Unusual Multiple Recurrences of Soft Tissue Giant Cell Tumors in a Patient Above 60 Years.

Primary giant cell tumors of soft tissues (GCT-ST) are rare neoplasms that share histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics with osseous giant cell tumors. While GCT-ST generally exhibits a benign progression and can affect individuals of various ages, older patients may face a higher risk of recurrence and aggressive disease progression. In this case report, we present the case of a 63-year-old woman who experienced recurrent GCT-ST nine months after the complete excision of an initially localized tumor. Despite the mainstay treatment of GCT-ST being tumor-free margin surgical excision, this case demonstrates the occurrence of recurrences. The etiology of recurrence in GCT-ST remains unclear, highlighting the need for further studies and careful patient follow-up to prevent potential complications such as lung metastasis or widespread metastasis. Thus, this report aims to raise awareness of these tumors and emphasize the importance of diligent patient follow-up to facilitate early identification and management, thereby preventing potential complications such as lung or widespread metastasis.

Prepubescent Electronic Cigarette Exposure Affects Sexual Motivation and Puberty in Female But Not Male Long-Evans Rats.

INTRODUCTION: A method for delivering vaporized nicotine to animals has been developed using e-cigarette devices. The present experiment was designed to measure the effects of e-cigarette nicotine on pubertal onset and development of reproductive behavior in female and male Long-Evans rats. AIM AND METHODS: Rats received daily 10-min sessions of electronic-cigarette vaporized nicotine (5% Virginia Tobacco JUUL Pods) or room air in a whole-body exposure chamber (postnatal day 28-31). Pubertal onset was monitored daily (ie, vaginal opening in females, preputial separation in males). Two weeks later, rats were tested for sexual motivation using the partner-preference paradigm, whereby subjects were given the opportunity to approach either a sexual partner or a same-sex social partner. Four weeks later, partner preference was assessed again, 10 min after rats were re-exposed to their same prepubertal treatment. RESULTS: We found that prepubescent electronic-cigarette vaporized nicotine disrupted puberty and sexual motivation in female but not male rats. In vaped females, vaginal opening was delayed and less time was spent with the male stimulus compared to room-air controls. In contrast, no effect of e-cigarette vapor was observed on pubertal onset or on any measures of sexual behavior in male rats. No effects were observed in either female or male rats on the second partner-preference test. CONCLUSIONS: Prepubescent vaporized nicotine affected the development of reproductive physiology and behavior in female rats but not in male rats, whereas an additional acute exposure to nicotine vapor had no effect in either female or male adult rats. IMPLICATIONS: Given the prevalence of increasingly younger users, more animal research is needed to explore the effects of e-cigarette smoking on multiple developmental systems including reproductive physiology and behavior. This model could be useful in exploring multiple behavioral and physiological endpoints in both sexes. Adjustments to the duration of exposure and control conditions will be necessary for future experiments to best model human use.

Alkaptonuria Diagnosis Following a Discectomy: A Case Report.

Alkaptonuria is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the excessive production of homogentisic acid, leading to the formation and deposition of pigment polymers throughout the body. It is extremely rare, affecting only around one in 100,000 individuals. Despite the normal life expectancy, it can cause severe morbidities. Alkaptonuria is typically managed supportively with pain medication, dietary modifications, and surgical interventions, which are considered to be the gold standard of therapy. Here we present a case of a 33-year-old male with no previous medical or surgical history who presented with severe acute back pain radiating to the left leg. Genetic testing confirmed a homozygous pathogenic variant for alkaptonuria. This case highlights the challenges in diagnosing alkaptonuria, emphasizing the significance of early detection, and clinical evaluation for improved outcomes. Furthermore, it underscores the need to consider alkaptonuria as a multidimensional disease, necessitating further research to enhance our understanding and develop effective management. Therefore, this study serves as an opportunity for future trials and studies aimed at digging deeper into the intricacies of alkaptonuria to increase our understanding and establish comprehensive management plans for affected individuals.

