Behavioral Testing of Mice Concerning Anxiety and Depression

2015 ◽  
Vol 223 (3) ◽  
pp. 151-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Schweinfurth ◽  
Undine E. Lang
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Sickness Behavior ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Housing Conditions ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Behavioral Testing ◽  
New Developments ◽  
Animal Trials ◽  
Resilience Factors

Abstract. In the development of new psychiatric drugs and the exploration of their efficacy, behavioral testing in mice has always shown to be an inevitable procedure. By studying the behavior of mice, diverse pathophysiological processes leading to depression, anxiety, and sickness behavior have been revealed. Moreover, laboratory research in animals increased at least the knowledge about the involvement of a multitude of genes in anxiety and depression. However, multiple new possibilities to study human behavior have been developed recently and improved and enable a direct acquisition of human epigenetic, imaging, and neurotransmission data on psychiatric pathologies. In human beings, the high influence of environmental and resilience factors gained scientific importance during the last years as the search for key genes in the development of affective and anxiety disorders has not been successful. However, environmental influences in human beings themselves might be better understood and controllable than in mice, where environmental influences might be as complex and subtle. The increasing possibilities in clinical research and the knowledge about the complexity of environmental influences and interferences in animal trials, which had been underestimated yet, question more and more to what extent findings from laboratory animal research translate to human conditions. However, new developments in behavioral testing of mice involve the animals’ welfare and show that housing conditions of laboratory mice can be markedly improved without affecting the standardization of results.

scholarly journals The Consequential Increase of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse During Covid- Its Causes and Implications

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-3
Author(s):  
Oyindrila Basu ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Social Behavior ◽  
World Order ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Human Consumption ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Online Sales ◽  
Alcohol And Drugs ◽  
Economic Strategies

Covid-19 is not just a virus which is risking human lives everyday, but it is a phenomenon which has inflicted major changes on the long-term global survival and economic strategies. The pandemic has brought about major diversions in the world order, which philosophers and scientists have predicted to occur once in a century’s time. Covid-19 has also affected the personal health, physical and psychological of all human beings. It has forced people to change their social behaviors significantly, which has had consequential effect on their mental health. One significant result of the pandemic is the increased consumption of alcohol and other psychoactive substances among people. As people are forced to lock themselves up inside their homes, some have resorted to exercising, biking, running, and meditation to maintain sanity, while others have boosted their addictive behavior by consuming more alcohol and drugs to make staying-indoors more entertaining. Nielsen has reported a 54% rise in the national consumption of alcohol on the week of March 21st 2020, as compared to the same in 2019. The online sales of alcohol have also risen enormously from 2019 to 2020. The study aims to address the problem of increased alcoholism and substance abuse during Covid-19 by understanding the causes of this rise. The method is based on analysis and comparison of available survey reports, to find out exactly what amount of human consumption has increased during the pandemic. From the findings we can conclude that alcoholism and substance abuse has risen significantly during Covid-19, and psychological distress, anxiety and depression can be some major causes for this abnormal social behavior. It can also be implied that this increased alcoholism is likely to affect the physical health, neural and social behavior, and the work life of many human beings through the pandemic.

scholarly journals FAKTOR-FAKTOR PENYEBAB TINDAK PIDANA KEKERASAN SEKSUAL TERHADAP ANAK

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ida Bagus Subrahmaniam Saitya
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Violence Against Children ◽  
The Gift ◽  
Victims Of Crime

<p>Law No. 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection, affirms that children are a mandate as well as the gift of God the Almighty, which we must always guard because in them the dignity, dignity and rights as human beings must be upheld. Children who are victims of crime are weak people who often cannot protect and help themselves because of their situation and conditions. Crime of sexual violence against children is a crime that uses violence or threats of violence<br />against children so that the child can be controlled for sexual relations. Internal factors causing criminal acts of sexual violence such as the proximity of the perpetrator to the victim, the role of the perpetrator, and the position of the victim. External factors that cause sexual violence crimes, namely environmental influences, such as being far from the crowd, lonely, or closed places that allow perpetrators to commit sexual violence.</p>

Developmental changes in genetic and environmental influences on Chinese child and adolescent anxiety and depression

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1829-1838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Zheng ◽  
F. Rijsdijk ◽  
J.-B. Pingault ◽  
R. J. McMahon ◽  
J. B. Unger
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Child And Adolescent ◽  
Developmental Changes ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Late Childhood ◽  
Adolescent Anxiety

