Influence Of Early Experience Research Articles

Enriching early adult environment affects the copulation behaviour of a tephritid fly

Early adult experiences in enriched environments favours animal brain and behavioural development ultimately resulting in an increased fitness. However, measuring the effect of environmental enrichment in animal behaviour in nature is often a complicated task, considering the complexity of the natural environment. We expanded previous studies to evaluate how early experience in an enriched environment affects copulation behaviour when animals are confronted with a complex semi-natural environment. Anastrepha ludens flies are an ideal model system for studying these effects because their natural habitats differ significantly from the cage environments in which these flies are reared for biological control purposes. For example, in the field, males form leks of up to six individuals. Each male defends a territory represented by a tree leaf whereas in rearing cages, territories are completely reduced because of the high population density. In a series of three experiments, we observed that male density represented the most influential stimulus for A. ludens male copulation success. Males that experienced lower densities in early adulthood obtained the highest proportion of copulations. By contrast, female copulation behaviour was not altered by female density. However, exposure to natural or artificial leaves in cages in which flies were kept until tested influenced female copulation behaviour. Females that were exposed to enriched environments exhibited a shorter latency to mate and shorter copulation durations with males than females reared in poor environments. We discuss the influence of early experience on male copulation success and female-mating choosiness.

A Shout Out to Immature Synapses. Focus on “Different Roles for AMPA and NMDA Receptors in Transmission at the Immature Retinogeniculate Synapse”

A major topic of investigation in the field of developmental neuroscience is to understand how newly formed excitatory synapses receive and transmit information. It is now widely accepted that neural activity plays an important role in a number of developmental processes, including the refinement and establishment of orderly connections (Grubb and Thompson 2004). However, it remains unclear how many immature excitatory synapses (i.e., ones that utilize glutamate as a neurotransmitter) participate in the relay of activity. Contributing to this problem is the finding that immature glutamatergic synapses are comprised largely of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and lack AMPA receptors that mediate fast excitatory transmission. Such synapses are said to be “silent,” incapable of causing postsynaptic action potentials from resting levels because in addition to glutamate, the NMDA receptor requires membrane depolarization to relieve a voltage-dependent Mg 2 block. How then do silent synapses “speak” loudly enough to cause postsynaptic firing and thereby successfully relay information? In a recent article, Liu and Chen (2008) provide some answers to this question. They examine the synaptic responses and intrinsic properties of developing neurons by making use of an in vitro thalamic slice preparation that maintains the excitatory synaptic connections between retinal ganglion cells and relay cells of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). In an elegant series of whole cell recording experiments, they show how a constellation of properties, including ligand-gated channel kinetics, receptor subunit composition, extended presence of neurotransmitter

Effects of early experience on group behaviour in fish

Animals that undergo a habitat shift face a number of challenges as they move between habitats; for example, they may encounter new predator species and may be vulnerable as they adapt to their new surroundings. An ability to adapt quickly to the new environment is likely to influence post-transition survival, and an understanding of the development of this ability is important in species that we rear for conservation and reintroduction programmes. Juvenile cod, Gadus morhua, undergo a habitat shift during their development, and they are also a species where reintroduction work has been tried. Here, we describe an experiment that investigated the effects that rearing environment has on cod shoaling behaviour. Cod were tested just after they had undergone the transition from a pelagic to a more benthic existence. We found that cod reared in either an enriched or in a plain, standard hatchery environment differed in terms of their shoaling responses; the shoaling tendency of fish reared in enriched tanks varied between testing environments, but fish reared in plain environments responded in the same way across the testing conditions. We discuss the influence of early experience on the development of appropriate behavioural responses and the importance of this for captive-reared species that are released into the wild.

