a multivariable linear regression model and assessed the performance of the developed equation in validation set. The best model consisted of age, body weight, dietary behavior (‘eating salty food’, ‘Kimchi consumption’, ‘Korean soup or stew consumption’, ‘soy sauce or red pepper paste consumption’), and smoking status in men, and age, body weight, dietary behavior (‘salt preference’, ‘eating salty food’, ‘checking sodium content for processed foods’, ‘nut consumption’), and smoking status in women, respectively. When this model was tested in the external validation set, the mean bias between the measured and estimated 24-h urinary-sodium excretion from Bland-Altman plots was -1.92 (95% CI: -113, 110) mmol/d for men and -1.51 (95% CI: -90.6, 87.6) mmol/d for women. The cut-points of sodium intake calculated based on the equations were ≥4,000 mg/d for men and ≥3,500 mg/d for women, with 89.8 and 76.6% sensitivity and 29.3 and 64.2% specificity, respectively. In this study, a habitual 24-hour urinary-sodium-excretion-estimation model of normotensive Korean adults based on anthropometric and lifestyle factors was developed and showed feasibility for an asymptomatic population. PMID:29447201

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 deletion rescues auditory evoked potential habituation deficit in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome.

PubMed

Lovelace, Jonathan W; Wen, Teresa H; Reinhard, Sarah; Hsu, Mike S; Sidhu, Harpreet; Ethell, Iryna M; Binder, Devin K; Razak, Khaleel A

2016-05-01

Sensory processing deficits are common in autism spectrum disorders, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a leading genetic cause of intellectual disability and autism. Electrophysiological responses in humans with FXS show reduced habituation with sound repetition and this deficit may underlie auditory hypersensitivity in FXS. Our previous study in Fmr1 knockout (KO) mice revealed an unusually long state of increased sound-driven excitability in auditory cortical neurons suggesting that cortical responses to repeated sounds may exhibit abnormal habituation as in humans with FXS. Here, we tested this prediction by comparing cortical event related potentials (ERP) recorded from wildtype (WT) and Fmr1 KO mice. We report a repetition-rate dependent reduction in habituation of N1 amplitude in Fmr1 KO mice and show that matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), one of the known FMRP targets, contributes to the reduced ERP habituation. Our studies demonstrate a significant up-regulation of MMP-9 levels in the auditory cortex of adult Fmr1 KO mice, whereas a genetic deletion of Mmp-9 reverses ERP habituation deficits in Fmr1 KO mice. Although the N1 amplitude of Mmp-9/Fmr1 DKO recordings was larger than WT and KO recordings, the habituation of ERPs in Mmp-9/Fmr1 DKO mice is similar to WT mice implicating MMP-9 as a potential target for reversing sensory processing deficits in FXS. Together these data establish ERP habituation as a translation relevant, physiological pre-clinical marker of auditory processing deficits in FXS and suggest that abnormal MMP-9 regulation is a mechanism underlying auditory hypersensitivity in FXS. Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the leading known genetic cause of autism spectrum disorders. Individuals with FXS show symptoms of auditory hypersensitivity. These symptoms may arise due to sustained neural responses to repeated sounds, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. For the first time, this study shows deficits

[Suicidal and personality characteristics of women married to men with alcohol dependence and suicidal activity].

PubMed

Merinov, A V; Shustov, D I

2011-01-01

The effect of the suicidal activity in men with alcohol dependence on suicidal indexes, personal-codependency and psychological specifics of their wives has been studied. It has been found that women married to suicidal men with alcohol dependence significantly more frequently demonstrate suicidal activity (a phenomenon of suicidal matrimonial comorbidity) compared to wives of "non-suicidal" men. They also reveal non-suicidal behavioral patterns more frequently and prosuicidal predictors are quite common in them. This contingent of women has high suicidal potential that needs special attention during the therapeutic work.

Measurement of habituation to noise using the method of continuous judgment by category

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Namba, S.; Kuwano, S.

1988-12-01

Using "the method of continuous judgment by category", we examined the noisiness of sounds from public loudspeakers, and habituation to them. Subjects judged the noisiness of the sound at any moment of their choice by touching one of seven numbered keys on a computer keyboard, each corresponding to a noisiness category. At the same time, the subjects were required to complete a task as carefully and rapidly as possible. The duration of "no response" to sounds was an index of habituation. Both personality factors and physical factors were analyzed. It was found that the duration of "no response" is a good index to habituation to noise, and that there were wide differences in the "no response" time of different subjects. The reactions of individual subjects in sessions 1 and 2 and the questionnaire survey were, however, consistent. This suggests that there is a group that is relatively sensitive to noise and a group that is less sensitive to noise. It was also found that subjects had difficulty in becoming accustomed to intense noise.

Male Gender Role Strain as a Barrier to African American Men's Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, Derek M.; Gunter, Katie; Allen, Julie Ober

2011-01-01

Despite the potential health consequences, African American men tend to treat their roles as providers, fathers, spouses, and community members as more important than engaging in health behaviors such as physical activity. We conducted 14 exploratory focus groups with 105 urban, middle-aged African American men from the Midwest to examine factors…

Men's Sheds and the experience of depression in older Australian men.

PubMed

Culph, Jennifer S; Wilson, Nathan J; Cordier, Reinie; Stancliffe, Roger J

2015-10-01

Men's Sheds are community spaces where, usually, older men can socialise as they participate in a range of woodwork and other activities. There is currently little research evidence supporting the anecdotally reported mental health and wellbeing benefits of Men's Sheds. This research project investigated how older men with self-reported symptoms of depression experience their participation in Men's Sheds. This study included in-depth interviews and administration of the Beck Depression Inventory-II with 12 men from 3 Men's Sheds, triangulated with observation of the different shed environments. Interviews explored how participation in the Men's Shed, living in a regional area, and retirement intersected with experiences of depression. Participants had either self-reported symptoms of depression or a diagnosis of depression. The findings from this study support the notion that participation at Men's Sheds decreases self-reported symptoms of depression. Beck Depression Inventory-II scores showed that most participants were currently experiencing minimal depression. The Men's Sheds environment promoted a sense of purpose through relationships and in the sharing of skills, new routines, motivation, and enjoyment for its members. The shed encouraged increased physical activity and use of cognitive skills. Finally, participants reported feelings of pride and achievement which had an impact on their sense of self-worth. Men's Sheds provide an opportunity to promote health and wellbeing among retired men. The shed's activity and social focus offers a way to help men rediscover purpose and self. Further research is required to measure symptoms of depression before and after participation in Men's Sheds. © 2015 Occupational Therapy Australia.

The association of cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity with incidence of hypertension in men.

PubMed

Chase, Nancy L; Sui, Xuemei; Lee, Duck-chul; Blair, Steven N

2009-04-01

Few prospective studies have simultaneously investigated the relationship between physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and the development of hypertension in initially normotensive individuals. In the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS), we examined this association among initially healthy normotensive men. Participants were 16,601 men aged 20-82 years who completed a baseline examination during 1970-2002 and were followed for hypertension incidence. Physical activity was self-reported and CRF was quantified from the duration of a maximal treadmill test. A total of 2,346 men reported hypertension during a mean 18 years of follow-up. Event rates per 10,000 man-years adjusted for age and examination year were 86.2, 76.6, and 66.7 across physical activity groups of sedentary, walker/jogger/runner (WJR), and sport/fitness, respectively, and 89.8, 78.4, and 64.6 for low, middle, and high CRF, respectively (trend P < 0.0001). These associations persisted after further adjustment for body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol intake, resting systolic blood pressure, baseline health status, family history of diseases, and survey response patterns. Both physical activity and CRF are associated with lower risk of developing hypertension in a graded fashion. These findings provide a basis for health professionals to emphasize the importance of participating in regular physical activity to improve fitness for the primary prevention of hypertension in men.

Habitual fish intake and clinically silent carotid atherosclerosis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Fish consumption is recommended as part of a healthy diet. However, there is a paucity of data concerning the relation between fish consumption and carotid atherosclerosis. We investigated the association between habitual fish consumption and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis, defined as the presence of plaques and/or increased intima-media thickness (≥ 0.90 mm), in non-diabetic participants. Methods Nine hundred-sixty-one (range of age: 18–89 yrs; 37.1% males) adult participants without clinically known atherosclerotic disease were randomly recruited among the customers of a shopping mall in Palermo, Italy, and cross-sectionally investigated. Each participant answered a food frequency questionnaire and underwent high-resolution ultrasonographic evaluation of both carotid arteries. Routine laboratory blood measurements were obtained in a subsample of 507 participants. Results Based on habitual fish consumption, participants were divided into three groups: non-consumers or consumers of less than 1 serving a week (24.0%), consumers of 1 serving a week (38.8%), and consumers of ≥ 2 servings a week (37.2%). Age-adjusted prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis (presence of plaques or intima media thickness ≥ 0.9 mm) was higher in the low fish consumption group (13.3%, 12.1% and 6.6%, respectively; P = 0.003). Multivariate analysis evidenced that carotid atherosclerosis was significantly associated with age (OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 1.09-1.14), hypertension on pharmacologic treatment (OR = 1.81; 95% CI = 1.16-2.82), and pulse pressure (OR = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.01-1.04), while consuming ≥2 servings of fish weekly was protective compared with the condition of consumption of <1 serving of fish weekly (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.26-0.80). Conclusions High habitual fish consumption seems to be associated with less carotid atherosclerosis, though adequate interventional trials are necessary to confirm the role of fish

Habitual fish intake and clinically silent carotid atherosclerosis.

