Common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) hens kept in different housing systems during laying period were exposed to a tonic immobility test. At the end of the laying period, the shortest duration of the tonic immobility, and thus the lowest fear level, was found in birds kept in enriched cages, i.e. cages equipped with 2 perches and a hiding place. The duration of the tonic immobility in hens kep...

The association between immobility with prolonged sitting and venous thromboembolism has been recognised for > 60 yrs, most recently with long distance air travel. The case of a 32-yr-old male, in whom immobility associated with sitting for long periods at a computer represented the major provoking risk factor for his life-threatening venous thromboembolism, is presented. The authors propose th...

Psychological stress causes disease exacerbation and relapses in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients. Since studies on stress processing during visceral inflammation are lacking, we investigated the effects of experimental colitis as well as psychological stress on neurochemical and neuroendocrine changes as well as behaviour in mice. Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and water...

In the present study, the effects of different doses of nicotine on immobility time in mice were tested. Intraperitioneal administration of low doses of nicotine (0.025 mg/kg) decreased, but higher doses (0.8 and 1 mg/kg) increased immobility time. The anti-immobility response induced by low doses of nicotine was inhibited by high doses of the D2 receptor antagonist sulpiride, the central nicot...

The tail suspension test (TST) is widely recognized as a useful experimental paradigm for assessing antidepressant activity and depression-like behavior. We have previously identified ubiquitin-specific peptidase 46 (Usp46) as a quantitative trait gene responsible for decreasing immobility time in the TST in mice. This Usp46 mutation has a 3-bp deletion coding for lysine in the open reading fra...

BACKGROUND Unilateral vocal fold immobility is the neurological disorder most frequently seen in the larynx that may cause swallowing dysfunction. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the oral and pharyngeal phases of swallowing in patients with unilateral vocal fold immobility. METHODS It was evaluated by videofluoroscopy of the swallowing of 14 patients with unilateral vocal ...

Stress affects learning and memory processes and sensitivity to stress greatly varies between individuals. We studied behavioral and neurobiological effects of unpredictable subchronic stress (USCS) in two behavioral extremes of mice from the same strain (CF1) selected by their exploratory behavior of the central arena of an open field. The top and bottom 25% explorers were classified as low ex...

Vasopressin V(1b) receptor is specifically expressed in the pituitary and mediates adrenocorticotropin release, thereby regulating stress responses via its corticotropin releasing factor-like action. In the present study we examined catecholamine release in response to two types of stress in mice lacking the V(1b) receptor gene (V(1b)R(-/-) mice) vs. wild-type mice. There were no significant di...

This poetic critical autoethnography paper studies my own experiences of disrupted mobility as a Vietnamese doctoral student in New Zealand who was stuck Vietnam. Through the lens space and place, I investigate issues sense belonging place that were reconfigured different spaces. The article highlights agency to reinforce reconnect with belonging. As focuses on immobility, it challenges bias in...

High concentrations of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) nerve fibers are present in the central nucleus of amygdala (CeA), a brain region implicated in the control of fear-related behavior. This study evaluated PACAPergic modulation of fear responses at the CeA in male Sprague-Dawley rats. PACAP (50-100 pmol) microinfusion via intra-CeA cannulae produced increases in i...