The influence of early experience on, and inheritance of, cerebral lateralization

Cerebral lateralization refers to the lateralized partitioning of cognitive function in either hemisphere of the brain. Using a standard detour test, we investigated lateralized behaviour in wild-caught, female poeciliid fish, Brachyraphis (=Brachyrhaphis) episcopi, from high- and low-predation areas. Wild fish were bred and their offspring reared under controlled laboratory conditions. These laboratory-reared fish were screened in the same laterality assays as their parents. We observed differences between wild-caught females and their laboratory-reared female offspring in the pattern of lateralization (tendency to use one hemisphere over the other to process information). Conversely, the strength of lateralization (consistency of hemispherical bias) was largely conserved between generations, consistent with it being a heritable character. Both wild-caught females from high-predation sites and their laboratory-reared offspring showed stronger lateralized behaviour than their counterparts from low-predation sites. This difference in strength of lateralization is likely to provide fitness benefits to fish that occur in high-predation areas by enabling them to school and watch for predators simultaneously (dual processing). We hypothesized that the differences in the pattern of lateralization observed between species, and populations within species, are due to the manner in which they perceive and classify stimuli in the world around them. In particular, the perceived emotive content or context of a scene is likely to vary between individuals that have had different life experiences.

Freud's Influence Has Waned But Many Ideas Hold Sway

Freud's Influence Has Waned But Many Ideas Hold Sway

Early experience and domestication affect auditory discrimination learning, open field behaviour and brain size in wild Mongolian gerbils and domesticated Laboratory gerbils ( Meriones unguiculatus forma domestica)

The influence of early experience and strain differences on auditory discrimination learning, open field behaviour and brain size was investigated in wild-type Mongolian gerbils (strain Ugoe:MU95) raised in the wild (wild F-0) or in the laboratory (wild F-1) and in domesticated Laboratory Gerbils (LAB). Adult males were conditioned for 10 days in a shuttle box go/no-go paradigm to discriminate two frequency-modulated tones. Significant learning was established within 5 days in wild F-0 and within 3 days in wild F-1 and LAB. Spontaneous jumps in the shuttle box (inter-trial crossings) were frequently seen in wild F-0 and F-1, but rarely in LAB. All groups exhibited nearly the same ability to remember after 2 weeks without training. In the open field test applied on 5 consecutive days, no differences in locomotion patterns and inner field preferences were found. Rearing frequency decreased over 5 days in wild gerbils. Running distances (4–6 m/min) were similar in wild F-0 and LAB, but higher in wild F-1. The ratio of brain size to body weight did not differ between wild F-0 and F-1, but was 17.1% lower in LAB. Correspondingly high brain weights in wild F-1 and F-0 support our domestication hypothesis and negate any serious effect of early experience or captivity on brain size in Mongolian gerbils. In contrast, wild F-1 raised in the laboratory show a rapid improvement in learning performance, indicating that early experience rather that genetic differences between strains affect shuttle box discrimination learning in gerbils.

Mother's Childrearing History and Current Parenting: Patterns of Association and the Moderating Role of Current Life Stress

This study examined the association between positive and negative aspects of childrearing history and current parenting and the moderating effect of current stress. Seventy mother–child dyads participated in this study. Mothers provided retrospective reports of childrearing histories and current reports of life stress. Parenting was assessed via maternal self-report and observation. There was modest support for a direct association between positive childrearing experiences and more positive current parenting. Stress moderated the associations between both positive and negative childrearing experiences and current parenting: Stress exacerbated the negative effects of high-conflict histories whereas positive histories protected against the effects of current stress. This study highlights the importance of studying the influence of early experience on parenting within the context of current life stress.

