Use of Prednisolone, CBD and Behavior Modification as a Treatment for Atopic Dermatitis in a Canine: A Case Report

In this patient, the stereotypical behavior was treated with CBD. Factors that contribute to stereotypic behavior are frustration and conflict. It is likely that the behavior began due to lack of care and unsatisfied motor drive. To date, potential efficacy has been reported in human dermatology; however, there have been no reports of CBD being used to treat CAD in dogs. These results highlight the importance of careful medical evaluations and treatment of a primary illness even when behavioral issues are prominent, as well as the potential use of CBD to treat stereotypical behaviors.

Do Gut Microbiota Correlate with Stereotypic Behavior? First Answers from Malayan Sun Bears and Insights into Ex-situ Conservation

Gut microbiota affect host health and behavior throughout life but their relationship in endangered animals is poorly understood. Malayan sun bears are protected as an endangered wild species. Abnormal behavior such as stereotypies can be used as welfare indicators of animals in zoos. In this study, the abundance and diversity of fecal microbiota from six Malayan sun bears in Tianjin Zoo were assessed using 16S rRNA Illumina technology, and stereotypies were analyzed to identify behavioral patterns in the bears, separated into two age groups. Stereotypic behavior did not differ significantly between bears of different ages, but bacterial diversity in bears from the elderly group was significantly higher than that of the adult group. The gut microbiota of Malayan sun bears was dominated by Firmicutes (54.70%), Proteobacteria (41.90%), and Fusobacteria (1.80%). Findings from this study facilitate understanding of the relationship between gut microbiota and behavioral patterns, which could benefit the welfare of animals in captivity.

Parent-reported measure of repetitive behavior in Phelan-McDermid syndrome

Background Phelan McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a neurogenetic condition associated with a high prevalence of intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study provides a more comprehensive and quantitative profile of repetitive behaviors within the context of ID seen with the condition. Methods Individuals age 3–21 years with a confirmed PMS diagnosis participated in a multicenter observational study evaluating the phenotype and natural history of the disorder. We evaluated data collected from this study pertaining to repetitive behaviors from the Repetitive Behavior Scales-Revised (RBS-R). Results There were n = 90 participants who were part of this analysis. Forty-seven percent (n = 42/90) were female, and the average age at baseline evaluation was 8.88 ± 4.72 years. The mean best estimate IQ of the cohort was 26.08 ± 17.67 (range = 3.4–88), with n = 8 with mild ID (or no ID), n = 20 with moderate ID, and n = 62 with severe-profound ID. The RBS-R total overall score was 16.46 ± 13.9 (compared to 33.14 ± 20.60 reported in previous studies of ASD) (Lam and Aman, 2007), and the total number of items endorsed was 10.40 ± 6.81 (range = 0–29). After statistical correction for multiple comparisons, IQ correlated with the RBS-R stereotypic behavior subscale score (rs = − 0.33, unadjusted p = 0.0014, adjusted p = 0.01) and RBS-R stereotypic behavior total number of endorsed items (rs = − 0.32, unadjusted p = 0.0019, adjusted p = 0.01). IQ did not correlate with any other RBS-R subscale scores. Conclusions The RBS-R total overall score in a PMS cohort appears milder compared to individuals with ASD characterized in previous studies. Stereotypic behavior in PMS may reflect cognitive functioning.

Evaluation of Anti-Psychotic potential of Phytocompound rich Fractions of Methanolic extract of Lagenaria siceraria (Bottle Gourd) fruits in Murine Models of Schizophrenia