Olfactory dysfunction among patients with COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the frequency of olfactory dysfunction (OD) among individuals afflicted with coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was carried out across several bibliographical databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science) to extract publications in the English language between January 2020 and December 2021 to report the incidence of OD alone or together with gustatory dysfunction (GD) among COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: Based on eligibility criteria, 84 articles were included from 27 countries, comprising 36,903 patients, of whom 58.1% were females. The generality rates of olfactory impairment alone was 34.60% and in conjunction with GD was 11.36%. Patients with OD were subclassified into various categories, and the prevalence of anosmia was 20.85%, 5.04% for hyposmia, 8.88% for anosmia or hyposmia, 1.84% for parosmia, 0.78% for phantosmia, and 0.02% for hyperosmia, among COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSION: Clinical features associated with OD, either isolated or in combination with GD, are common in patients with COVID-19 and consider important signs of COVID-19 that may guide clinicians in the early phase of the disease.PROSPERO Reg. No.: 417296.

Assessment of Knowledge and Perception Regarding Deep Brain Stimulation Among Medical Students in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND:  Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure approved for treating psychiatric and movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease (PD), essential tremor, dystonia, and other neurological conditions. The widespread use of DBS may not be reflected in the medical education curricula in Saudi universities, thus jeopardizing future patients' access to it. This study aims to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of medical students toward DBS as a therapeutic option. METHOD: A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted. The survey was distributed on online platforms to acquire responses from different regions of Saudi Arabia. The target population was medical students in the preclinical and clinical phases of medical education from different regions of Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: A total of 1075 medical students from various medical schools in Saudi Arabia were included. More than half of the students aged 21 to 23 (50.1%) were females (63.2%). More than half of the students have correctly recognized DBS as a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatment (59.7%). Only 20.1% of the students stated that they received adequate education/training about DBS. About 53.8% of the students had self-rated their knowledge as poor, whereas 20.6% had rated their knowledge as good. A negative bias was more observed among the older students and students with a family history of DBS treatment. Half of the participants (54.1%) indicated that DBS is associated with severe adverse effects. A significant association between the level of knowledge about DBS and the academic level was observed. CONCLUSION: Almost half of the medical students had poor knowledge and unfavorable attitude toward DBS in Saudi Arabia. The current medical curricula are incommensurable with the clinical implications of DBS, which may deny future patients from such an effective therapeutic option. We recommend incorporating DBS teaching sessions to enhance future physicians' awareness and understanding of the benefits of this intervention.

Intramuscular Versus Intravenous Treatment of Status Epilepticus: A Systematic Review.

Status epilepticus is a neurological emergency associated with high morbidity and mortality with fatal outcomes if not treated well. The goal of this study was to compare the intramuscular and intravenous treatment of individuals with status epilepticus. A search was performed on Scopus, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases for articles published in the English language in peer-reviewed publications up to March 1, 2023. Studies were included if the treatment of status epileptics was compared either directly or indirectly between intramuscular and intravenous methods. In addition, relevant papers were manually screened for in the reference lists of the included studies. Non-duplicate articles were identified. Finally, five articles were included in the analysis, of which four were randomized controlled trials and one was a retrospective cohort study. The intramuscular midazolam group's time until the first seizure stopped was significantly shorter than the intravenous diazepam group's time (7.8 versus 11.2 minutes, respectively; p = 0.047). Moreover, the percentage of patients admitted was significantly lower in the intramuscular group than in the intravenous group (p = 0.01), but the lengths of stay in the intensive care unit and the hospital did not differ significantly between the groups. Regarding seizure recurrence, the intramuscular group had fewer incidences of recurrent seizures. Finally, there were no appreciable differences in safety outcomes between the two treatment arms. During the analysis, different outcomes reported after the use of intramuscular and intravenous treatments in managing patients with status epilepticus were categorized. This categorization led to a clear view of the efficacy and safety of intramuscular versus intravenous treatments in managing status epilepticus patients. The information at hand indicates that intramuscular therapy is just as successful as intravenous therapy in treating people with status epilepticus. The availability, adverse effect profile, logistics of administration, cost, and whether it is included in hospital formularies are some of the factors to be taken into consideration when choosing the drug administration technique.

