|
| Interdisciplinary Research: Biomedical and Behavioral Experimentation |
| Monday, May 29, 2006 |
| 3:00 PM–4:20 PM |
| Montreal |
| Area: EAB; Domain: Basic Research |
| Chair: Diana M. Delgado (University of Nevada, Reno) |
| Discussant: JiYeon Yoo (Center for Autism and Related Disorders) |
| Abstract: Biomedical and behavioral sciences are increasingly engaging in collaborative efforts to study the specific environmental conditions under which behavior occurs, and the ways in which genetic mutations or neuro-chemical changes relate to observed behavioral outcomes. From two different levels of analysis, the laws and principles pertaining to each scientific enterprise contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of behavioral and biological phenomena. New avenues for exploration and experimentation in behavior analysis are opened as a result of these interdisciplinary efforts. |
| |
| Pavlovian Conditioning Endotoxin Tolerance in Mice. |
| YUKIKO WASHIO (University of Nevada, Reno), Linda J. Parrott Hayes (University of Nevada, Reno), Kenneth W. Hunter (University of Nevada, Reno) |
| Abstract: Endotoxin is a biological molecule produced by Gram-negative bacteria (e.g., Escherichia coli) that causes an often fatal syndrome known as septic shock. Endotoxin induces the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-?), a cytokine that actually mediates the physiological changes seen in this syndrome. As a defense against overproduction of TNF-?, repeated exposure to endotoxin results in the inhibition of TNF-? release, a phenomenon known as endotoxin tolerance. A method of mimicking endotoxin tolerance could represent a therapeutic approach to this clinical problem. Oberbeck et al. (2003) showed that endotoxin tolerance in rats was subject to elicitation by saccharin when this stimulus was paired with endotoxin in a Pavolvian conditioning arrangement. The present study is a systematic replication of the Oberbeck et al. study with mice. Complete endotoxin tolerance was observed in the conditioning groups, with minimal to no tolerance observed in several different control groups. |
| |
| The Utility of Murine Models in the Understanding of Autism. |
| DIANA M. DELGADO (University of Nevada, Reno), Linda J. Parrott Hayes (University of Nevada, Reno), Kenneth W. Hunter (University of Nevada, Reno) |
| Abstract: Murine models of psychopathological conditions have proved successful both in biology and the behavioral sciences. In the biological realm, they have contributed to the study of genetic and physiological correlates of neurodegenerative diseases. In psychology, some attempts have been made to model disorders such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and more recently, autism. Although the validity of these studies has been a subject of debate, it is our view that when interpreted with caution these studies may contribute to the exploration of new hypothesis about complex psychological phenomena. Similarities between the behaviors of genetically manipulated mice and certain characteristics of autistic behavior suggest that investigations of autism by way of murine models have been successful in this regard. We argue that a better integrated and more complete understanding of this disorder will be achieved through collaborative efforts between geneticists and behaviorists than by either of these disciplines in isolation. |
| |
| BLANK |
| MAJDA M. SEUSS (ABAI) |
| Abstract: BLANK |
|
| |