Despite the wide occurrence of ritual behavior in humans and animals, much of its causal underpinnings, as well as evolutionary functions, remain unknown. A prominent line of research focuses on ritualization as a response to anxiogenic stimuli. By manipulating anxiety levels, and subsequently assessing their motor behavior dynamics, our recent study investigated this causal link in a controlle...

The aim of this study was to investigate whether conditional inactivation of the glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in noradrenergic neurons affects animal behavior in mice. Selective ablation of GRs in the noradrenergic system was achieved using the Cre/loxP approach. We crossed transgenic mice expressing the Cre recombinase under the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) promoter with animals harboring...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine if audio distraction could decrease patient anxiety, pain and disruptive behavior during pediatric dental procedures. METHODS Forty-five children between the ages of 4 to 6 years had two visits each involving restorative dentistry with local anesthesia in a mandibular quadrant. Visit #1 was a baseline session for all patients. During visit #2...

Oxytetracycline (OTC) is one of the broad-spectrum antibiotics widely used for treatment fish-farm infection. Considering that behavior directly related to reproduction, individual fitness, and survival, it important evaluate impact on behavioral repertoire in fish. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) presents a well-described reliably demonstrate complex responses chemical compound exposure. This work aim...

The transition to parenthood is generally associated with a reduction in anxiety or anxiety-like behavior across a wide range of species. In some species, juveniles provide supplementary parental care for younger siblings, a behavior known as alloparenting. Although the fitness consequences of alloparenting behavior have been a focus of evolutionary research, less is known about how alloparenti...

Long-term depressive behavior was modeled via immunization of white rats with isatin (an endogenous MAO inhibitor) covalently bound to a carrier antigen. The immunization of rats against isatin and several exogenous MAO inhibitors (pargyline and deprenyl) resulted in long-term (2 months) depressive-like behavior with elements of anxiety and an increased activity of MAO in the brain. In contrast...