Chronic periadolescent leuprolide exposure affects the development of reproductive physiology and behavior of female and male rats differently, but both mature after treatment termination.

BACKGROUND: GnRH agonists have been used to halt the development of puberty in children with precocious puberty since the 1980s. Recently, drugs like Lupron Depot® (leuprolide acetate), have been used to suppress pubertal progression in adolescents who are questioning their gender identity. However, few preclinical studies have been conducted to investigate potential effects of using GnRH agonists in this context. METHODS: The present study tested the effects of daily leuprolide treatment (50 µg/kg, postnatal day (PD) 25-50) on pubertal onset in female (i.e., vaginal opening) and male (i.e., preputial separation) Long-Evans rats. The first estrous cycle immediately after vaginal opening was also measured. Sexual behavior and sexual motivation were tested using the partner-preference paradigm. Female rats were tested during the first behavioral estrus after treatment ended (between PD 51-64). Male rats were tested weekly for four consecutive weeks starting three days after treatment ended (PD 53). RESULTS: Consistent with previous findings, leuprolide significantly delayed pubertal onset in both female and male rats. In addition, the first estrous cycle during the treatment period was disrupted by leuprolide, as indicated by a failure to cycle into estrus after vaginal opening until treatment ended. However, leuprolide affected neither sexual motivation nor fertility when female rats were tested within 14 days of leuprolide treatment ending. In contrast, the development of copulatory behavior and sexual motivation was significantly delayed by leuprolide in male rats; however, mature reproductive behavior was observed by the fourth week post-treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together with previous findings, the present results indicate that male rats may be more sensitive to periadolescent leuprolide administration, taking longer to overcome the effects of leuprolide than female rats. Nevertheless, not long after leuprolide treatment is discontinued, sex-typical reproductive physiology and behavior emerge fully in female and male rats, indicating that the drug's effects are not permanent. If translatable to humans, leuprolide may be a reversible option to give adolescents more time to consider their gender identity with minimal long-term effects on sexual development.

Effect of COVID-19-Induced Stress among Males on the Partner Relationship and Sexual Activity during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been some reports regarding the impact of COVID-19 on male psychosexual health. Aims and Objectives: To assess the severity of stress during COVID-19 and to determine the association of stress levels with partner relationships and sexual activity. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia through social media platforms via an online questionnaire between 1 December 2020 and 31 January 2021 among 871 participants after a pilot study among 20 participants, of which 497 were included in the study. Stress levels were assessed using the Arabic version of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.0. Responses were presented as frequencies and percentages, and associations were studied using the Chi-squared test/Fisher's exact test. A value of p ≤ 0.05 was considered significant. Results: A total of 497 participants who had been infected with COVID-19 completed the survey. In total, it was found that 203 (40.8%) had severe stress scores (severe and extremely severe scores merged), while 131 (26.4%) had moderate stress scores. About 84 (16.9%) participants agreed that their sexual desire decreased, 91 (18.1%) confirmed their sexual intercourse frequency decreased, and sexual satisfaction decreased in 76 (15.3%). A significant positive correlation was found in that those who disagreed with having a good sexual relationship tended to have severe stress (p < 0.001). Conclusion: There were increased levels of stress during the lockdown period, which impacted psychosexual health.

Daily GnRH agonist treatment effectively delayed puberty in female rats without long-term effects on sexual behavior or estrous cyclicity.