PubMed

Buscemi, Silvio; Nicolucci, Antonio; Lucisano, Giuseppe; Galvano, Fabio; Grosso, Giuseppe; Belmonte, Serena; Sprini, Delia; Migliaccio, Silvia; Cianferotti, Luisella; Brandi, Maria Luisa; Rini, Giovam Battista

2014-01-09

Fish consumption is recommended as part of a healthy diet. However, there is a paucity of data concerning the relation between fish consumption and carotid atherosclerosis. We investigated the association between habitual fish consumption and asymptomatic carotid atherosclerosis, defined as the presence of plaques and/or increased intima-media thickness (≥ 0.90 mm), in non-diabetic participants. Nine hundred-sixty-one (range of age: 18-89 yrs; 37.1% males) adult participants without clinically known atherosclerotic disease were randomly recruited among the customers of a shopping mall in Palermo, Italy, and cross-sectionally investigated. Each participant answered a food frequency questionnaire and underwent high-resolution ultrasonographic evaluation of both carotid arteries. Routine laboratory blood measurements were obtained in a subsample of 507 participants. Based on habitual fish consumption, participants were divided into three groups: non-consumers or consumers of less than 1 serving a week (24.0%), consumers of 1 serving a week (38.8%), and consumers of ≥ 2 servings a week (37.2%). Age-adjusted prevalence of carotid atherosclerosis (presence of plaques or intima media thickness ≥ 0.9 mm) was higher in the low fish consumption group (13.3%, 12.1% and 6.6%, respectively; P = 0.003). Multivariate analysis evidenced that carotid atherosclerosis was significantly associated with age (OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 1.09-1.14), hypertension on pharmacologic treatment (OR = 1.81; 95% CI = 1.16-2.82), and pulse pressure (OR = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.01-1.04), while consuming ≥2 servings of fish weekly was protective compared with the condition of consumption of <1 serving of fish weekly (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.26-0.80). High habitual fish consumption seems to be associated with less carotid atherosclerosis, though adequate interventional trials are necessary to confirm the role of fish consumption in prevention of cardiovascular

Study of the kinematic variables of unilateral and habitual mastication of healthy individuals.

PubMed

Pasinato, Fernanda; Oliveira, Andréia Gussi de; Santos-Couto-Paz, Clarissa C; Zeredo, Jorge Luis Lopes; Bolzan, Geovana de Paula; Macedo, Sergio Bruzadelli; Corrêa, Eliane C R

2017-03-30

To describe and compare the temporal-spatial kinematic variables of mandibular movement during deliberate unilateral and habitual mastication in healthy young-adult individuals. The study sample was composed of eight male healthy volunteers aged 19 to 24 years. The kinematic data were obtained using a motion analysis system - Qualisys Track Manager (QTM) ProReflex MCU. Recordings were performed during deliberate unilateral mastication (UM) and habitual mastication (HM) of firm-consistency gummy candy. The following variables were analyzed: (1) masticatory sequence: duration, number of masticatory cycles, and chewing rate; (2) masticatory cycle: duration, vertical and medial-lateral mandibular range of motion in relation to the skull, and maximum velocity during the opening and closing phases. Data of the variables were compared during UM and HM by the paired t test, and the effect sizes ('d' Cohen) were calculated. Regarding the variables of the masticatory sequence, smaller chewing rate was observed for UM compared with that for HM (1.19±0.21Hz and 1.29±0.16Hz, respectively, p=0.004, d=0.53). Smaller values of maximum velocity during the opening (MU=67.4 mm/s and MH=80.02, p=0.053, d=0.80) and closing (MU=71.77±9.35mm/s and MH=3.51±7mm/s, p=0.014, d=0.79) phases of the masticatory cycle were observed in deliberate unilateral mastication compared with those in habitual mastication. Kinematic variables associated with the sequence and cycle of mastication are influenced by the chewing pattern adopted - deliberate unilateral or habitual.

Physical activity behaviour in men with inflammatory joint disease: a cross-sectional register-based study.

PubMed

Hammer, Nanna Maria; Midtgaard, Julie; Hetland, Merete Lund; Krogh, Niels Steen; Esbensen, Bente Appel

2018-05-01

Physical activity is recommended as an essential part of the non-pharmacological management of inflammatory joint disease, but previous research in this area has predominantly included women. The aim of this study was to examine physical activity behaviour in men with inflammatory joint disease. The study was conducted as a cross-sectional register-based study. Data on physical activity behaviour in men with RA, PsA and AS were matched with sociodemographic and clinical variables extracted from the DANBIO registry. Logistic regression analyses using multiple imputations were performed to investigate demographic and clinical variables associated with regular engagement in physical activity (moderate-vigorous ⩾2 h/week). Descriptive statistics were applied to explore motivation, barriers and preferences for physical activity. A total of 325 men were included of whom 129 (40%) engaged in regular physical activity. In univariate analyses, higher age, visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, VAS fatigue, VAS patient's global, CRP level, disease activity, functional disability and current smoking were negatively associated with regular engagement in physical activity. In the final multivariable regression model only a high VAS fatigue score (⩾61 mm) (OR = 0.228; CI: 0.119, 0.436) remained significantly independently associated with regular physical activity. A majority of men with inflammatory joint disease do not meet the recommendations of regular physical activity. Both sociodemographic and clinical parameters were associated with engagement in physical activity, and fatigue especially seems to play a pivotal role in explaining suboptimal physical activity behaviour in this patient group.

LACK OF EFFECT OF PERINATAL EXPOSURE TO A POLYBROMINATED DEPHENYL OTHER MIXTURE (DE-71) ON THE HABITUATION OF MOTOR ACTIVITY IN ADULT RATS.

EPA Science Inventory

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are used as flame retardants and are becoming increasingly evident in environmental media, wildlife and human breast milk. Published research in mice has shown that early postnatal exposure to some PBDEs attenuates the habituation of motor ...

Vigorous-intensity leisure-time physical activity and risk of major chronic disease in men.

PubMed

Chomistek, Andrea K; Cook, Nancy R; Flint, Alan J; Rimm, Eric B

2012-10-01

Although studies have shown health benefits for moderate-intensity physical activity, there is limited evidence to support beneficial effects for high amounts of vigorous activity among middle-age and older men. The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between vigorous-intensity physical activity, compared with moderate-intensity activity, and risk of major chronic disease in men. We prospectively examined the associations between vigorous- and moderate-intensity physical activity and risk of major chronic disease among 44,551 men age 40-75 yr in 1986. Leisure-time physical activity was assessed biennially by questionnaire. During 22 yr of follow-up, we documented 14,162 incident cases of major chronic disease, including 4769 cardiovascular events, 6449 cancer events, and 2944 deaths from other causes. The HR of major chronic disease comparing ≥ 21 to 0 MET.h.wk(-1) of exercise was 0.86 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.81-0.91) for vigorous-intensity activity and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.80-0.90) for moderate activity. For cardiovascular disease (CVD), the corresponding HRs were 0.78 (95% CI, 0.70-0.86) and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.72-0.88), respectively. When examined separately, running, tennis, and brisk walking were inversely associated with CVD risk. Furthermore, more vigorous activity was associated with lower disease risk; the HR comparing >70 to 0 MET.h.wk(-1) of vigorous-intensity exercise was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.68-0.92; P < 0.0001 for trend) for major chronic disease and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.56-0.96; P < 0.0001 for trend) for CVD. Vigorous- and moderate-intensity physical activities were associated with lower risk of major chronic disease and CVD. Increasing amounts of vigorous activity remained inversely associated with disease risk, even among men in the highest categories of exercise.

Decreasing population blood pressure is not mediated by changes in habitual physical activity. Results from 15 years of follow-up.

PubMed

Andersen, Ulla Overgaard; Jensen, Gorm

2007-01-01

Population blood pressure (PBP) is the average BP shared by all members of a population. In PBP research, the main focus is on the great majority of individuals who are healthy in respect to blood pressure. From previous studies, we know that PBP decreased 2 mmHg during 15 years of follow-up. This decrease leads to significant reductions in cardiovascular (CV) and cerebrovascular risk. The major aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of habitual physical activity on PBP. Copenhagen City Heart Study is a longitudinal epidemiological study of CV risk in a random population sample. Three surveys were performed with 15 years of follow-up. BP was measured under standardized circumstances. A questionnaire concerning physical exercise was completed. Two scales were used, describing physical activity at work and during leisure-time, respectively. Most of the subjects belonged to the sedentary or low physical activity categories. The population did not change physical activity habits during the observation time. There was no significant difference in either systolic or diastolic BP between the categories. The previously observed reduction in PBP is not explained by a change in the population physical activity habits. This fact illustrates the difference between the high-risk strategy and the population strategy. In the first, the preventive strategy identifies hypertensive individuals and offers them antihypertensive medication and lifestyle modulation such as more and regular physical activity to improve blood pressure and lower individual CV and cerebrovascular risk. In contrast, the "population strategy" seeks to control the determinants of incidence in the population as a whole. This paper demonstrates that physical activity is not a determinant of PBP.

Physical activity trends in Queensland (2002 to 2008): are women becoming more active than men?

PubMed

Vandelanotte, Corneel; Duncan, Mitch J; Caperchione, Cristina; Hanley, Christine; Mummery, W Kerry

2010-06-01

Regular monitoring of population levels of physical activity is an effective way to assess change over time towards meeting public health recommendations. The objective of this study was to determine physical activity trends in Central Queensland over the period 2002 to 2008. Data was obtained from the Central Queensland Social Survey (CQSS) conducted annually from 2002 to 2008. A total sample of 8,936 adults aged 18 and over participated in seven cross-sectional surveys. Physical activity was measured using the Active Australia Questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to examine trends in sufficient physical activity. Averaged over all survey years 46.5% of study participants met national physical activity guidelines. A small significant upward trend was found for meeting physical activity recommendations across all years (OR=1.03; 95%CI=1.01-1.05), indicating that the odds of meeting the guidelines increased by an average of 3% per year from 2002 to 2008. Slightly more men than women met the activity guidelines (ns); however a significant positive trend in achieving sufficient activity levels was present in women only (4%). Although an increasing trend for sufficient physical activity was observed, overall physical activity levels in Central Queensland remain suboptimal and more efforts to increase physical activity are needed. The gender differences in physical activity trends indicate that men and women might need to be targeted differently in health promotion messages. The continuous monitoring of population levels of physical activity in Australia, which allow both state specific and international comparisons, is needed.