Context: Psychosis is a mental disorder, which is characterized as the reducing association with certainty and conviction. Around 1-2% of the world's population suffers from psychosis. The people affected by psychosis have hallucinations, delusions, forgetfulness, abolition, and anhedonia. Currently existing most of the anti- psychotic medications express the adverse drug reactions. Thus for the management of psychosis, satisfactory and adequate remedies are not available. Lagenaria siceraria (Molina) Standley (LS) (Cucurbitaceae) fruits, popularly known as “bottle gourd” (English) and “Lauki” (Hindi), exhibit numerous intrinsic therapeutic properties and actions. However limited scientific investigations have been performed to determine the neuroprotective potential of LS fruits. With this background, the present study was intended to investigate LS fruits for the assessment of anti-psychotic activity. Aims and Objectives: The rationale of this study was to evaluate the anti-psychotic activity of the phytocompound rich fractions of the methanolic extract of LS i.e., chloroform fraction of the methanolic extract (CFME), and acetone fraction of the methanolic extract (AFME) by using experimental models of cataleptic and stereotypic behavior in Swiss Albino mice. Materials and Methods: Haloperidol-induced catalepsy and apomorphine-induced stereotypy were the experimental screening tests performed for the assessment of anti-psychotic activity of the phytocompound rich fractions of methanolic extract of LS fruits at the doses of 100, 200, and 400mg/kg, p.o. in mice. Results: CFME and AFME, 100-400 mg/kg, significantly reduced cataleptic score and stereotypic behavior in mice, in dose-dependent manner. At doses of 200 and 400mg/ kg, AFME (P<0.001) exhibited more significant effect than CFME. In addition CFME and AFME did not generate motor dysfunction in mice. Preliminary phytochemical screening on CFME revealed the presence of saponins, phytosterols, and terpenoids, while phytochemical investigations on AFME indicated the presence of saponins, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and tannins. This was the first scientific report, which indicates that the LS fruits exhibit anti-psychotic action, confirming the folklore claims. Future investigations and studies should emphasize separation, characterization, and identification of the bioactive phytoconstituents and also on evaluating the precise mechanism involved in the anti-psychotic activity of both the fractions.

502 Late-Breaking: Tongue Rolling Behavior in a Large U.S. Dairy Herd

Stereotypic behavior is repetitive, invariant behavior with no obvious goal or function and may indicate negative welfare. Non-nutritive oral behaviors are the most common form of stereotypic behavior in captive ungulates and these include tongue rolling where the cow’s tongue is extended, moving inside and outside of the mouth while the cow is not eating. We assessed the prevalence of tongue rolling in a large commercial dairy herd located in the United States by video recording cattle (n = 10,000) during three consecutive milkings on two rotary milking parlors. Associations between tongue rolling behavior, breed, age, days in milk, pregnancy status and milk production were assessed. In total, 29% percent (2,931) of cows were observed tongue rolling on the rotary parlor during at least one milking; 6% (613) were observed tongue rolling during two milkings; and 1.6% (164) were observed tongue rolling during all three sampling periods. Breed was the only variable associated with tongue rolling in the rotary parlor with nearly twice the proportion of Jersey (33%) vs Jersey X Holstein (17%) exhibiting tongue rolling behavior (P &lt; 0.0001). The higher incidence of tongue rolling among Jersey vs Jersey X Holstein cattle within a shared environment suggests a strong genetic component that warrants further investigation. Validated sampling strategies for assessing tongue rolling in dairy cattle are needed.

Relationships between animal management and habitat characteristics with two potential indicators of welfare for bottlenose dolphins under professional care

Accredited zoos and aquariums continually strive to ensure high levels of animal welfare for the animals under their professional care. Best management practices include conducting research to better understand factors that lead to optimal welfare and then turning findings into practice. The current study is part of the larger Cetacean Welfare Study or more formally, “Towards understanding the welfare of cetaceans in zoos and aquariums.” Facilities participating in the study were accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and/or the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Animal management factors and habitat characteristics were examined in relation to two potential indicators of welfare for common (Tursiops truncatus) and Indo-Pacific (Tursiops aduncus) bottlenose dolphins. Specifically, we examined environmental enrichment, animal training, and habitat characteristics that were significantly related to behavioral diversity and route tracing, a form of stereotypic behavior. Behavior was recorded from 47 animals at 25 facilities around the world. Overall, the rate of route tracing behavior observed during the study was very low and few animal management factors or habitat characteristics were found to be related to this behavior. One factor, enrichment diversity, had a significant positive relationship with route tracing and an inverse relationship with behavioral diversity. This finding may be a product of a response mounted by animal care specialists to the behavior as opposed to a cause. Animals that engaged in this behavior were likely provided more diverse enrichment in attempts to ameliorate the stereotypic behavior. However, multiple factors were found to significantly relate to behavioral diversity, a potential positive indicator of welfare for bottlenose dolphins. Dolphins that were trained on a predictable schedule had higher behavioral diversity than those on a semi-predictable schedule. There was a positive significant relationship between behavioral diversity and the number of habitats to which an animal had access, and a significant inverse relationship with the maximum depth of the habitat. Finally, animals that were split into groups and reunited or rotated between subgroups had higher behavioral diversity than animals managed in the same group. Information gained from the current study suggested that animal management techniques may be more important in ensuring good welfare for bottlenose dolphins than focusing on habitat size.

