<div><div><div><p>Although marijuana and alcohol are two of the most commonly used drugs in the United States, relatively little is understood about how these drugs interact to effect drug use, cognitive behaviors, and neurophysiological changes. Specific drug use patterns such as simultaneous use may produce differential effects for consumption and other behaviors in addition to unique neurobiological changes compared to singular drug use. In order to better understand the effects of simultaneous alcohol and marijuana (SAM) use, we used the selectively bred crossed High Alcohol Preferring mice to examine consummatory, cognitive, and neurobiological changes following chronic alcohol and THC self-administration. We hypothesized that SAM mice would consume more drug than animals exposed to either substance alone. We used an operant behavioral flexibility paradigm to assess cognitive impairments believing that drug-exposed animals would show deficits relative to Control animals, with SAM mice being the most impaired of all drug conditions. Finally, we assessed CB1 receptor changes in the dorsal striatum, as this region is critical for behavioral flexibility (Bissonette & Powell, 2012; Ragozzino, 2007), CB1 receptors are the primary target of THC and these receptors are involved in numerous alcohol related behaviors (Maldonado et al., 2006; Pava & Woodward, 2012). Contrary to our hypothesis, SAM animals did not consume higher levels of drug compared to mice exposed to only THC or alcohol. Interestingly, female THC consumption was robust when THC was consumed alone but was reduced when simultaneous access to alcohol was available. Surprisingly, although we speculated that drug- exposed mice would be impaired compared to Control animals, and that SAM animals would likely be more compromised than THC and alcohol for Reversal Learning and Attentional Set-Shifting respectively, behavioral flexibility deficits were absent in our paradigm. Finally, alterations to dorsal striatal CB1 receptor expression were observed following a Short Abstinence period. Despite an absence of cognitive behavioral effects, this research contributes to furthering our understanding of co-drug use for consummatory and neurobiological changes, both of which are critically necessary given the evolving landscape surrounding simultaneous alcohol and recreational marijuana use.</p></div></div></div>

Spatial navigation, cognitive coordination and behavioral flexibility belong amongst cognitive functions, which play a role in many neuropsychiatric disorders. Behavioral tasks have proved to be useful paradigms to test these functions in pharmacological or genetic animal models. First aim was to determine a potential interaction between β-adrenergic and α1-adrenergic or D2-dopaminergic systems. Spatial navigation and coordination were impaired in both studies during co-aplication of subthreshold doses of drugs. Used substances belong to group of widely prescribed drugs, thus our results could be implicated in clinical practice. Another study examined an acute effect of MK-801 (animal model of schizophrenia) on behavioral flexibility in Carousel maze and the Morris water maze (MWM). Carousel maze showed higher sensitivity with impairments from 0.08 mg.kg-1 compared to 0.10 mg.kg- 1 in MWM. The final experiment aimed at testing the effect of reduced expression of Nogo-A protein on spatial navigation and behavioral flexibility of rats. A battery of tests in the Carousel maze revealed impairment in cognitive functions, MWM showed unaffected working memory of rats. Our results support the hypothesis linking Nogo-A knock-down rats with neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive disorders. Key words:...

Spatial navigation, cognitive coordination and behavioral flexibility belong amongst cognitive functions, which play a role in many neuropsychiatric disorders. Behavioral tasks have proved to be useful paradigms to test these functions in pharmacological or genetic animal models. First aim was to determine a potential interaction between β-adrenergic and α1-adrenergic or D2-dopaminergic systems. Spatial navigation and coordination were impaired in both studies during co-aplication of subthreshold doses of drugs. Used substances belong to group of widely prescribed drugs, thus our results could be implicated in clinical practice. Another study examined an acute effect of MK-801 (animal model of schizophrenia) on behavioral flexibility in Carousel maze and the Morris water maze (MWM). Carousel maze showed higher sensitivity with impairments from 0.08 mg.kg-1 compared to 0.10 mg.kg- 1 in MWM. The final experiment aimed at testing the effect of reduced expression of Nogo-A protein on spatial navigation and behavioral flexibility of rats. A battery of tests in the Carousel maze revealed impairment in cognitive functions, MWM showed unaffected working memory of rats. Our results support the hypothesis linking Nogo-A knock-down rats with neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive disorders. Key words:...