Developmental determinants of sensitivity and resistance to stress

The purpose of this paper is two fold. First, to revisit the issue of the definition of stress and to highlight the difficulties with the contemporary definitions and, second, to review the literature on the influence of early experiences on the endocrine stress responses and behavior in rodents, sub-human primates and humans. Early experiences, usually involving some manipulation that results in disruption of the mother-infant relationship, have been shown to have long-term influences on the behavioral and endocrine responses to stress. In the rodent, brief periods of separation result in an attenuated adrenal response to stress (reduced secretion of corticosterone). In contrast, longer periods of separation result in an exaggerated response and several behavioral anomalies i.e. increased alcohol consumption, increased startle response etc. However, the effects of disruptions of the mother-infant relationships in primates reveal a pattern of behavioral disturbance but little influence on the endocrine response. Brief maternal separations result in a blunted cortisol response in juvenile squirrel monkeys. The long-term effects of early experiences in humans are very difficult to interpret. It is not possible to determine the length and severity of the experiences, and when in development the experiences were imposed on the child. Despite these limitations, there is a general consensus that adverse early experiences contribute to adult psychopathology.

The development of feather pecking in Burmese red junglefowl: the influence of early experience with exploratory-rich environments

This study examines the development of feather pecking and its relationship to exploration in Burmese red junglefowl ( Gallus gallus spadiceus). Ten groups of four chicks each were raised from hatching on wire mesh floors (home pen). Two of the four chicks in each group received experience in exploratory-rich environments four times a week for 5 weeks, and the other two chicks remained in the home pen. Observations conducted in the home pen revealed that chicks deprived of experience in exploratory-rich environments performed significantly more gentle feather pecking, and tended to show more severe feather pecking than the experienced birds. Experience in the exploratory-rich environments did not affect the frequency of environmental pecking or food pecking. These results suggest that chicks deprived of exploratory-rich environments may come to perceive pen mates as appropriate exploratory stimuli and subsequently direct exploratory behavior toward conspecifics. This tendency to peck pen mates may lead to the development of feather pecking. We suggest that forceful pecks may be reinforcing, and that the more likely pecks are directed to a conspecific, the more likely feather pecking will develop.

Viewing Family Relations Througha Linguistic Lens: Symbolic Aspectsof Language Maintenance inImmigrant Families

Immigration often involves language shifts, and dilemmas bearing on language maintenance. This article discusses some of the psychological implications of mother tongue maintenance and of complete language shift, especially in the communication between parents and children. The article suggests a novel perspective on language maintenance in immigrant families by drawing on attachment theory and discussing various aspects of language maintenance in relation to intimate family experiences. This qualitative study focused on the parents' perspective on various issues related to their mother tongue and the influence of early experiences on their current language behavior with their children. Interviews were conducted with seven immigrant families living in Sydney, Australia. Central themes that emerged from their narratives, related to language and family relations in the past and at present, are analyzed and discussed in light of psychological motives and emotional aspects related to language maintenance patterns in these families.

From Childhood to the Later Years: Pathways of Human Development

Are family experiences early in life related to patterns of adjustment and functioning in later life? This study builds on past research with the decades-spanning Terman sample of talented children to explore this basic question. Multinomial logistic models identified three family experiences in childhood and adolescence—socio-economic status of the family of origin, early parental divorce, parent-child attachment—that predicted membership in holistic profiles of aging in the later years, as generated by cluster analysis of five social psychological factors. These associations from early to later life reflected both mediational pathways (adult experiences and current circumstances explained the observed influence of early experiences) and supplemental pathways (the significance of experiences in each stage were independent of each other).

The long-term psychobiological consequences of intermittent postnatal separation in the squirrel monkey

Long-term effects of early experiences have been well documented in rodents, non-human primates and humans. The influence of early experiences on the regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal has demonstrated that this biological system is highly plastic and is permanently modified by early experiences. The effects of brief periods of maternal separation in rodents tend to result in a reduction of the stress response, whereas longer periods of maternal separation produce an animal that is hyperresponsive. The effect of disruptions of mother–infant interactions on the HPA axis in non-human primates has not been clearly established. However, the primate research has primarily focused on more permanent separation paradigms and thus it is difficult to compare the rodent studies with those conducted in primates. The present study attempted to use a separation procedure in monkeys that more closely resembled the rodent model. Intermittent separation during infancy followed by reunion with the mother were shown to lead to a significant reduction in both the cortisol response and the response of the noradrenergic system following social isolation in juvenile squirrel monkeys at 2 and 3 years of age. The behavioral response (vocalizations) was also reduced.