Long-Term Effects of Habitual Barefoot Running and Walking: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Hollander, Karsten; Heidt, Christoph; VAN DER Zwaard, Babette C; Braumann, Klaus-Michael; Zech, Astrid

2017-04-01

Barefoot locomotion is widely believed to be beneficial for motor development and biomechanics but are implied to be responsible for foot pathologies and running-related injuries. Although most of available studies focused on acute effects of barefoot running and walking little is known regarding the effects of long-term barefoot versus shod locomotion. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature to evaluate current evidence of habitual barefoot (HB) versus habitual shod locomotion on foot anthropometrics, biomechanics, motor performance, and pathologies. Four electronic databases were searched using terms related to habitually barefoot locomotion. Relevant studies were identified based on title, abstract, and full text, and a forward (citation tracking) and backward (references) search was performed. Risk of bias was assessed, data pooling, and meta-analysis (random effects model) performed and finally levels of evidence determined. Fifteen studies with 8399 participants were included. Limited evidence was found for a reduced ankle dorsiflexion at footstrike (pooled effect size, -3.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], -5.18 to -1.76) and a lower pedobarographically measured hallux angle (-1.16; 95% CI, -1.64 to -0.68). HB populations had wider (0.55; 95% CI, 0.06-1.05) but no shorter (-0.22; 95% CI, -0.51 to 0.08) feet compared with habitual shod populations. No differences in relative injury rates were found, with limited evidence for a different body part distribution of musculoskeletal injuries and more foot pathologies and less foot deformities and defects in HB runners. Only limited or very limited evidence is found for long-term effects of HB locomotion regarding biomechanics or health-related outcomes. Moreover, no evidence exists for motor performance. Future research should include prospective study designs.

Habitual Sleep Duration and All-Cause Mortality in a General Community Sample

PubMed Central

Aurora, R. Nisha; Kim, Ji Soo; Crainiceanu, Ciprian; O'Hearn, Daniel; Punjabi, Naresh M.

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: The current study sought to determine whether sleep duration and change in sleep duration are associated with all-cause mortality in a community sample of middle-aged and older adults while accounting for several confounding factors including prevalent sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Methods: Habitual sleep duration was assessed using self-report (< 7, 7–8, ≥ 9 h/night) at the baseline and at the follow-up visits of the Sleep Heart Health Study. Techniques of survival analysis were used to relate habitual sleep duration and change in sleep duration to all-cause mortality after adjusting for covariates such as age, sex, race, body mass index, smoking history, prevalent hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, antidepressant medication use, and SDB severity. Results: Compared to a sleep duration of 7–8 h/night, habitually long sleep duration (≥ 9 h/night), but not short sleep duration (< 7 h/night), was associated with all-cause mortality with an adjusted hazards ratio of 1.25 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05, 1.47). Participants who progressed from short or normal sleep duration to long sleep duration had increased risk for all-cause mortality with adjusted hazard ratios of 1.75 (95% CI: 1.08, 2.78) and 1.63 (95% CI: 1.26, 2.13), respectively. Finally, a change from long to short sleep duration was also associated with all-cause mortality. Conclusion: Long sleep duration or a shift from long to short sleep duration are independently associated with all-cause mortality. Citation: Aurora RN, Kim JS, Crainiceanu C, O'Hearn D, Punjabi NM. Habitual sleep duration and all-cause mortality in a general community sample. SLEEP 2016;39(11):1903–1909. PMID:27450684

Relationship between Food Habituation and Reinforcing Efficacy of Food

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Katelyn A.; Epstein, Leonard H.

2011-01-01

Reinforcing value and habituation are two processes that have been used to study eating behaviors, but no research has examined their relationship, how they relate to energy intake, and whether they respond in a similar manner to food deprivation. Twenty-two female subjects were randomized to food deprived or non-deprived conditions, and assessed…

The possibility of left dominant activation of the sensorimotor cortex during lip protrusion in men.

PubMed

Fukunaga, Atsushi; Ohira, Takayuki; Kamba, Masayuki; Ogawa, Seiji; Akiyama, Takenori; Kawase, Takeshi

2009-09-01

Lip protrusion requires bilateral symmetrical movements of the facial muscles, but the laterality of the activated sensorimotor cortex corresponding to the area of the face activated during lip protrusion remains under discussion. In this study, blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) responses in the sensorimotor cortex during non-verbal lip protrusion were evaluated in a 3T magnetic field in twenty healthy right-handed subjects. The results showed that the activated sensorimotor area on the left side was larger than that on the right side, and there was a statistically significant difference in the number of activated voxels between the left and right sensorimotor cortex in an individual study of the male group, although approximately symmetrical motor action potentials of facial muscles were recorded during lip protrusion. There was a statistically significant difference in interaction between the hemisphere (right and left) and sex (men and women) and multiple comparison test showed statistical significant differences between "men and right" and "men and left", and between "men and left" and "women and left". The peak value of the percent changes in BOLD signal responses on the left side was approximately twice as high as that on the right side in the males of the group, though the bilateral sensorimotor cortex was almost equally activated in the females in the group. In addition, the left primary sensory area related to the face area was significantly activated as a region where Male was more active than Female in a general linear model (multi-study, multisubject) analysis. This study revealed the possibility that the left sensorimotor cortex was more closely involved in non-verbal mouth movement in men, suggesting sex-related differences in sensorimotor cortex activation.

Effects of bilateral caloric habituation of nystagmus responses of the cat.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1964-09-01

It has been suggested that the decline (habituation) of the nystagmus response to repeated vestibular stimulation is a form of learning in that it possesses the necessary features of learned behavior - acquisition, retention, and transfer.

Physical activity and depression symptom profiles in young men and women with major depression.

PubMed

McKercher, Charlotte; Patton, George C; Schmidt, Michael D; Venn, Alison J; Dwyer, Terence; Sanderson, Kristy

2013-05-01

This study explored whether young adults with major depression who are physically active differ in their depression symptom profile from those physically inactive. Analyses included data from 950 (47.6%) men and 1045 women (mean [standard deviation] age = 31.5 [2.6] years) participating in a national study. Participants reported leisure physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and ambulatory activity (pedometer steps per day). Diagnosis and symptoms of major depression were assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Prevalence of major depression was 5.5% (n = 52) for men and 11.6% (n = 121) for women. Interactions between physical activity and sex were observed for depressed mood, appetite changes, vacillating thoughts, and suicidality (all, p < .050). Among those with major depression, physically active men were significantly less likely to endorse the presence of insomnia (prevalence ratio [PR] = 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.63-0.96), fatigue (PR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.69-0.99), and suicidality (PR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.49-0.96) compared with inactive men. Physically active women were significantly less likely to endorse hypersomnia (PR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.27-0.95), excessive/irrational guilt (PR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.59-0.97), vacillating thoughts (PR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.58-0.95), and suicidality (PR = 0.43, 95% CI = 0.20-0.89) compared with inactive women. Associations were adjusted for age, physical health, educational attainment, depression severity, and other depressive symptoms. Among adults with major depression, those physically active seem to differ in their depression symptom profile from those physically inactive.

A Diet, Physical Activity, and Meditation Intervention in Men With Rising Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-01

AD_________________ Award Number: DAMD17-03-1-0139 TITLE: A Diet , Physical Activity, and...To) 1 May 2003 – 30 Apr 2007 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER A Diet , Physical Activity, and Meditation Intervention in Men with...asymptomatic men with biochemically recurrent PrCA, as reflected by the PSA rise, is favorably affected by an intensive, vegetable-based diet , plus

Practice of leisure-time physical activities and episodes of mood alteration amongst men and women.

PubMed

Branco, Jerônimo Costa; Jansen, Karen; Oses, Jean Pierre; de Mattos Souza, Luciano Dias; da Silva Alves, Giovanna Del Grande; Lara, Diogo Rizzato; da Silva, Ricardo Azevedo

2014-12-01

To evaluate the prevalence of leisure-time physical activity and episodes of mood alteration in a population-based sample of adults, and its relation with gender. This is a cross-sectional population-based study with young adults aged between 18 and 35 years old. Sample selection was performed by clusters. The practice of physical activity was evaluated through the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), whereas mood disorders were evaluated using a short structured diagnostic interview-the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for DSM-IV and ICD-10 psychiatric disorders. Causal inferences are limited due the study׳s design. Sample consisted of 1953 young adults. The prevalence of leisure-time physical activity and of depressive episodes in the total sample was 25.3% and 17.2%, respectively. The prevalence of activity amongst men was 1.18 (CI 95% 1.18-1.32) times higher than in the women׳s group, whereas depression was 1.87 (CI 95% 1.41-2.47) times more prevalent amongst women than men. The prevalence of physical activity was not different between women (p=0.287), nor between men (p=0.895) regarding the presence of mania/hypomania episode. The prevalence of physical activity and depression was different concerning gender. The prevalence of physical activity is lower amongst women, whereas the prevalence of depression is higher amongst women when compared to men. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Habituation of visual evoked responses in neonates and fetuses: A MEG study

PubMed Central

Matuz, Tamara; Govindan, Rathinaswamy B.; Preissl, Hubert; Siegel, Eric R.; Muenssinger, Jana; Murphy, Pamela; Ware, Maureen; Lowery, Curtis L.; Eswaran, Hari

2013-01-01

In this study we aimed to develop a habituation paradigm that allows the investigation of response decrement and response recovery and examine its applicability for measuring the habituation of the visually evoked responses (VERs) in neonatal and fetal magnetoencephalographic recordings. Two paradigms, one with a long and one with a short inter-train interval (ITI), were developed and tested in separate studies. Both paradigms consisted of a train of four light flashes; each train being followed by a 500 Hz burst tone. Healthy pregnant women underwent two prenatal measurements and returned with their babies for a neonatal investigation. The amplitudes of the neonatal VERs in the long-ITI condition showed within-train response decrement. An increased response to the auditory dishabituator was found confirming response recovery. In the short-ITI condition, neonatal amplitude decrement could not be demonstrated while response recovery was present. In both ITI conditions, the response rate of the cortical responses was much lower in the fetuses than in the neonates. Fetal VERs in the long-ITI condition indicate amplitude decline from the first to the second flash with no further decrease. The long-ITI paradigm might be useful to investigate habituation of the VERs in neonates and fetuses, although the latter requires precaution. PMID:22483416

Men's Sheds function and philosophy: towards a framework for future research and men's health promotion.