The present study examined the long-term effects of suppressing puberty with a GnRH agonist on reproductive physiology and behavior in female rats. We have recently reported that administration of the GnRH agonist leuprolide acetate (25 µg/kg) daily between postnatal day (PD) 25-50 delayed puberty and disrupted the development of copulatory behavior and sexual motivation in male rats. However, pilot data from our lab suggest that this low dose of leuprolide acetate (25 µg/kg) was not high enough to significantly delay puberty in female rats. Therefore, we injected female Long-Evans rats with leuprolide acetate at a higher dose (50 µg/kg) or 0.9% sterile saline, daily , starting on PD 25 and ending on PD 50. Vaginal opening was monitored daily starting on PD 30 for signs of pubertal onset and first estrous cycle. In addition, we measured estrous cyclicity starting approximately 2 weeks after the last injection of leuprolide (∼PD 64). Immediately after monitoring estrous cyclicity, the female rats were mated on their first day in behavioral estrus using the partner-preference paradigm, with and without physical contact (PD 95-110). We found that this dose of leuprolide (50 µg/kg) significantly delayed puberty; however, neither estrous cyclicity nor sexual motivation was significantly affected by periadolescent exposure to leuprolide. Together with our findings in male rats, these results add to our understanding of the developmental effects of chemically suppressing puberty in rats.

Male rat sexual behavior: Insights from inter-copulatory intervals.

The assessment of sexual behavior in male rats with the aim of unraveling underlying neurobiological mechanisms has in the recent decades been reduced to the annotation of mounts, intromissions and ejaculations. To provide a better understanding of the structure and patterns of copulation, it is necessary to extend and tailor the analysis to the natural organization of male rat copulation. This will lead to better formulation of hypotheses about neurobiological underpinnings of behavior. Mounts and intromissions are naturally organized in mount bouts consisting of one or more copulatory behaviors and are interspersed with time outs. We hypothesized that time outs and the post-ejaculatory interval (inter-copulatory intervals) are related and possibly under the control of a common copulatory inhibition mechanism that is the result of penile sensory stimulation. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed sexual behavior in male rats of three different cohorts from three different laboratories. Results showed that the post-ejaculatory interval and mean time out duration are strongly correlated in all cohorts analyzed. In addition, we showed that individual time out duration is at least partially predicted by the sum of sensory stimulation of copulatory components in the preceding mount bout, with more penile stimulation associated with longer time outs. These findings suggest that both time out and post-ejaculatory interval duration may be determined by the magnitude of sensory stimulation, which inhibits copulation. Whether the same neural pathways are involved in the central orchestration of both time outs and the post-ejaculatory interval should be subject to future studies.

Daily GnRH agonist treatment delays the development of reproductive physiology and behavior in male rats.

The present study was designed to examine the effects of suppressing pubertal onset with leuprolide acetate, a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist. Starting on postnatal day (PD) 25, male Long-Evans rats were injected daily with either leuprolide acetate (25 µg/kg dissolved in 0.9% sterile physiological saline; n = 13) or sterile physiological saline (1.0 ml/kg 0.9% NaCl; n = 14) for a total of 25 days. Males were monitored daily for signs of puberty (i.e., preputial separation). On the last day of leuprolide treatment (PD 50), half of each treatment group was injected with 10.0 µg of estradiol benzoate (EB) daily for three consecutive days (PD 50-52) and 1.0 mg of progesterone (P) on the 4th day (PD 53), whereas the other half of each treatment group received oil injections. Four hours after P injections, all subjects were given the opportunity to interact with a gonadally-intact male and a sexually receptive female rat (i.e., a partner-preference test with and without physical contact). Copulatory behavior and sexual motivation were measured. Hormone injections and mating tests were repeated weekly for a total of 3 consecutive weeks. Results showed that leuprolide delayed puberty as well as the development of copulatory behavior and the expression of sexual motivation. By the last test, the leuprolide-treated subjects showed signs of catching up, however, many continued to be delayed. Estradiol and progesterone mildly feminized male physiology (e.g., decreased testes weight and serum testosterone) and behavior (e.g., increased lordosis), but did not interact with leuprolide treatment.