Correlates of retrospective early life experience with personality in young Japanese women.

To examine the influence of early experiences on the development of personality. We used the Temperament and Character Inventory to assess 98 young women who had first entered a company. Different early experiences were linked, albeit weakly, to test scores. Both partial correlations and multiple regression analyses indicated that Self-directedness was higher if women reported more care of parents. Partial correlation, but not multiple regression analyses, showed that Cooperativeness was greater if women reported more care of parents and less frequent abuse. Reports of early parental loss or negative or positive early life events showed no correlation with scores on any of the Temperament and Character Inventory subscales.

Commentary: Assessing the Risks Presented by Parents

The model outlined in the paper by Partridge, Casswell and Richardson is an interesting one. Its strengths are particularly the multidisciplinary nature of the assessment and its extension over a period of time, allowing for the assessment to be also a therapeutic process. It stands in contrast to many single-handed expert assessments carried out as a cross sectional view of the family at one particular point. The decision not to meet with the children is understandable on the basis that the children may well have been seen by other professionals. However, since parenting is a dyadic interaction it can only be observed by meeting with both parents and children together. The notion of risk and assessment of risk is broader than the risk posed by an adult or parent to a generic child. Beyond a capacity to injure and physically or sexually abuse, risk extends to emotional abuse or injury and emotional neglect, insensitivity or inability to meet the child's developmental needs. An assessment of these capacities is best related to the needs of particular children and includes issues of attachment. These can only be assessed by meeting with the children and/or the children and parents together. The addition to the team of an adult psychiatrist with a particular interest in personality and the influence of early experiences on adult functioning has been found to be of great value. An alternative model is the multi-family intensive assessment process, during which several families attend together for a short period of time and during which intra-family interactions as well as group processes are observed.

Commentary: Assessing the Risks Presented by Parents

The model outlined in the paper by Partridge, Casswell and Richardson is an interesting one. Its strengths are particularly the multidisciplinary nature of the assessment and its extension over a period of time, allowing for the assessment to be also a therapeutic process. It stands in contrast to many single-handed expert assessments carried out as a cross sectional view of the family at one particular point.The decision not to meet with the children is understandable on the basis that the children may well have been seen by other professionals. However, since parenting is a dyadic interaction it can only be observed by meeting with both parents and children together. The notion of risk and assessment of risk is broader than the risk posed by an adult or parent to a generic child. Beyond a capacity to injure and physically or sexually abuse, risk extends to emotional abuse or injury and emotional neglect, insensitivity or inability to meet the child's developmental needs. An assessment of these capacities is best related to the needs of particular children and includes issues of attachment. These can only be assessed by meeting with the children and/or the children and parents together.The addition to the team of an adult psychiatrist with a particular interest in personality and the influence of early experiences on adult functioning has been found to be of great value.An alternative model is the multi-family intensive assessment process, during which several families attend together for a short period of time and during which intra-family interactions as well as group processes are observed.

The Effects of Early Work Experience on Young Women's Labor Force Attachment

In this article, we examine women’s labor force experience during the early life course in order to assess the conditions conducive to the establishment of stable labor force careers. To represent the complexity of women’s work trajectories during young adulthood, we develop a conceptual framework that depicts a broad range of work activity profiles. Empirical results obtained using the NLSY show that three aspects of early experience influence mature women’s labor force attachment, namely the amount of experience accumulated; the timing of work experience; and the volatility of that experience. Above and beyond these experience measures, we also find that background factors influence adult women’s attachment to the market. The conclusion discusses the policy implications of these results.