PubMed

Wilson, Nathan J; Cordier, Reinie; Doma, Kenji; Misan, Gary; Vaz, Sharmila

2015-08-01

The Men's Shed movement supports a range of men's health promotion initiatives. This paper examines whether a Men's Shed typology could inform future research and enable more efficient and targeted health promotion activities through Men's Sheds. The International Men's Shed Survey consisted of a cross-sectional exploration of sheds, their members, and health and social activities. Survey data about shed 'function' and 'philosophy' were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. A framework of Men's Sheds based on function and philosophy demonstrated that most sheds serve a primary utility function, a secondary social function, but most importantly a primary social opportunity philosophy. Sheds with a primary health philosophy participated in fewer health promotion activities when compared with sheds without a primary health philosophy. In addition to the uniform health promotion resources distributed by the Men's Shed associations, specific health promotion activities, such as prostate education, are being initiated from an individual shed level. This framework can potentially be used to enable future research and health promotion activities to be more efficiently and effectively targeted. SO WHAT? Men experience poorer health and well being outcomes than women. This framework offers a novel approach to providing targeted health promotion activities to men in an environment where it is okay to talk about men's health.

Modern contraceptive use among sexually active men in Uganda: does discussion with a health worker matter?

PubMed

Kabagenyi, Allen; Ndugga, Patricia; Wandera, Stephen Ojiambo; Kwagala, Betty

2014-03-28

Family planning programs have recently undergone a fundamental shift from being focused on women only to focusing on men individually, or on both partners. However, contraceptive use among married men has remained low in most high-fertility countries including Uganda. Men's role in reproductive decision-making remains an important and neglected part of understanding fertility control both in high-income and low-income countries. This study examines whether discussion of family planning with a health worker is a critical determinant of modern contraceptive use by sexually active men, and men's reporting of partner contraceptive use. The study used data from the 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey comprising 2,295 men aged 15-54 years. Specifically, analyses are based on 1755 men who were sexually active 12 months prior to the study. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, and logistic regression were used to identify factors that influenced modern contraceptive use among sexually active men in Uganda. Findings indicated that discussion of family planning with a health worker (OR=1.85; 95% CI: 1.29-2.66), region (OR=0.41; 95% CI: 0.21-0.77), education (OR=2.13; 95% CI: 1.01-4.47), wealth index: richer (OR=2.52; 95% CI: 1.58-4.01), richest (OR=2.47; 95% CI: 1.44-4.22), surviving children (OR=2.04; 95% CI:1.16-3.59) and fertility preference (OR=3.50; 95% CI: 1.28-9.61) were most significantly associated with modern contraceptive use among men. The centrality of the role of discussion with health workers in predicting men's participation in family planning matters may necessitate creation of opportunities for their further engagement at health facilities as well as community levels. Men's discussion of family planning with health workers was significantly associated with modern contraceptive use. Thus, creating opportunities through which men interact with health workers, for instance during consultations, may improve contraceptive use among couples.

Habituating to handling: factors affecting preorbital gland opening in red deer calves.

PubMed

Ceacero, F; Landete-Castillejos, T; Bartošová, J; García, A J; Bartoš, L; Komárková, M; Gallego, L

2014-09-01

The preorbital gland plays not only an olfactory role in cervids but also a visual one. Opening this gland is an easy way for the calf to communicate with the mother, indicating hunger/satiety, stress, pain, fear, or excitement. This information can be also useful for farm operators to assess how fast the calves habituate to handling routines and to detect those calves that do not habituate and may suffer chronic stress in the future. Thirty-one calves were subjected to 2 consecutive experiments to clarify if observing preorbital gland opening is related to habituation to handling in red deer calves (Cervus elaphus). Calves were born in 3 different paddocks, handled as newborns (Exp. 1), and then subjected to the same routine handling but with different periodicity: every 1, 2, or 3 wk (Exp. 2). In Exp. 1, preorbital gland opening was recorded in newborns during an initial handling (including weighing, ear tagging, and sex determination). Preorbital gland opening occurred in 93% of calves during this procedure and was not affected by sex, time since birth, or birth weight. Experiment 2 consisted of measuring preorbital opening during the same routine handling (weighing, blood sampling, and rump touching to assess body condition) when calves were 1, 3, and 5 mo old. Binary logistic regression showed that gland opening was associated with habituation to handling, since at 1 and 3 mo the probability of opening the gland decreased with the number of handlings that a calf experienced before (P = 0.008 and P = 0.028, respectively). However, there were no further changes in preorbital gland opening rate in the 5-mo-old calves (P = 0.182). The significant influence of the number of previous handlings on the probability of opening the preorbital gland was confirmed through generalized linear model with repeated measures (P = 0.007). Preorbital gland opening decreased along the phases of the study. Nevertheless, we found a significant trend in individuals to keep similar

Designing normative messages about active surveillance for men with localized prostate cancer

PubMed Central

Volk, Robert J.; Kinsman, Gianna T.; Le, Yen-Chi L.; Swank, Paul; Blumenthal-Barby, Jennifer; McFall, Stephanie L.; Byrd, Theresa L.; Mullen, Patricia Dolan; Cantor, Scott B.

2016-01-01

Active surveillance (AS) is increasingly recognized as a reasonable option for men with low-risk, localized prostate cancer, yet few men who might benefit from conservative management receive it. We examined the acceptability of normative messages about AS as a management option for patients with low-risk prostate cancer. Men with a diagnosis of localized prostate cancer who were recruited through prostate cancer support organizations completed a web-based survey (N=331). They rated messages about AS for believability, accuracy, and importance for men to hear when making treatment decisions. The message “you don’t have to panic…you have time to think about your options” was perceived as believable, accurate, and important by over 80% of the survivors. In contrast, messages about trust in the AS protocol and “knowing in plenty of time” if treatment is needed were rated as accurate by only about 36% of respondents. For AS to be viewed as a reasonable alternative, men will need reassurance that following an AS protocol is likely to allow time for curative treatment if the cancer progresses. PMID:26066011

Increased whole grain consumption does not affect blood biochemistry, body composition, or gut microbiology in healthy, low-habitual whole grain consumers.

PubMed

Ampatzoglou, Antonios; Atwal, Kiranjit K; Maidens, Catherine M; Williams, Charlotte L; Ross, Alastair B; Thielecke, Frank; Jonnalagadda, Satya S; Kennedy, Orla B; Yaqoob, Parveen

2015-02-01

Whole-grain (WG) foods have been suggested to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but studies are inconsistent and effects on cardiovascular risk markers are not clear. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of increasing WG consumption to at least 80 g/d on overall dietary intake, body composition, blood pressure (BP), blood lipids, blood glucose, gastrointestinal microbiology, and gastrointestinal symptoms in healthy, middle-aged adults with habitual WG intake <24 g/d. Eligible subjects [12 men, 21 women, aged 40-65 y, body mass index (BMI): 20-35 kg/m(2)] were identified through use of food frequency questionnaires and subsequently completed 3-day food diaries (3DFDs) to confirm habitual WG consumption. Subjects consumed diets high in WG (>80 g/d) or low in WG [<16 g/d, refined-grain (RG) diet] in a crossover study with 6-wk intervention periods separated by a 4-wk washout. Adherence was achieved by specific dietary advice and provision of a range of cereal food products. The 3DFDs, diet compliance diaries, and plasma alkylresorcinols were used to verify compliance. During the WG intervention, consumption increased from 28 g/d to 168 g/d (P < 0.001), accompanied by an increase in plasma alkylresorcinols (P < 0.001) and total fiber intake (P < 0.001), without any effect on energy or other macronutrients. Although there were no effects on studied variables, there were trends toward increased 24-h fecal weight (P = 0.08) and reduction in body weight (P = 0.10) and BMI (P = 0.08) during the WG intervention compared with the RG period. A combination of dietary advice and provision of commercially available food items enabled subjects with a low-moderate habitual consumption of WG to substantially increase their WG intake, but there was little effect on blood biochemical markers, body composition, BP, fecal measurements, or gut microbiology. This trial was registered at www.controlled-trials.com as ISRCTN36521837. © 2015 American Society for

Differential effects of diazepam and MPEP on habituation and neuro-behavioural processes in inbred mice.

PubMed

Salomons, Amber R; Pinzon, Nathaly Espitia; Boleij, Hetty; Kirchhoff, Susanne; Arndt, Saskia S; Nordquist, Rebecca E; Lindemann, Lothar; Jaeschke, Georg; Spooren, Will; Ohl, Frauke

2012-06-11

Previous studies have demonstrated a profound lack of habituation in 129P3 mice compared to the habituating, but initially more anxious, BALB/c mice. The present study investigated whether this non-adaptive phenotype of 129P3 mice is primarily based on anxiety-related characteristics. To test this hypothesis and extend our knowledge on the behavioural profile of 129P3 mice, the effects of the anxiolyticdiazepam (1, 3 and 5 mg/kg) and the putative anxiolytic metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGlu5R) antagonist 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP, 3, 10 and 30 mg/kg) treatment on within-trial (intrasession) habituation, object recognition (diazepam: 1 mg/kg; MPEP 10 mg/kg) and on the central-nervous expression of the immediate early gene c-Fos (diazepam: 1 mg/kg; MPEP 10 mg/kg) were investigated. Behavioural findings validated the initially high, but habituating phenotype of BALB/c mice, while 129P3 mice were characterized by impaired intrasession habituation. Diazepam had an anxiolytic effect in BALB/c mice, while in higher doses caused behavioural inactivity in 129P3 mice. MPEP revealed almost no anxiolytic effects on behaviour in both strains, but reduced stress-induced corticosterone responses only in 129P3 mice. These results were complemented by reduced expression of c-Fos after MPEP treatment in brain areas related to emotional processes, and increased c-Fos expression in higher integrating brain areas such as the prelimbic cortex compared to vehicle-treated 129P3 mice. These results suggest that the strain differences observed in (non)adaptive anxiety behaviour are at least in part mediated by differences in gamma-aminobutyric acid- A and mGluR5 mediated transmission.

Habituation: a non-associative learning rule design for spiking neurons and an autonomous mobile robots implementation.

PubMed

Cyr, André; Boukadoum, Mounir

2013-03-01

This paper presents a novel bio-inspired habituation function for robots under control by an artificial spiking neural network. This non-associative learning rule is modelled at the synaptic level and validated through robotic behaviours in reaction to different stimuli patterns in a dynamical virtual 3D world. Habituation is minimally represented to show an attenuated response after exposure to and perception of persistent external stimuli. Based on current neurosciences research, the originality of this rule includes modulated response to variable frequencies of the captured stimuli. Filtering out repetitive data from the natural habituation mechanism has been demonstrated to be a key factor in the attention phenomenon, and inserting such a rule operating at multiple temporal dimensions of stimuli increases a robot's adaptive behaviours by ignoring broader contextual irrelevant information.