BackgroundTwin and family studies using Western samples have established that child and adolescent anxiety and depression are under substantial genetic, modest shared environmental, and substantial non-shared environmental influences. Generalizability of these findings to non-Western societies remains largely unknown, particularly regarding the changes of genetic and environmental influences with age. The current study examined changes in genetic and environmental influences on self-reported anxiety and depression from late childhood to mid-adolescence among a Chinese twin sample. Sex differences were also examined.MethodSelf-reported anxiety and depression were collected from 712 10- to 12-year-old Chinese twins (mean = 10.88 years, 49% males) and again 3 years later. Quantitative genetic modeling was used to examine developmental changes in genetic and environmental influences on anxiety and depression, and sex differences.ResultsHeritability of anxiety and depression in late childhood (23 and 20%) decreased to negligible in mid-adolescence, while shared environmental influences increased (20 and 27% to 57 and 60%). Shared environmental factors explained most of the continuity of anxiety and depression (75 and 77%). Non-shared environmental factors were largely time-specific. No sex differences were observed.ConclusionsShared environmental influences might be more pronounced during the transition period of adolescence in non-Western societies such as China. Future research should examine similarities and differences in the genetic and environmental etiologies of child and adolescent internalizing and other psychopathology in development between Western and non-Western societies.

scholarly journals Ethical and Scientific Pitfalls Concerning Laboratory Research with Non-Human Primates, and Possible Solutions

Animals ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constança Carvalho ◽  
Augusta Gaspar ◽  
Andrew Knight ◽  
Luís Vicente
Keyword(s):  
Laboratory Animal ◽  
Ethics Committees ◽  
Research Community ◽  
The Other ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Ethical Frameworks ◽  
Moral Duties ◽  
The One

Basic and applied laboratory research, whenever intrusive or invasive, presents substantial ethical challenges for ethical committees, be it with human beings or with non-human animals. In this paper we discuss the use of non-human primates (NHPs), mostly as animal models, in laboratory based research. We examine the two ethical frameworks that support current legislation and guidelines: deontology and utilitarianism. While human based research is regulated under deontological principles, guidelines for laboratory animal research rely on utilitarianism. We argue that the utilitarian framework is inadequate for this purpose: on the one hand, it is almost impossible to accurately predict the benefits of a study for all potential stakeholders; and on the other hand, harm inflicted on NHPs (and other animals) used in laboratory research is extensive despite the increasing efforts of ethics committees and the research community to address this. Although deontology and utilitarianism are both valid ethical frameworks, we advocate that a deontological approach is more suitable, since we arguably have moral duties to NHPs. We provide suggestions on how to ensure that research currently conducted in laboratory settings shifts towards approaches that abide by deontological principles. We assert that this would not impede reasonable scientific research.

scholarly journals So Many Faces, Phases, and Facets, Sickness Behavior Beyond Disciplines

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Pieter Konsman
Keyword(s):  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Sickness Behavior ◽  
Illness Behavior ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Sickness Behaviors

Animals, including human beings, modify their behavior when they fall sick. Interestingly, sociology, biology, and psychology have at different times in their history developed constructs of illness or sickness behavior. The aims of the present paper are to consider sickness behavior in animals and humans and to evaluate to what extent the notions of sickness behavior would allow for interdisciplinary research. After distinguishing disease, illness, and sickness, the case will be made that illness behavior and sickness behavior can be considered heuristically as synonyms given the existence of some fluidity between the notion of illness and sickness. Based on this, different faces, phases, and facets of sickness behavior will be presented before addressing the question of how integration of constructs of sickness behaviors would be possible across biology, medicine, psychology, and sociology. It is concluded that interdisciplinary research on sickness behavior between biology, psychology, and sociology is possible and called for with regard to constructs, methods, and explanations, while keeping in mind differences in perspectives, for example between acute and chronic sickness behavior.