3417 Flexible gastrointestinal endoscopes of lasting use. how long should an instrument be used?

GI flexible endoscopes are middle term reusable instruments. Despite this statement there is little information on the number of procedures that can be performed with one endoscope. Aim of the study To know the durability of flexible instruments used in GI endoscopy. Material and Methods The total number of procedures performed in a university referral hospital GI Endoscopy Unit from 1972 to 1998 was related to the total number of flexible endoscopes used (Olympus). Replacement was made when the cumulated cost of repair was two-fold the cost of replacement. The analyzed activity included the in/outpatient diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and teaching. Gastroenterologists devoted to GI endoscopy performed 95% of procedures. The rest were emergency procedures(GI-ICU). The total number of the procedures was related to the total number of scopes bought in the period analyzed. The analysis was also performed considering fiveyear periods, with the first five-year period being omitted to avoid the influence of early experience. Electronic scopes were used in the last fiveyear period and their durability was compared to that of the fiberoptic scope periods. (Results table) There were no significant differences in flexible scope duration comparing the periods using fiberscopes and the period using videoscopes. Comments This study provides valuable information for endoscope management in hospital GI endoscopy units but also for private practice, in which the equipment probably lasts longer due to greater care in cleaning and handling, and fewer operators having access to the instruments. Conclusions 1 GI flexible scopes are middle term reusable sets, the duration of which may be related to the number of procedures performed. 2 Endoscopes used for upper GI explorations last twice as long as those used for colonoscopy and three-fold longer than duodenoscopes. 3 Although videoendoscopes seem to provide a greater number of procedures, the difference is not significant when compared to fiberoptic instruments. GI flexible endoscopes are middle term reusable instruments. Despite this statement there is little information on the number of procedures that can be performed with one endoscope. Aim of the study To know the durability of flexible instruments used in GI endoscopy. Material and Methods The total number of procedures performed in a university referral hospital GI Endoscopy Unit from 1972 to 1998 was related to the total number of flexible endoscopes used (Olympus). Replacement was made when the cumulated cost of repair was two-fold the cost of replacement. The analyzed activity included the in/outpatient diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and teaching. Gastroenterologists devoted to GI endoscopy performed 95% of procedures. The rest were emergency procedures(GI-ICU). The total number of the procedures was related to the total number of scopes bought in the period analyzed. The analysis was also performed considering fiveyear periods, with the first five-year period being omitted to avoid the influence of early experience. Electronic scopes were used in the last fiveyear period and their durability was compared to that of the fiberoptic scope periods. (Results table) There were no significant differences in flexible scope duration comparing the periods using fiberscopes and the period using videoscopes. Comments This study provides valuable information for endoscope management in hospital GI endoscopy units but also for private practice, in which the equipment probably lasts longer due to greater care in cleaning and handling, and fewer operators having access to the instruments. Conclusions 1 GI flexible scopes are middle term reusable sets, the duration of which may be related to the number of procedures performed. 2 Endoscopes used for upper GI explorations last twice as long as those used for colonoscopy and three-fold longer than duodenoscopes. 3 Although videoendoscopes seem to provide a greater number of procedures, the difference is not significant when compared to fiberoptic instruments.

Allostasis and Allostatic Load: Implications for Neuropsychopharmacology

The primary hormonal mediators of the stress response, glucocorticoids and catecholamines, have both protective and damaging effects on the body. In the short run, they are essential for adaptation, maintenance of homeostasis, and survival (allostasis). Yet, over longer time intervals, they exact a cost (allostatic load) that can accelerate disease processes. The concepts of allostasis and allostatic load center around the brain as interpreter and responder to environmental challenges and as a target of those challenges. In anxiety disorders, depressive illness, hostile and aggressive states, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), allostatic load takes the form of chemical imbalances as well as perturbations in the diurnal rhythm, and, in some cases, atrophy of brain structures. In addition, growing evidence indicates that depressive illness and hostility are both associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other systemic disorders. A major risk factor for these conditions is early childhood experiences of abuse and neglect that increase allostatic load later in life and lead individuals into social isolation, hostility, depression, and conditions like extreme obesity and CVD. Animal models support the notion of lifelong influences of early experience on stress hormone reactivity. Whereas, depression and childhood abuse and neglect tend to be more prevalent in individuals at the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder, cardiovascular and other diseases follow a gradient across the full range of socioeconomic status (SES). An SES gradient is also evident for measures of allostatic load. Wide-ranging SES gradients have also been described for substance abuse and affective and anxiety disorders as a function of education. These aspects are discussed as important, emerging public health issues where the brain plays a key role.