Habitual yogurt consumption and health-related quality of life: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Lopez-Garcia, Esther; Leon-Muñoz, Luz; Guallar-Castillon, Pilar; Rodríguez-Artalejo, Fernando

2015-01-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is a global indicator of perceived health status, which includes physical and mental domains. Several biological mechanisms might support an association between consumption of yogurt and better HRQL. Our aim was to assess the association between habitual yogurt consumption and HRQL in the general adult population. We conducted a prospective study with 4,445 individuals aged 18 years and older who were recruited in 2008 to 2010 and were followed up to 2012. Habitual yogurt consumption was assessed at baseline with a validated diet history. HRQL was measured with the Physical Composite Summary and the Mental Composite Summary of the Spanish version of the SF-12 Health Survey. The analysis of the association between baseline yogurt consumption and HRQL at 2012 was performed with linear regression and adjusted for the main confounders, including baseline HRQL. Mean follow-up was 3.5 years (standard deviation=0.6 years). Compared with nonconsumers of yogurt, the Physical Composite Summary scores were similar in habitual consumers of ≤6 servings/week (β=.40; P=0.20) and in consumers of ≥1 serving/day (β=.25; P=0.45). A suggestion of tendency toward a lower Mental Composite Summary score was found among daily yogurt consumers (β=-.65; P=0.09; P for trend across categories=0.07). Results were similar among individuals without morbidity, never smokers, and individuals with higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Habitual yogurt consumption did not show an association with improved HRQL. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Relationship between Habitual Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Academic Performance in British Adolescents

PubMed Central

Adolphus, Katie; Lawton, Clare L.; Dye, Louise

2015-01-01

Breakfast has been shown to be beneficial for cognitive and academic performance in school children. However, there is a paucity of studies which examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and academic performance and a complete absence of studies in UK school children. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the association between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) performance, a reasoning test routinely used in UK schools. Adolescents aged 11–13 years (n = 292; males: 53.8%) completed a questionnaire to report usual weekly breakfast intake frequency. Breakfast was subjectively defined by the participants. Habitual weekly breakfast consumption frequency was categorized as rare (0–2 days), occasional (3–4 days), or frequent (5–7 days). Participants’ CAT performance was used as a proxy measure of academic performance. The CAT has three components: verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative reasoning. Normative standard age scores (SAS) for verbal, non-verbal, quantitative reasoning, and overall mean SAS were obtained from school records and hierarchical linear regression models were applied, adjusting for the confounders: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, English as an Additional Language, and body mass index. Habitual breakfast consumption frequency did not significantly predict any CAT SAS in all models (crude and adjusted). However, methodological considerations which could account for this disagreement with previous research, were identified. These included the isolation of school-day breakfast consumption, use of a standard definition of breakfast, and measurement of actual academic performance. The findings of the current study suggest more comprehensive ways in which future studies might investigate the relationship between habitual breakfast consumption and academic performance. PMID:26000270

Habitual Sleep Duration, Unmet Sleep Need, and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Korean Adults.

PubMed

Hwangbo, Young; Kim, Won Joo; Chu, Min Kyung; Yun, Chang Ho; Yang, Kwang Ik

2016-04-01

Sleep need differs between individuals, and so the same duration of sleep will lead to sleep insufficiency in some individuals but not others. The aim of this study was to determine the separate and combined associations of both sleep duration and unmet sleep need with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) in Korean adults. The participants comprised 2,769 Korean adults aged 19 years or older. They completed questionnaires about their sleep habits over the previous month. The question regarding sleep need was "How much sleep do you need to be at your best during the day?" Unmet sleep need was calculated as sleep need minus habitual sleep duration. Participants with a score of >10 on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale were considered to have EDS. The overall prevalence of EDS was 11.9%. Approximately one-third of the participants (31.9%) reported not getting at least 7 hours of sleep. An unmet sleep need of >0 hours was present in 30.2% of the participants. An adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significant excess risk of EDS in the groups with unmet sleep needs of ≥2 hours [odds ratio (OR), 1.80; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.27-2.54] and 0.01-2 hours (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.02-1.98). However, habitual sleep duration was not significantly related to EDS. EDS was found to be associated with unmet sleep need but not with habitual sleep duration when both factors were examined together. We suggest that individual unmet sleep need is more important than habitual sleep duration in terms of the relation to EDS.

The Relationship between Habitual Breakfast Consumption Frequency and Academic Performance in British Adolescents.

PubMed

Adolphus, Katie; Lawton, Clare L; Dye, Louise

2015-01-01

Breakfast has been shown to be beneficial for cognitive and academic performance in school children. However, there is a paucity of studies which examine the relationship between breakfast consumption and academic performance and a complete absence of studies in UK school children. The aim of this study, therefore, was to examine the association between habitual breakfast consumption frequency and Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) performance, a reasoning test routinely used in UK schools. Adolescents aged 11-13 years (n = 292; males: 53.8%) completed a questionnaire to report usual weekly breakfast intake frequency. Breakfast was subjectively defined by the participants. Habitual weekly breakfast consumption frequency was categorized as rare (0-2 days), occasional (3-4 days), or frequent (5-7 days). Participants' CAT performance was used as a proxy measure of academic performance. The CAT has three components: verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative reasoning. Normative standard age scores (SAS) for verbal, non-verbal, quantitative reasoning, and overall mean SAS were obtained from school records and hierarchical linear regression models were applied, adjusting for the confounders: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, English as an Additional Language, and body mass index. Habitual breakfast consumption frequency did not significantly predict any CAT SAS in all models (crude and adjusted). However, methodological considerations which could account for this disagreement with previous research, were identified. These included the isolation of school-day breakfast consumption, use of a standard definition of breakfast, and measurement of actual academic performance. The findings of the current study suggest more comprehensive ways in which future studies might investigate the relationship between habitual breakfast consumption and academic performance.

Sensorimotor Peripheral Nerve Function and Physical Activity in Older Men

PubMed Central

Lange-Maia, Brittney S.; Cauley, Jane A.; Newman, Anne B.; Boudreau, Robert M.; Jakicic, John M.; Glynn, Nancy W.; Zivkovic, Sasa; Dam, Tien; Caserotti, Paolo; Cawthon, Peggy M.; Orwoll, Eric S.; Strotmeyer, Elsa S.

2017-01-01

We determined whether sensorimotor peripheral nerve (PN) function was associated with physical activity (PA) in older men. The Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study Pittsburgh, PA, site (n=328, age 78.8±4.7 years), conducted PN testing, including: peroneal motor and sural sensory nerve conduction (latencies, amplitudes: CMAP and SNAP for motor and sensory amplitude, respectively), 1.4g/10g monofilament (dorsum of the great toe), and neuropathy symptoms. ANOVA and multivariate linear regression modeled PN associations with PA (Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE) and SenseWear Armband). After multivariable adjustment, better motor latency was associated with higher PASE scores (160.5±4.8 vs 135.6±6.7, p<0.01). Those without vs. with neuropathy symptoms had higher PASE scores (157.6±5.3 vs 132.9±7.1, p<0.01). Better vs. worse SNAP was associated with slightly more daily vigorous activity (9.5±0.8 vs. 7.3±0.7, p=0.05). Other PN measures were not associated with PA. Certain PN measures were associated with lower PA, suggesting a potential pathway for disability. PMID:26964668

Gamified physical activation of young men – a Multidisciplinary Population-Based Randomized Controlled Trial (MOPO study)

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Inactive and unhealthy lifestyles are common among adolescent men. The planned intervention examines the effectiveness of an interactive, gamified activation method, based on tailored health information, peer networks and participation, on physical activity, health and wellbeing in young men. We hypothesize that following the intervention the physical activation group will have an improved physical activity, as well as self-determined and measured health compared with the controls. Methods/design Conscription-aged men (18 years) attending compulsory annual call-ups for military service in the city of Oulu in Finland (n = 1500) will be randomized to a 6-months intervention (n = 640) or a control group (n = 640) during the fall 2013. A questionnaire on health, health behaviour, diet and wellbeing is administered in the beginning and end of the intervention. In addition, anthropometric measures (height, weight and waist circumference), body composition, grip strength, heart rate variability and aerobic fitness will be measured. The activation group utilizes an online gamified activation method in combination with communal youth services, objective physical activity measurement, social networking, tailored health information and exercise programs according to baseline activity level and the readiness of changes of each individual. Daily physical activity of the participants is monitored in both the activation and control groups. The activation service rewards improvements in physical activity or reductions in sedentary behaviour. The performance and completion of the military service of the participants will also be followed. Discussion The study will provide new information of physical activity, health and health behaviour of young men. Furthermore, a novel model including methods for increasing physical activity among young people is developed and its effects tested through an intervention. This unique gamified service for activating young men

Relationship Between Habitual Exercise and Performance on Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Differs Between Children With Single and Biventricular Circulations.

PubMed

O'Byrne, Michael L; Desai, Sanyukta; Lane, Megan; McBride, Michael; Paridon, Stephen; Goldmuntz, Elizabeth

2017-03-01

Increasing habitual exercise has been associated with improved cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) performance, specifically maximal oxygen consumption in children with operatively corrected congenital heart disease. This has not been studied in children following Fontan palliation, a population in whom CPET performance is dramatically diminished. A single-center cross-sectional study with prospective and retrospective data collection was performed that assessed habitual exercise preceding a clinically indicated CPET in children and adolescents with Fontan palliation, transposition of the great arteries following arterial switch operation (TGA), and normal cardiac anatomy without prior operation. Data from contemporaneous clinical reports and imaging studies were collected. The association between percent predicted VO 2max and habitual exercise duration adjusted for known covariates was tested. A total of 175 subjects (75 post-Fontan, 20 with TGA, and 80 with normal cardiac anatomy) were enrolled. VO 2max was lower in the Fontan group than patients with normal cardiac anatomy (p < 0.0001) or TGA (p < 0.0001). In Fontan subjects, both univariate and multivariate analysis failed to demonstrate a significant association between habitual exercise and VO 2max (p = 0.6), in sharp contrast to cardiac normal subjects. In multivariate analysis, increasing age was the only independent risk factor associated with decreasing VO 2max in the Fontan group (p = 0.003). Habitual exercise was not associated with VO 2max in subjects with a Fontan as compared to biventricular circulation. Further research is necessary to understand why their habitual exercise is ineffective and/or what aspects of the Fontan circulation disrupt this association.

