BACKGROUND Peripheral innate immune response may induce sickness behavior through activating microglia, excessive cytokines production, and neuroinflammation. Dexmedetomidine (Dex) has anti-inflammatory effect. We investigated the effects of Dex on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced neuroinflammation and sickness behavior in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS BALB/c mice were intraperitoneally (i.p.) ...

Bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS) evokes in rodents an adaptive sickness behavior. It also produces changes in stress hormones secretion and activity of brain serotonergic and noradrenergic systems that have been implicated in stress responses, fear, and anxiety. Acoustic startle reflex (ASR) is regarded as a protective behavioral response that is enhanced in threatening situations ...

Caenorhabditis elegans exhibits spontaneous motility in isotropic environments, characterized by periods of forward movements punctuated at random by turning movements. Here, we study the statistics of turning movements-deep Omega-shaped bends-exhibited by swimming worms. We show that the durations of intervals between successive Omega-turns are uncorrelated with one another and are effectively...

Neuroimmune factors contribute on the pathogenesis of sickness behaviors. Nigella sativa (NS) has anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety and anti-depressive effects. In the present study, the effect of NS hydro-alcoholic extract on sickness behavior induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was investigated. The rats were divided into five groups (n=10 in each): (1) control (saline), (2) LPS (1 mg/kg, admin...

BACKGROUND In the health and care sector, sickness absence and sickness presenteeism are frequent phenomena and constitute a field in need of exploration. Attitudes towards sickness absence involve also attitudes towards sickness presenteeism, i.e. going to work while sick, confirmed by previous studies. Sickness behavior, reflecting attitudes on work absence, could differ between countries and...

The objective of the study is to observe the anti-motion sickness effect of volatile oil extract of Pinelia ternata in rats, compare the strength of anti-motion sickness action between the Pinelia ternata volatile oil extract and the dimenhydrinate, and analyze the constituents in volatile oil of Pinelia ternata. Rats with frequency is 0.05Hz, the peak speed of 240°/s rotated to stimulate, evok...

During the last decade several empirical studies have stressed the importance of norms and social interactions for explaining sickness absence behavior. In this context public discussions about the intentions of the insurance, and of the rights and duties of the receivers, may be important for reducing the sickness absence. In this paper we study whether information meetings about the Swedish s...