Raising the Emotional Well-Being of Students With Anxiety and Depression

2020 ◽  
pp. 435-458
Author(s):  
Diana Joyce-Beaulieu ◽  
Brian Zaboski
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Functional Impairments ◽  
School Based ◽  
Assessment And Treatment ◽  
Resilience Factors ◽  
Evidenced Based

Thousands of students in the United States suffer from anxiety and depressive disorders, many of which may be ameliorated with early intervention and evidenced-based treatment. At the same time, complete student wellness requires a consideration of both pathology and well-being. Using a dual-factor model, this chapter reviews the symptoms, resilience factors, and functional impairments associated with anxiety and depression. Recommendations for early identification, assessment, and treatment—including psychoeducation, mindfulness, and behavioral techniques—are discussed within a multitiered system of supports. Special consideration is provided to address suicide prevention and intervention. Practical recommendations and techniques for school-based practitioners are offered, in addition to assessment measures and technology resources.

scholarly journals A developmental twin study of symptoms of anxiety and depression: evidence for genetic innovation and attenuation

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 1567-1575 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. Kendler ◽  
C. O. Gardner ◽  
P. Lichtenstein
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Genetic Risk ◽  
Depressive Disorders ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Genetic Risk Factors ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Males And Females

BackgroundLittle is known about the pattern of genetic and environmental influences on symptoms of anxiety and depression (SxAnxDep) from childhood to early adulthood.MethodParental- and self-reported levels of SxAnxDep were assessed at ages 8–9, 13–14, 16–17 and 19–20 years in 2508 twins from the Swedish Twin Study of Child and Adolescent Development (TCHAD). Analysis conducted using the Mx program included SxAnxDep by parental and self-report.ResultsThe best-fit model revealed one genetic risk factor for SxAnxDep acting at ages 8–9, 13–14, 16–17 and 19–20, and new sets of genetic risk factors ‘coming on line’ in early adolescence, late adolescence and early adulthood. Together, these genetic factors were very strong influences on the levels of SxAnxDep reported in common by parents and twins with heritability estimates, correcting for rater- and time-specific effects, ranging from 72% to 89%. The first genetic factor, which accounted for 72% of the variance in SxAnxDep at ages 8–9, attenuated sharply in influence, accounting for only 12% of the variance by ages 19–20. No evidence was found for shared environmental influences. Although not statistically significant, the correlation between genetic risk factors for SxAnxDep in males and females declined with advancing age.ConclusionsGenetic effects on SxAnxDep are developmentally dynamic from middle childhood to young adulthood, demonstrating both genetic innovation and genetic attenuation. The attenuation might explain the low levels of continuity observed for anxiety and depressive disorders from childhood to adulthood. Differences in genetic risk factors for SxAnxDep in males and females may increase during development.

Migration and speciation of heavy metal in salinized mine tailings affected by iron mining

2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (7) ◽  
pp. 1867-1874 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Zhang ◽  
Huanhuan Yang ◽  
Zhaojie Cui
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Heavy Metal ◽  
Mine Tailings ◽  
Metal Speciation ◽  
Transformation Process ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Field Investigations ◽  
Close Relationship

The negative effects of heavy metals have aroused much attention due to their high toxicity to human beings. Migration and transformation trend of heavy metals have a close relationship with soil safety. Researching on migration and transformation of heavy metals in tailings can provide a reliable basis for pollution management and ecosystem restoration. Heavy metal speciation plays an important role in risk assessment. We chose Anshan tailings for our study, including field investigations and laboratory research. Four typical heavy metal elements of mine tailings {Fe (373.89 g/kg), Mn (2,303.80 mg/kg), Pb (40.99 mg/kg) and Cr (199.92 mg/kg)} were studied via Tessier test in vertical and horizontal direction. The main speciation of heavy metals in Anshan tailings was the residual. However, heavy metals have a strong ability for migration and transformation in vertical and horizontal directions. Its tendency to change from stable to unstable speciation results in increasing bioavailability and potential bioavailability. Fe, Mn, Pb and Cr showed different ability in the migration and transformation process (Mn &gt; Pb &gt; Fe &gt; Cr) depending on the characteristics of heavy metals and physicochemical properties of the environment.

Information-Processing Biases in Children and Adolescents:An Introduction to the Special Issue

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-170
Author(s):  
Jamie A. Micco
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Emotional Stimuli ◽  
New Developments ◽  
The Past ◽  
Innovative Methods ◽  
Information Processing Biases ◽  
Interpretation Biases ◽  
Specific Factors

This special issue focuses on new developments in research on information-processing biases in children and adolescents. Prior research suggests that attention and interpretation biases in response to emotional stimuli may be associated with the etiology and maintenance of anxiety and depression in youth. Although our understanding of youth biases has burgeoned over the past decade, questions remain regarding mixed findings across studies, heterogeneity of biases across individuals, specific factors that contribute to and maintain biases, and how best to maximize the efficacy of interventions designed to modify biases. Through the use of innovative methods and technology, the articles in this special issue illustrate progress being made toward filling these gaps in our knowledge and showcase some of the exciting new developments in this area of research.

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