Impact of single anaerobic exercise on delayed activation of endothelial xanthine oxidase in men and women.

PubMed

Wiecek, Magdalena; Maciejczyk, Marcin; Szymura, Jadwiga; Kantorowicz, Malgorzata; Szygula, Zbigniew

2017-11-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the activity of xanthine oxidase (XO) in the blood of men and women during the first hour following a single anaerobic exercise (AN-EX), and after 24 hours of recovery, and to determine whether the changes in XO activity in the blood after AN-EX are dependent on anaerobic performance. Ten men and ten women performed a single AN-EX. Blood was collected before and five times after completion of the AN-EX. The activity of XO was determined. In both groups, a significant (P < 0.05) increase in blood XO activity was found only 24 hours after the AN-EX. The increased activity of XO in men was significantly lower than in women (P < 0.05). Negative correlations were found between the increase in XO activity in the blood plasma 24 hours after the AN-EX and anaerobic power, the total work performed during the AN-EX and the power decrease. In the first hour after the single AN-EX, XO activity in the blood of women and men did not change, but after 24 hours of recovery, it was significantly higher compared to baseline levels in both sexes. Single AN-EX causes a smaller increase in XO activity in people with higher anaerobic performance.

Preconception Health: Men

MedlinePlus

... Nutrition Physical Activity Visiting the Doctor Information for Men Language: English (US) Español (Spanish) Recommend on Facebook ... about women. However, preconception health is important for men, too. There are things men can do for ...

Leisure time sedentary behavior, occupational/domestic physical activity, and metabolic syndrome in U.S. men and women.

PubMed

Sisson, Susan B; Camhi, Sarah M; Church, Timothy S; Martin, Corby K; Tudor-Locke, Catrine; Bouchard, Claude; Earnest, Conrad P; Smith, Steven R; Newton, Robert L; Rankinen, Tuomo; Katzmarzyk, Peter T

2009-12-01

This study examines leisure time sedentary behavior (LTSB) and usual occupational/domestic activity (UODA) and their relationship with metabolic syndrome and individual cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, independent of physical activity level. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2006 data from men (n = 1868) and women (n = 1688) with fasting measures were classified as having metabolic syndrome by the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI) definition. LTSB was determined from self-reported television viewing and computer usage. UODA was self-reported daily behavior (sitting, standing, walking, carrying loads). LTSB >or=4 hours/day was associated with odds of having metabolic syndrome of 1.94 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24, 3.03) in men compared to or=4 hour/day was also associated with higher odds of elevated waist circumference (1.88, CI, 1.03, 3.41), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (1.84, CI, 1.35, 2.51), and high blood pressure (1.55, CI, 1.07, 2.24) in men. LTSB 2-3 hours/day was associated with higher odds of elevated glucose (1.32, CI, 1.00, 1.75) in men. In women, odds of metabolic syndrome were 1.54 (CI, 1.00, 2.37) with >or=4 hours/day LTSB, but LTSB was not associated with risk of the individual CVD risk factors. Higher LTSB was associated with metabolic syndrome in inactive men (1.50, CI, 1.07, 2.09), active men (1.74, CI, 1.11, 2.71), inactive women (1.69, CI, 1.24, 2.33), but not active women (1.62, CI, 0.87,3.01). UODA was not strongly associated with metabolic syndrome or CVD risk factors in either men or women. In men, high LTSB is associated with higher odds of metabolic syndrome and individual CVD risk factors regardless of meeting physical activity recommendations. In women, high LTSB is associated with higher odds of metabolic syndrome only in those not meeting the physical activity recommendations.

Association between dietary intake of flavonoid and bone mineral density in middle aged and elderly Chinese women and men.

PubMed

Zhang, Z-Q; He, L-P; Liu, Y-H; Liu, J; Su, Y-X; Chen, Y-M

2014-10-01

This large cross-sectional study examined the associations of dietary intakes of total flavonoids and their subtypes with bone density in women and men. We found that greater flavonoid intake was associated with higher bone density in women but not in men. Studies in vitro and in animal models suggest a potential effect of flavonoids on bone health. Few studies have examined the association between the habitual intake of flavonoids and bone mineral density (BMD) in humans. The cross-sectional study recruited 2,239 women and 1,078 men. A semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire was administered in face-to-face interviews to assess habitual dietary flavonoid intake using food composition databases. BMD was measured over the whole body (WB) and in the femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). After adjusting for covariates, women who consumed higher total flavonoids, and the subtypes of flavonols, flavan-3-ols, flavones, and proanthocyanidins tended to have greater BMD at the WB, LS, and FN (all P-trend < 0.05). Women in the highest (vs. the lowest) quartile of total flavonoids intake had 0.020 (1.91 %), 0.021 (2.51 %), and 0.013 (1.99 %) g/cm(2) greater BMD at the whole body, LS, and FN, respectively. For the subtypes of flavonoids, the corresponding differences in BMD (in g/cm(2)) were 0.012-0.021 (flavan-3-ols), 0.013-0.020 (flavonols), 0.016-0.019 (flavones), and 0.014-0.016 (proanthocyanidins), respectively. A higher intake of flavonones was associated with a greater BMD at the whole body (P-trend 0.041) and the FN (P-trend 0.022). In men, there were no significant positive associations between the consumption of total flavonoids and the subclasses and BMD at any sites. Dietary flavonoids intake was positively associated with BMD in women. Further large studies are needed to clarify this issue in men.

Use of Terrestrial Hermit Crabs in the Study of Habituation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nolan, Laurence J.

2004-01-01

For small colleges, the use of invertebrates in undergraduate learning laboratory experiments may be a valuable alternative to the use of vertebrate species. This article describes a habituation experiment using terrestrial hermit crabs. All of the materials required are inexpensive and readily available. What makes this experiment unique is that…

Habituation of the initial responses to cold water immersion in humans: a central or peripheral mechanism?

PubMed

Tipton, M J; Eglin, C M; Golden, F S

1998-10-15

1. The initial respiratory and cardiac responses to cold water immersion are thought to be responsible for a significant number of open water deaths each year. Previous research has demonstrated that the magnitude of these responses can be reduced by repeated immersions in cold waterwhether the site of habituation is central or peripheral. 2. Two groups of subjects undertook two 3 min head-out immersions in stirred water at 10 C of the right-hand side of the body (R). Between these two immersions (3 whole days) the control group (n = 7) were not exposed to cold water, but the habituation group (n = 8) undertook a further six 3 min head-out immersions in stirred water at 10 C of the left-hand side of the body (L). 3. Repeated L immersions reduced (P < 0.01) the heart rate, respiratory frequency and volume responses. During the second R immersion a reduction (P < 0.05) in the magnitude of the responses evoked was seen in the habituation group but not in the control group, despite both groups having identical skin temperature profiles. 4. It is concluded that the mechanisms involved in producing habituation of the initial responses are located more centrally than the peripheral receptors.

Assessing speech perception in children with cochlear implants using a modified hybrid visual habituation procedure.

PubMed

Core, Cynthia; Brown, Janean W; Larsen, Michael D; Mahshie, James

2014-01-01

The objectives of this research were to determine whether an adapted version of a Hybrid Visual Habituation procedure could be used to assess speech perception of phonetic and prosodic features of speech (vowel height, lexical stress, and intonation) in individual pre-school-age children who use cochlear implants. Nine children ranging in age from 3;4 to 5;5 participated in this study. Children were prelingually deaf and used cochlear implants and had no other known disabilities. Children received two speech feature tests using an adaptation of a Hybrid Visual Habituation procedure. Seven of the nine children demonstrated perception of at least one speech feature using this procedure using results from a Bayesian linear regression analysis. At least one child demonstrated perception of each speech feature using this assessment procedure. An adapted version of the Hybrid Visual Habituation Procedure with an appropriate statistical analysis provides a way to assess phonetic and prosodicaspects of speech in pre-school-age children who use cochlear implants.

Effect of habituation on the susceptibility of the rat to restraint ulcers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, M. S.; Martin, F.; Lambert, R.

1980-01-01

The frequency and gravity of restraint ulcers were found to significantly diminish in rats previously exposed to brief periods of immobilization. The rats' becoming habituated to restraint conditions probably explains this phenomenon.

Habituation and acclimatization of sheep to cold following exposures of varying length and severity

PubMed Central

Slee, J.

1972-01-01

1. Male and female Scottish Blackface sheep were shorn and exposed for 2 weeks either to a thermoneutral temperature (+30° C), to chronic cold (+8° C) or to +30° C interrupted by daily short cold shocks (-10° C). During and at the end of these conditioning treatments, the sheep also received two acute cold exposures (-20° C, 4 m.p.h. wind for 2-8 hr) 1 week apart. Some of these sheep and a fourth (control) group, were subsequently re-shorn and slowly cooled to +8° C. 2. Resting metabolism and the metabolic response to cooling (both inferred from heart rates) were increased by previous chronic cold treatment. Resistance to body cooling (measured during acute cold exposure) was generally increased by both chronic and acute cold, and non-shivering thermogenesis was probably induced in the female sheep. These effects were defined as acclimatization. 3. In contrast, cold shocks reduced the subsequent metabolic response to cold and encouraged facultative body cooling. This pattern of response (defined as habituation) therefore caused greater thermolability. 4. Habituation and acclimatization were antagonistic. Habituation was removed by acute cold exposure and, conversely, acclimatization was inhibited by short cold shocks. 5. There were sex differences in response but these were confounded by probable differences in insulation and in body condition (males thinner). 6. It was concluded that the induction of different forms of adaptation depended on the length, severity and frequency of cold exposures. Habituation to whole body cold exposure apparently involved central nervous system centres normally receiving peripheral cold stimuli. PMID:4646585

Habitual Minimalist Shod Running Biomechanics and the Acute Response to Running Barefoot.