Early Social Environment and the Fighting Behaviour of Young Oreochromis Niloticus (Pisces, Cichlidae)

[This study examines the influence of early experience with different forms of aggressive behaviour on the fighting behaviour of young fish. Fry of the cichlid fish, Oreochromis niloticus, were raised from hatching in small groups consisting of a normal individual (the test fish) and either mutant conspecifics lacking the dorsal fin and thereby the ability to perform fin displays, or normal ones. Following a 63-day period of development in groups the test fish were confronted in their home tanks with an unfamiliar normal fish for 10 min. The fighting behaviour of the test fish was analyzed considering their previous group type (mutant or normal) and rank (α: or β). There was no difference between test fish in the rate and sequence of behaviour patterns used in fighting. However, test fish that had developed in mutant groups were rarely the first to bite in contests and had a longer latency to biting following the first bite of the stimulus fish than test fish with normal experience. This finding is attributable to the form of aggressive behaviour experienced by the test fish during development but not to existing differences in the amount of aggression previously experienced, nor to previous rank, sex, or size relative to the stimulus fish. The results suggest that early experience influenced decision making by the test fish during the fight. The involvement of the fin displays and the possible mechanism of this influence are discussed., This study examines the influence of early experience with different forms of aggressive behaviour on the fighting behaviour of young fish. Fry of the cichlid fish, Oreochromis niloticus, were raised from hatching in small groups consisting of a normal individual (the test fish) and either mutant conspecifics lacking the dorsal fin and thereby the ability to perform fin displays, or normal ones. Following a 63-day period of development in groups the test fish were confronted in their home tanks with an unfamiliar normal fish for 10 min. The fighting behaviour of the test fish was analyzed considering their previous group type (mutant or normal) and rank (α: or β). There was no difference between test fish in the rate and sequence of behaviour patterns used in fighting. However, test fish that had developed in mutant groups were rarely the first to bite in contests and had a longer latency to biting following the first bite of the stimulus fish than test fish with normal experience. This finding is attributable to the form of aggressive behaviour experienced by the test fish during development but not to existing differences in the amount of aggression previously experienced, nor to previous rank, sex, or size relative to the stimulus fish. The results suggest that early experience influenced decision making by the test fish during the fight. The involvement of the fin displays and the possible mechanism of this influence are discussed.]

Early Experiential Effects on Laterality: Research on Chicks has Relevance to Other Species

The influence of early experience on the development of lateralisation of hemispheric function was further investigated, using the chick as a model. A range of functions are lateralised in the chick and these correlate with asymmetry in the organisation of the visual projections. Chicks using the right eye and, therefore, primarily the left hemisphere are able to switch from pecking randomly at grain and pebbles to pecking mainly at grain, whereas those using the left eye and primarily the right hemisphere continue to peck at random. Exposure to light during the last days of incubation establishes this lateralisation in males, as a consequence of the embryo being oriented in the egg so that the left eye only is occluded. Males incubated in the dark peck at random when using either the right or left eye. Irrespective of light experience, females perform the same as darkincubated males: they are not influenced by light exposure. Monocular performance of the pebble-grain task is compared to binocular performance, and the sensitive period for the influence of light is delineated. The interactive effects of sex hormone levels on the differentiation of lateralisation are discussed and also the relevance of the results to other species, including humans.