Environmental enrichment delays the development of stereotypic behavior and reduces variability in behavioral experiments using California mice (Peromyscus californicus)

Domesticated mice and rats have shown to be powerful model systems for biomedical research, but there are cases in which the biology of species is a poor match for the hypotheses under study. The California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) has unique physiological and behavioral traits and has emerged as a powerful model for studying sex differences in the biology of psychiatric disease, which is particularly relevant considering the new NIH guidelines that require the inclusion of sex as a biological variable. Despite its growing role in preclinical research, there is a lack of studies assessing species-specific housing needs, which presents a challenge for research facilities seeking to ensure good welfare and obtaining high-quality experimental data. Indeed, captive California mice present a high prevalence of stereotypic backflipping behavior, a common consequence of suboptimal housing and a potential source of experimental outcome variability. Using three different cage systems, the present studies show that increasing housing space as well as social and environmental complexity can delay the development of stereotypic behavior in male and female California mice. Critically, this reduction in stereotypy is accompanied by increased effect sizes of stress in an established model for social anxiety. These results suggest that increased cage size and enrichment could enhance welfare in California mice while simultaneously increasing the quality of behavioral experiments.

Study of sensory processing deficits in autism spectrum disorder symptom triad: an Egyptian sample

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. In DSM-IV, the diagnostic criteria of autism consisted of three domains: impairment in social interaction, communication deficits, and stereotypic behavior, while in DSM-5 they were condensed into two domains: social communication deficits and restricted patterns of behavior to which sensory processing deficits (SPD) were added, manifested by hypo- or hyper-reactivity to sensory stimuli or uncommon interests in sensory aspects of the surrounding environment. The purpose of this study is to determine the relation between SPD and the symptom triad in ASD namely social interaction, communication deficits, and stereotypic behavior. To our knowledge, this issue was not studied before in Egyptian literature. Results There was a significant negative correlation between SPD (assessed by short sensory profile: SSP) and symptom triad in ASD. As regards social interaction, the ADI-R (A), there was significant negative correlation with the SSP total scores and all subscales except for low energy/weak and visual/auditory sensitivity, whereas under-responsive/seeks sensation held the highest negative correlation (p ˂ 0.008). As regards communication deficits, the ADI-R (B), there was significant negative correlation with the SSP total scores and the auditory filtering held the highest negative correlation (p ˂ 0.008), and as regards stereotypic behavior, the ADI-R (C), there was significant negative correlation with the SSP total scores and all subscales except for low energy/weak and visual/auditory sensitivity whereas taste/smell sensitivity and auditory filtering held the highest negative correlation (p ˂ 0.001). There was a high significant negative correlation between the severity of autistic symptoms (assessed by CARS) and the SSP total scores, and for all subscales (p ˂ 0.001) except for low energy/weak, the correlation was significant (not highly significant) (p ˂ 0.05). Finally, there was high percentage of parental consanguinity among the participants (80%). Conclusions SPD negatively affected the ASD symptom triad which highlights the importance of sensory integration therapy (SIT) as a major core of ASD treatment alongside the other treatment modalities. Early ASD screening is mandatory in families with parental consanguinity.