PubMed

Tam, Nicholas; Darragh, Ian A J; Divekar, Nikhil V; Lamberts, Robert P

2017-09-01

The aim of the study was to determine whether habitual minimalist shoe runners present with purported favorable running biomechanithat reduce running injury risk such as initial loading rate. Eighteen minimalist and 16 traditionally cushioned shod runners were assessed when running both in their preferred training shoe and barefoot. Ankle and knee joint kinetics and kinematics, initial rate of loading, and footstrike angle were measured. Sagittal ankle and knee joint stiffness were also calculated. Results of a two-factor ANOVA presented no group difference in initial rate of loading when participants were running either shod or barefoot; however, initial loading rate increased for both groups when running barefoot (p=0.008). Differences in footstrike angle were observed between groups when running shod, but not when barefoot (minimalist:8.71±8.99 vs. traditional: 17.32±11.48 degrees, p=0.002). Lower ankle joint stiffness was found in both groups when running barefoot (p=0.025). These findings illustrate that risk factors for injury potentially differ between the two groups. Shoe construction differences do change mechanical demands, however, once habituated to the demands of a given shoe condition, certain acute favorable or unfavorable responses may be moderated. The purported benefits of minimalist running shoes in mimicking habitual barefoot running is questioned, and risk of injury may not be attenuated. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Effects of a Structured Physical Activity Program on Habitual Physical Activity and Body Composition in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease and in Kidney Transplant Recipients.

PubMed

Masajtis-Zagajewska, Anna; Muras, Katarzyna; Nowicki, Michał

2018-05-16

In this study, we compared the effects of an individualized physical activity program on lifestyle, metabolic profile, body composition, and quality of life in kidney transplant recipients and patients with chronic kidney disease. Our study included 24 kidney transplant recipients and 15 patients with chronic kidney disease at stage 3/4. Body composition (impedance spectroscopy) and habitual physical activity (accelerometry) assessed at baseline were used to prepare the individualized physical activity program. Participants received repeated training, which was supervised during the first 2 weeks, followed by short message service reminders. Measurements were repeated after 1 and 3 months. Time spent daily on physical activity and total energy expenditure increased in kidney transplant recipients (from 126 ± 87 to 200 ± 132 min/day [P = .001] and from 1.73 ± 0.37 to 2.24 ± 0.59 cal/min [P < .001]) and in patients with chronic kidney disease (from 79 ± 78 to 109 ± 114 min/day [P < .001] and from 1.5 ± 0.5 to 1.92 ± 0.47 cal/min [P < .001]). Adipose mass (40.8 ± 11.5 vs 38.5 ± 10.3 kg; P = .01), total body water (38.1 ± 9.1 vs 37.3 ± 9.7 L; P = .01), and fat tissue index (14.3 ± 3.7 vs 13.5 ± 3.1 kg/m2; P = .009) decreased significantly only in kidney transplant recipients. Body cell mass decreased in patients with chronic kidney disease. Significant changes of estimated glomerular filtration rates were observed in kidney transplant recipients. Increased physical activity achieved through structured exercise programs induced beneficial effects on metabolic profile and body composition in patients with chronic kidney disease, with even greater benefits in kidney transplant recipients.

Physical performance and daily walking duration: associations in 1271 women and men aged 65-90 years.

PubMed

Rapp, Kilian; Klenk, Jochen; Benzinger, Petra; Franke, Sebastian; Denkinger, Michael D; Peter, Richard

2012-10-01

Several tests of physical performance like gait speed or standing balance are part of the geriatric assessment. Measures of physical activity like daily walking duration are more difficult to assess but may be of higher relevance for daily requirements. It is therefore of interest to what extent physical performance measures are associated with physical activity. In a cohort study, baseline screening was performed in 1271 community-living people aged 65-90 years from Ulm, Germany. Average daily walking duration was assessed in all participants by accelerometers over a one-week period. Habitual gait speed, 5-Chair-Rise test, standing balance and handgrip strength served as measures of physical performance. The association between measures of physical performance and physical activity was calculated by linear regression analysis. The mean daily walking duration was 104.8 minutes in men and 103.0 minutes in women. A positive relationship between gait speed and walking duration was observed in men and women with low gait speed (≤0.8 m/s) but not in participants above this threshold. Standing balance and hand grip strength were positively and 5-Chair-Rise test inversely related with average daily walking duration. A relationship between hand grip strength and walking duration was only observed in women aged 75 years and more. Physical performance measures and objectively measured walking duration are related with each other but only a small percentage of the variance of daily walking duration was explained by physical performance measures. Therefore, factors other than physical performance seem to influence daily walking duration to a great extent.

Relationships between negative affect and academic achievement among secondary school students: the mediating effects of habituated exercise.

PubMed

Hashim, Hairul A; Freddy, Golok; Rosmatunisah, Ali

2012-09-01

The current study was undertaken to examine the associations between self-determination, exercise habit, anxiety, depression, stress, and academic achievement among adolescents aged 13 and 14 years in eastern Malaysia. The sample consisted of 750 secondary school students (mean age = 13.4 years, SD = 0.49). Participants completed self-report measures of exercise behavioral regulation, negative affect, and exercise habit strength. Midyear exam results were used as an indicator of academic performance. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results of structural equation modeling revealed a close model fit for the hypothesized model, which indicates that higher levels of self-determination were positively associated with habituated exercise behavior. In turn, exercise habit strength fostered academic achievement and buffered the debilitative effect of stress, depression, and anxiety on student academic performance. The analysis of model invariance revealed a nonsignificant difference between male and female subjects. The findings support the notion that habituated exercise fosters academic performance. In addition, we found that habituated exercise buffers the combined effects of stress, anxiety and depression on academic performance. The finding also supports the roles of self-determination in promoting exercise habituation.

Sexual activity, erectile dysfunction and their correlates among 1,566 older Chinese men in Southern China.

PubMed

Wong, Samuel Yeung Shan; Leung, Jason Chi Shun; Woo, Jean

2009-01-01

Few studies on sexuality and its correlates in adults have been conducted in Asia; most studies in Asia have focused instead on erectile dysfunction in men rather than sexuality or sexual activities. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence and factors associated with sexual activity and erectile dysfunction in elderly Chinese men aged 65 years and above. Sexual activity and sexual functions were assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function-5. Depressive symptoms were measured by the Chinese version of the Geriatric Depression Scale. Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) were measured by the International Prostatic Symptom Score. Cross-sectional data from a large prospective cohort study of Chinese elderly men were used in this study. A questionnaire that included demographic, lifestyle, and medical risk factors and physical examination were administered to 1566 Chinese men aged between 65 to 92 years in Hong Kong. Only 30.7% of men were sexually active in the previous 6 months in this sample and among those who were sexually active, 88% had some form of erectile dysfunction. Being sexually inactive in the previous 6 months was associated with being older (odds ratio [OR] = 1.80; confidence interval [CI]: 1.56-2.09), single (OR = 1.87; CI = 1.19-2.94) and the presence of peripheral arterial disease (OR = 2.43; CI: 1.25-4.71). In multiple multinomial logistic regression, having clinically relevant depressive symptoms (OR = 3.37; CI: 1.31-8.70) and having moderate to severe LUTS (OR = 1.63; CI: 1.01-2.64) were independently associated with increased risk of having erectile dysfunction. We showed that a large proportion of elderly men were not sexually active in Hong Kong. For those who were sexually active, most suffered from some degree of erectile dysfunction. Having clinically relevant depressive symptoms and LUTS were independently associated with increased risk of erectile dysfunction.

Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Risk Behavior among Young Heterosexually Active Men.

PubMed

Casey, Erin A; Querna, Katherine; Masters, N Tatiana; Beadnell, Blair; Wells, Elizabeth A; Morrison, Diane M; Hoppe, Marilyn J

2016-01-01

Intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization is linked to sexual risk exposure among women. However, less is known about the intersection of IPV perpetration and sexual risk behavior among men. This study used data from a diverse, community sample of 334 heterosexually active young men, aged 18 to 25, across the United States to examine whether and how men with distinct IPV-related behavior patterns differed in sexual risk-related behavior and attitudes. Participants were recruited and surveyed online, and grouped conceptually based on the types of IPV perpetration behavior(s) used in a current or recent romantic relationship. Groups were then compared on relevant sexual risk variables. Men reporting both physical abuse and sexual coercion against intimate partners reported significantly higher numbers of lifetime partners, higher rates of nonmonogamy, greater endorsement of nonmonogamy, and less frequent condom use relative to nonabusive men or those reporting controlling behavior only. This group also had higher sexually transmitted infection (STI) exposure compared to men who used controlling behavior only and men who used sexual coercion only. Findings suggest that interventions with men who use physical and sexual violence need to account for not only the physical and psychological harm of this behavior but also the sexual risk to which men may expose their partners.

Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Risk Behavior among Young Heterosexually Active Men

PubMed Central

Casey, Erin A.; Querna, Katherine; Masters, N. Tatiana; Beadnell, Blair; Wells, Elizabeth A.; Morrison, Diane M.; Hoppe, Marilyn J.

2015-01-01

Intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization is linked to sexual risk exposure among women. However, less is known about the intersection of IPV perpetration and sexual risk behavior among men. This study used data from a diverse, community sample of 334 heterosexually active young men, aged 18 to 25, across the United States to examine whether and how men with distinct IPV-related behavior patterns differed in sexual risk–related behavior and attitudes. Participants were recruited and surveyed online, and grouped conceptually based on the types of IPV perpetration behavior(s) used in a current or recent romantic relationship. Groups were then compared on relevant sexual risk variables. Men reporting both physical abuse and sexual coercion against intimate partners reported significantly higher numbers of lifetime partners, higher rates of nonmonogamy, greater endorsement of nonmonogamy, and less frequent condom use relative to nonabusive men or those reporting controlling behavior only. This group also had higher sexually transmitted infection (STI) exposure compared to men who used controlling behavior only and men who used sexual coercion only. Findings suggest that interventions with men who use physical and sexual violence need to account for not only the physical and psychological harm of this behavior but also the sexual risk to which men may expose their partners. PMID:26158212

Evidence for β-adrenergic modulation of sweating during incremental exercise in habitually trained males.

