Environmental enrichment attenuates nicotine behavioral sensitization in male and female rats.

Environmental enrichment decreases nicotine reactivity in male rats, but these effects have not been examined in females. This research was conducted to examine the effects of enrichment on nicotine behavioral sensitization (i.e.

Psychological adjustment in children and families living with HIV.

Objective: To assess psychological adjustment in children living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and their primary caregivers.

Methods: The study protocol included use of standardized questionnaires to assess emotional and behavioral health of 57 children and 54 caregivers (Phase 1). Positive screening led to standardized interviews to assess current psychiatric diagnoses (Phase 2).

Effects of social and physical enrichment on open field activity differ in male and female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Environmental enrichment affects performance of neurologically intact organisms and facilitates recovery of function following CNS injury. Only, a few recent studies have examined the extent to which physical versus social aspects of enriched environments separately contribute to superior performance [Pietropaolo S, Branchi I, Cirulli F, Chiarotti F, Aloe L, Alleva E. Long-term effects of the periadolescent environment on exploratory activity and aggressive behavior in mice: social vs.

Adolescent and adult female rats differ in sensitivity to nicotine's activity effects.

More than 90% of cigarette smokers begin smoking during adolescence. This between-subjects repeated-measures experiment examined: (1) nicotine's acute effects on activity in adolescent and adult female Sprague-Dawley rats (Drug Phase I); (2) the effects of age of initial nicotine exposure on activity when nicotine was not administered (Interim Phase); and (3) the effects of age of initial nicotine exposure on later responses to nicotine (Drug Phase II). The experiment consisted of three separate phases.

Effects of nicotine on elevated plus maze and locomotor activity in male and female adolescent and adult rats.

Over 4500 adolescents start smoking every day in the United States. Of these, one-third will die prematurely from smoking-related diseases. The current experiment examined the effects of repeated-acute nicotine administration (saline, 0.

Effects of nicotine on heart dimensions and blood volume in male and female rats.

The adverse effects of tobacco smoking on the cardiovascular system are well established. Effects of nicotine on the heart, in contrast, are not well characterized. Understanding specific effects of nicotine on the heart and on blood volume is relevant to (a) elucidating the mechanisms by which nicotine may contribute to heart disease and (b) determining potential risks associated with nicotine products used in smoking cessation or to treat various medical conditions.

Adolescent and adult male rats differ in sensitivity to nicotine's activity effects.

More than 90% of cigarette smokers begin smoking during adolescence, suggesting that adolescents may be particularly vulnerable to nicotine's effects. This experiment examined: (1) nicotine's acute effects on locomotion in adolescent and adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (Drug Phase I); (2) the effects of age of initial nicotine exposure on locomotion when nicotine was not administered (Interim Phase); and (3) the effects of age of initial nicotine exposure on later responses to nicotine (Drug Phase II). In Drug Phase I, animals were administered 0, 0.

Repeated acute stress alters heart morphometry in male and female rats differently.

Stress exerts deleterious effects on the cardiovascular system. Left ventricular hypertrophy has been identified as a risk factor for heart disease. The effects of stress on other heart parameters, including heart size and heart shape, are not well-characterized.