The behavioral neuroendocrinology of dopamine systems in differently reared juvenile male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

Dopamine (DA) is a critical neuromodulator of behavior. With propensities for addiction, hyper-activity, cognitive impairment, aggression, and social subordinance, monkeys enduring early maternal deprivation evoke human disorders involving dopaminergic dysfunction. To examine whether DA system alterations shape the behavioral correlates of adverse rearing, male monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were either mother-reared (MR: N = 6), or separated from their mothers at birth and nursery-reared (NR: N = 6). Behavior was assessed during 20-minute observations of subjects interacting with same- or differently-reared peers. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biogenic amines, and serum testosterone (T), cortisol (CORT), and prolactin (PRL) were collected before and after pharmacologic challenge with saline or the DA receptor-2 (DRD2) antagonist Raclopride (RAC). Neuropeptide correlations observed in MR were non-existent in NR monkeys. Compared to MR, NR showed reduced DA tone; higher basal serum T; and lower CSF serotonin (5-HT). RAC increased PRL, T and CORT, but the magnitude of responses varied as a function of rearing. Levels of PRL significantly increased following RAC in MR, but not NR. Elevations in T following RAC were only significant among MR. Contrastingly, the net change (RAC CORT - saline CORT) in CORT was greater in NR than MR. Finally, observations conducted during the juvenile phase in a novel play-arena revealed more aggressive, self-injurious, and repetitive behaviors, which negatively correlated with indexes of dopaminergic tone in NR monkeys. In conclusion, early maternal deprivation alters brain DA systems, and thus may be associated with characteristic cognitive, social, and addiction outcomes.

Non-Disposable Assignments for Remote Neuroscience Laboratory Teaching Using Analysis of Human Data.

To accomplish discovery learning in a remote educational context, while also addressing disparities in laboratory facility/equipment access, instructors can assign Non-Disposable Assignments (NDA) whereby students design research projects, extract data from public sources, analyze data in a cloud-based environment, and share potentially original findings. Unlike typical course assignments (e.g., lab-reports, tests) that remain in the student-teacher dyad, NDAs (e.g., disseminated presentations, visualizations, manuscripts) are associated with enhanced learning and facilitate the integration of diverse student perspectives in the creation, analysis and dissemination of neuroscience. Illustrating the design of a project-based approach to teaching neuroscience laboratory courses, we provide two example NDAs using neural imaging and physiological information available from public databases. We provide a data set in a directly usable form for teaching with R, and present an overview of two user-friendly tools, RStudio and R-Markdown, for remote teaching and learning through data analysis.

A randomized equivalence trial comparing the i-gel and laryngeal mask airway Supreme in children.

BACKGROUND: The laryngeal mask airway Supreme (Supreme) is a new single-use supraglottic device with gastric access capability now available in all sizes for children. OBJECTIVES: To compare the i-gel with the Supreme in children for routine airway maintenance. MATERIALS/METHODS: One hundred and seventy children, aged 3 months to 11 years, 5-50 kg in weight, were randomly assigned to receive either the i-gel or the Supreme. The primary outcome measured was airway leak pressure. Secondary outcomes included the following: ease and time for insertion, insertion success rate, fiberoptic grade of view, ease of gastric tube placement, number of airway manipulations, quality of airway during anesthetic maintenance, and complications. RESULTS: A total of 168 patients were assessed for the outcomes. The median (IQR [range]) airway leak pressure for the i-gel was higher than with the Supreme, 20 (18-25 [9-40]) cm H(2)O vs 17 (14-22 [10-40]) cm H(2)O, respectively (P = 0.001). There were no differences in the time for device insertion, fiberoptic grade of view, quality of airway, and complications. Median (IQR[range]) time of successful insertion of a gastric tube was faster with the Supreme, 12 (9.2-14.3 [5.2-44.2]) s than with the i-gel, 14 (11.9-19 [6.9-75]) s; P = 0.01. The number of airway manipulations during placement was higher with the i-gel than with the laryngeal mask airway Supreme (12 vs 13 patients), P = 0.02. CONCLUSIONS: In infants and children, when a single-use supraglottic device with gastric access capabilities is required, the i-gel demonstrated higher airway leak pressures and can be a useful alternative to the Supreme.