PubMed

Amano, Tatsuro; Shitara, Yosuke; Fujii, Naoto; Inoue, Yoshimitsu; Kondo, Narihiko

2017-07-01

The aim of the present study was to determine the β-adrenergic contribution to sweating during incremental exercise in habitually trained males. Nine habitually trained and 11 untrained males performed incremental cycling until exhaustion (20 W/min). Bilateral forearm sweat rates (ventilated capsule) were measured at two skin sites that were transdermally administered via iontophoresis with either 1% propranolol (Propranolol, a nonselective β-adrenergic receptor antagonist) or saline (Control). The sweat rate was evaluated as a function of both relative (percentage of maximum workload) and absolute exercise intensities. The sweat rate at the Propranolol site was lower than the control during exercise at 80 (0.57 ± 0.21 and 0.45 ± 0.19 mg·cm -2 ·min -1 for Control and Propranolol, respectively) and 90% (0.74 ± 0.22 and 0.65 ± 0.17 mg·cm -2 ·min -1 , respectively) of maximum workload in trained males (all P < 0.05). By contrast, no between-site differences in sweat rates were observed in untrained counterparts (all P > 0.05). At the same absolute intensity, higher sweat rates on the control site were observed in trained males relative to the untrained during exercise at 160 (0.23 ± 0.20 and 0.04 ± 0.05 mg·cm -2 ·min -1 for trained and untrained, respectively) and 180 W (0.40 ± 0.20 and 0.13 ± 0.13 mg·cm -2 ·min -1 , respectively) (all P < 0.05), whereas this between-group difference was not observed at the Propranolol site (all P > 0.05). We show that the β-adrenergic mechanism does modulate sweating during exercise at a submaximal high relative intensity in habitually trained males. The β-adrenergic mechanism may in part contribute to the greater sweat production in habitually trained males than in untrained counterparts during exercise. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrated for the first time that the β-adrenergic mechanism does modulate sweating (i.e., β-adrenergic sweating) during exercise using a localized �

Moral Education, Habituation, and Divine Assistance in View of Ghazali

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Attaran, Mohammad

2015-01-01

This article describes the concept of moral education and its foundation according to Abu Hamid Ghazali as one of the most influential scholars in the world of Islam. Ghazali equates moral education with habituation. Causality holds a prominent place in philosophical foundations of his theory of moral education. Even though Ghazali recommends…

Prospective Quality of Life in Men Choosing Active Surveillance Compared to Those Biopsied but not Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer.

PubMed

Pham, Khanh N; Cullen, Jennifer; Hurwitz, Lauren M; Wolff, Erika M; Levie, Katherine E; Odem-Davis, Katherine; Banerji, John S; Rosner, Inger L; Brand, Timothy C; L'Esperance, James O; Sterbis, Joseph R; Porter, Christopher R

2016-08-01

Active surveillance is an important alternative to definitive therapy for men with low risk prostate cancer. However, the impact of active surveillance on health related quality of life compared to that in men without cancer remains unknown. In this study we evaluated health related quality of life outcomes in men on active surveillance compared to men followed after negative prostate needle biopsy. A prospective study was conducted on men who were enrolled into the Center for Prostate Disease Research Multicenter National Database and underwent prostate needle biopsy for suspicion of prostate cancer between 2007 and 2014. Health related quality of life was assessed at biopsy (baseline) and annually for up to 3 years using SF-36 and EPIC questionnaires. Health related quality of life scores were modeled using generalized estimating equations, adjusting for baseline health related quality of life, and demographic and clinical characteristics. Of the 1,204 men who met the initial eligibility criteria 420 had a negative prostate needle biopsy (noncancer comparison group). Among the 411 men diagnosed with low risk prostate cancer 89 were on active surveillance. Longitudinal analysis revealed that for most health related quality of life subscales there were no significant differences between the groups in adjusted health related quality of life score trends over time. In this study most health related quality of life outcomes in patients with low risk prostate cancer on active surveillance did not differ significantly from those of men without prostate cancer. A comparison group of men with a similar risk of prostate cancer detection is critical to clarify the psychological and physical impact of active surveillance. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Physical activity and lung cancer risk in men and women.

PubMed

Ho, Vikki; Parent, Marie-Elise; Pintos, Javier; Abrahamowicz, Michal; Danieli, Coraline; Richardson, Lesley; Bourbonnais, Robert; Gauvin, Lise; Siemiatycki, Jack; Koushik, Anita

2017-04-01

Although evidence has accumulated that recreational physical activities (PA) may reduce lung cancer risk, there is little evidence concerning the possible role of a potentially more important source of PA, namely occupational PA. We investigated both recreational and lifetime occupational PA in relation to lung cancer risk in a population-based case-control study in Montreal, Canada (N CASES  = 727; N CONTROLS  = 1,351). Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR), separately for men and women, adjusting for smoking, exposure to occupational carcinogens, and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. In both sexes, increasing recreational PA was associated with a lower lung cancer risk (OR MEN  = 0.66, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47-0.92; OR WOMEN  = 0.55, 95% CI 0.34-0.88, comparing the highest versus lowest tertiles). For occupational PA, no association was observed among women, while increasing occupational PA was associated with increased risk among men (OR MEN  = 1.96, 95% CI 1.27-3.01). ORs were not modified by occupational lung carcinogen exposure, body mass index, and smoking level; results were similar across lung cancer histological types. Our results support the previous findings for recreational PA and lung cancer risk. Unexpectedly, our findings suggest a positive association for occupational PA; this requires replication and more detailed investigation.

Skin temperature, thermal comfort, sweating, clothing and activity of men sledging in Antarctica

PubMed Central

Budd, G. M.

1966-01-01

1. Three men were studied while dog-sledging 320 km in 12 days in Antarctica. Conventional Antarctic clothing (`sweaters and windproofs') was worn. Four hundred observations were made of medial thigh skin temperature, thermal comfort, sweating, clothing, activity and environmental conditions. 2. Work occupied an average of 11·0 hr/day and sleep 7·5 hr. Estimated daily energy expenditure averaged 5100 kcal (range 2740-6660 kcal). 3. Skin temperature fell on exposure to cold despite the clothing worn, but was not changed by the level of activity. Sweating, and thermal comfort, were directly related to both skin temperature and activity. 4. Inside the tent, the modal value of skin temperature was 33° C (range 27-36° C) and the men were comfortable in 94% of observations. 5. During the 9·2 hr/day spent outdoors the modal value of skin temperature was 27° C (range 18-33° C) and the men felt too cold (but did not shiver) in 11% (range 7-20%) of observations, suggesting that cold stress was not negligible. However, they also felt too hot in 20% of observations and were sweating in 23%. PMID:5914254

A framework for targeting household energy savings through habitual behavioural change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pothitou, Mary; Kolios, Athanasios J.; Varga, Liz; Gu, Sai

2016-08-01

This paper reviews existing up-to-date literature related to individual household energy consumption. The how and why individual behaviour affects energy use are discussed, together with the principles and perspectives which have so far been considered in order to explain the habitual consuming behaviour. The research gaps, which are revealed from previous studies in terms of the limitations or assumptions on the methodology to alter individuals' energy usage, give insights for a conceptual framework to define a comprehensive approach. The proposed framework suggests that the individual energy perception gaps are affected by psychological, habitual, structural and cultural variables in a wider-contextual, meso-societal and micro-individual spectrum. All these factors need to be considered in order for a variety of combined intervention methods, which are discussed and recommended, to introduce a more effective shift in the conventional energy-consuming behaviour, advancing insights for successful energy policies.

Are temporomandibular disorders associated with habitual sleeping body posture or nasal septal deviation?

PubMed

Yalçınkaya, Esin; Cingi, Cemal; Bayar Muluk, Nuray; Ulusoy, Seçkin; Hanci, Deniz

2016-01-01

Numerous factors can be considered for the etiology of temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the presence of both nasal septal deviation (NSD) and habitual prone sleeping posture (HPSP) predisposes TMD. We evaluated 200 subjects in 4 groups. Group I (NSD-, HPSP-/control group), Group II (NSD+, HPSP-), Group III (NSD-, HPSP+), Group IV (NSD+, HPSP+). All patients were examined according to the research diagnostic criteria to determine the presence of TMD. Group IV had the highest value for TMD incidence (44 %). Thus, we found that the presence of both NSD and HPSP parameters increased TMD incidence in Group IV compared to the control group (p = 0.000). Additionally, Group IV showed significantly higher values than Group II (p = 0.012) and Group III (p = 0.039). For Group III (NSD-, HPSP+), TMD was determined higher compared to the control group (p = 0.009). A statistically higher value of presence of TMD was determined in Group II (NSD+, HPSP-) than control group (p = 0.029). The incidence of TMD was significantly higher in women than men (p = 0.020). We concluded that one having an unilateral obstructive nasal septal deviation in addition to a habit of sleeping in prone position must be alert for potential TMD.

Community environments shaping transactional sex among sexually active men in Malawi, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

PubMed

Stephenson, Rob; Winter, Amy; Elfstrom, Miriam

2013-01-01

Transactional sex, or the exchange of sex for material goods or money, is a risky sexual behavior that has been linked to HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence. Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, transactional sex remains a common practice, putting men and women at risk of HIV. However, little is known of how community environments shape men's participation in risky transactional sex. This analysis examines community-level influences on participation in risky transactional sex among sexually active men in three African countries (Malawi, Tanzania, and Nigeria). The analysis uses Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data to examine the association between men's report of risky transactional sex and community characteristics including economic, gender norms, HIV behavior and knowledge, and demographic factors. The results show that men residing in communities with more female education and later age of first birth are less likely to report risky transactional sex, while men who live in communities where men report higher number of sexual partners are more likely to report risky transactional sex. While programmatic interventions should continue to improve women's status individually and relative to men, such efforts should be extended to recognize that many community and cultural influences also affect men's sexual behavior. Programs that understand, discuss, and challenge community factors that influence men's sexual behavior may be able to provide a more effective intervention resulting in opportunities for communities to initiate behavioral change.

The moderating impact of lifestyle factors on sex steroids, sexual activities and aging in Asian men.

PubMed

Goh, Victor H H; Tong, Terry Y Y

2011-07-01