Submitted by PPG Zoologia (zoologia-pg@pucrs.br) on 2018-08-09T17:51:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??o_Back JP_ BIBLIOTECA.pdf: 2736712 bytes, checksum: 8f93cc30646dcf08fd4928d544049a22 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Sheila Dias (sheila.dias@pucrs.br) on 2018-08-13T11:58:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??o_Back JP_ BIBLIOTECA.pdf: 2736712 bytes, checksum: 8f93cc30646dcf08fd4928d544049a22 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-13T12:23:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??o_Back JP_ BIBLIOTECA.pdf: 2736712 bytes, checksum: 8f93cc30646dcf08fd4928d544049a22 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-23 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / Research on the influence of food supplementation on primate behavior has focused on terrestrial and semiterrestrial species. Its effects on highly arboreal primates are poorly known. We assessed whether and how food supplementation affects the feeding behavior and activity budget of two howler monkey groups (JA and RO) inhabiting periurban forest fragments in southern Brazil. The behavior of the three adult members of each group were observed via focal-animal method for six to eight full days (dawn to dusk) per month from March to August 2017 (916 h of observation). The feeding events of the focal-individual of the day were recorded using the ?all occurrences? method. The activity budget of the adults of both groups, considering a full day (24 h), was dominated by resting (84%-89%), followed by feeding (9%-5%), moving (6%-4%) and social behavior (both 1%). The supplementation was unevenly distributed during the day and accounted for 6% of all feeding events in both groups. JA always received fruit in a platform, whereas RO had access to fruits and processed foods on roofs and directly from humans. The mean (? sd) ingested biomass of wild foods by each adult howler (g/day) was ca. 300% higher than the ingested biomass of supplemented foods (JA: 406 ? 176 vs 116 ? 97; RO: 364 ? 229 vs 113 ? 108). However, the ingestion rate (g/min) of supplemented foods was >300% higher than that of wild foods (JA: 17 ? 20 vs 4 ? 4; RO: 20 ? 29 vs 6 ? 8). The supplementation reduced the ingestion of wild fruits, but not the consumption of leaves. The ingested biomass of supplemented foods was a good predictor of moving time in RO and social interactions in JA. In sum, food supplementation partially changed the selection of wild foods by howlers and increased their frequency of affiliative behaviors. / Estudos sobre a influ?ncia da suplementa??o alimentar no comportamento de primatas t?m enfocado em esp?cies terrestres e semiterrestres. Seus efeitos em primatas altamente arbor?colas s?o pouco conhecidos. Investigamos se e como a utiliza??o de alimentos suplementados afeta o comportamento alimentar e o tempo investido nas atividades di?rias de dois grupos de bugios-ruivos (JA e RO) habitantes de fragmentos florestais periurbanos no sul do Brasil. Os tr?s indiv?duos adultos de cada grupo foram observados pelo m?todo animal-focal durante seis a oito dias completos (amanhecer ao p?r-do-sol) por m?s de mar?o a agosto de 2017 (916 h de observa??o). Os eventos de alimenta??o do indiv?duo-focal foram registrados pelo m?todo de ?todas as ocorr?ncias?. O or?amento de atividades dos bugios, considerando um dia completo (24 h), foi dominado pelo descanso (84%-89%), seguido pela alimenta??o (9%-5%), locomo??o (6%-4%) e comportamentos sociais (ambos 1%). A suplementa??o n?o foi oferecida uniformemente ao longo do dia e representou 6% dos eventos de alimenta??o de ambos os grupos. JA foi sempre suplementado em uma plataforma com frutos, enquanto RO recebeu frutos e alimentos processados sobre telhados e diretamente pelos humanos. A biomassa m?dia (? dp) de alimento silvestre ingerida por cada adulto (g/dia) foi ca. 300% maior do que a biomassa ingerida de alimentos suplementados (JA: 406 ? 176 vs 116 ? 97; RO: 364 ? 229 vs 113 ? 108). Por?m, a taxa de ingest?o (g/min) foi >300% maior para os alimentos suplementados (JA: 17 ? 20 vs 4 ? 4; RO: 20 ? 29 vs 6 ? 8). A suplementa??o alimentar reduziu a ingest?o de frutos silvestres, mas n?o a ingest?o de folhas. A biomassa suplementada ingerida foi uma boa preditora do tempo investido em locomo??o por RO e em intera??o social por JA. Em suma, a suplementa??o alimentar alterou o forrageio dos bugios e aumentou a frequ?ncia de intera??es afiliativas.

Self-concept structure has been extensively studied in the literature especially with regard to its relationship with psychological adjustment. However, the behavioral outcomes of the cognitive structure of the self and the mechanisms through which the relationship between self-concept structure and psychological adjsutment operate are still to be maintained. This study offered that the two dimensions of self-concept structure, differention and integration, would be related to the two dimensions of behavioral flexibility: Behavioral repertoire and deliberate adjustment of behaviors. iv Differentiation, tapping behavioral repertoire, was assumed to determine whether a person is flexible or rigid, while integration tapping deliberate adjustment were supposed to determine the quality of flexibility (i.e., whether the repertoire is controlled by the individual or by situational factors). By crossing these two dimensions, a model with four behavioral patterns was proposed: (1) Functional flexibility, characterized by both high integration and high differentiation / (2) situational flexibility, characterized by high differentiation but low integration / (3) stereotypical rigidity, characterized by low differentiation but high integration, and (4) effacing rigidity, which is low on both dimensions. Three studies were conducted on university students (N = 163, N = 123 and N = 242 for the three studies respectively) in order to test this model. Results revealed that the behavioral repertoire dimension of behavioral flexibility was linked to selfconcept differentiation, whereas the deliberate adjustment dimension was related to selfconcept integration. Functional flexibility and effacing rigidity patterns were clearly specified by measures of psychological adjustment, locus of control, need for cognition, need for approval and Big Five dimensions. Stereotypical rigidity and situational flexibilty patterns, however, seemed to require more elaboration. The model offering that flexibility mediates the link between self-concept structure and self-esteem was not supported.

Behavioral adaptation to a continuously changing environment is critical for the survival of the animals, but also day-to-day interactions in the human world. The main components maintaining flexibility in cognition and behavior are well-established and depend mostly on proper intercommunication within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum. Some parts of the PFC are densely innervated by the ventral hippocampus (vHPC), which has a great impact on its functioning. Also, hippocampal-prefrontal circuit dysfunction has been shown to disrupt the integrity of flexible cognition in some neuropsychiatric diseases. Therefore, the exact functional role of this pathway is an indispensable part of the research. The aim of this study was to test the role of the vHPC and the medial PFC (mPFC) in an active place avoidance task on a rotating arena in 1) two flexibility task variants - reversal learning and set- shifting - and 2) the spatial memory retrieval. We inactivated these structures by muscimol (GABAA receptor agonist) in a variety of unilateral, bilateral, and combined local injections. Disrupted performance was apparent in reversal learning in vHPC-inactivated rats. No effect was seen in mPFC-inactivated rats. Impairments after the task acquisition were observed in bilateral vHPC and mPFC inactivations...