Extent of and influences on knowledge of Alzheimer's disease among undergraduate medical students.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major health problem, which is of increasing concern because of rising yearly incidence and estimated cost. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential to manage AD effectively and improve the outcomes. Inadequate knowledge can delay the diagnosis. General practitioners should play a more effective role in the identification and diagnosis of AD, and medical education is key to solving this issue. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the knowledge of undergraduate medical students and to identify the factors that influenced their knowledge. METHODS: This study used a quantitative cross-sectional evaluation of 327 Saudi Arabian medical students from the first and final years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, who participated in an online survey via email between March and May 2018. Knowledge of AD was assessed using the 12-item AD Knowledge Test for Health Professionals from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB ADKT). General linear models were used to identify the most significant influence on AD knowledge scores. RESULTS: Only 10.73% of first-year and 33.33% of final-year students scored ≥ 50% on the UAB ADKT. Students pursuing specialties related to AD (adult neurology, geriatrics, or psychiatry) and students aged ≥ 27 years had higher scores (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Undergraduate medical students lacked proper knowledge of AD, suggesting that improvements in education programs can help. Future studies are needed to assess the quality and effectiveness of AD education in the curriculum of Saudi medical schools.

I. Antidepressants and sexual behavior: Weekly ketamine injections increase sexual behavior initially in female and male rats.

The present study characterized the effects of weekly ketamine injections on sexual behavior and anxiety in female and male rats, using a dosing protocol that mimics human therapeutic treatment for depression. In Experiment 1A, ketamine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or saline was injected once per week for four consecutive weeks. The partner preference paradigm was used to measure sexual motivation 30 min after each weekly injection. Briefly, subjects were first given a 10-min test during which they could choose to spend time in the vicinity of a sexually receptive female stimulus or a sexually experienced male stimulus, however physical contact was restricted (no-contact). Immediately after, subjects were given unrestricted access to the stimulus animals (contact). After a washout period, subjects received four additional weekly injections of ketamine or saline, and then were tested for anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus maze (EPM) after the last injection (Experiment 1B). For Experiment 2, similar procedures were used to test the effects of weekly ketamine injections on sexual motivation (Experiment 2A) and anxiety (Experiment 2B) in male subjects. In female subjects, ketamine increased sexual motivation as measured by greater time spent with the male stimulus, decreased likelihood of leaving after receiving mounts, and shorter return latencies after receiving intromissions, when compared to saline controls. In male subjects, ketamine shortened latency to first mount and first intromission, as well as increased time spent with the female stimulus. Very little anxiety was observed in either group (ketamine or saline) of female or male subjects when tested on the EPM. In conclusion, even after four weeks of ketamine exposure, sexual dysfunction did not emerge in either females or males. In contrast, ketamine increased sexual motivation in both females and males, with an initial robust response. However, as both groups gained sexual experience, the impact of ketamine diminished.

II. Antidepressants and sexual behavior: Acute fluoxetine, but not ketamine, disrupts paced mating behavior in sexually experienced female rats.

Female sexual dysfunction is both a symptom of depression and exacerbated by treatments for depression. Ketamine, a novel treatment for depression, has been shown to enhance, whereas fluoxetine has been shown to impair sexual motivation. Sexual experience leads to more robust partner preference and paced mating behavior in female rats. Whether acute ketamine and fluoxetine similarly affect sexual motivation and mating behavior in sexually experienced female rats is unknown. Sexually experienced female rats received 10 mg/kg i.p. of ketamine or saline vehicle (Experiment 1) or 10 mg/kg i.p. of fluoxetine or water vehicle (Experiment 2) 30 min before a 10-min no-contact partner preference test followed immediately by a 15-intromission paced mating test. Partner preference and paced mating behavior did not differ between ketamine- and saline-treated rats. In contrast, rats treated with fluoxetine spent significantly less time with either stimulus animal and were less active during the partner preference test than water-treated rats. Additionally, contact-return latency to ejaculation was significantly longer in fluoxetine-treated rats and they spent less time with the male during paced mating in comparison to water-treated rats. Thus, even with sexual experience, fluoxetine disrupts sexual function whereas ketamine has no detrimental effects on sexual behavior in female rats. A growing body of evidence suggests that ketamine is an encouraging new approach to treat depression particularly because it is not associated with sexual dysfunction.

Neonatal exposure to genistein affects reproductive physiology and behavior in female and male Long-Evans rats.

The present study was designed to examine the effects of neonatal genistein exposure on measures of reproductive physiology and behavior. Approximately 24 h after birth, female and male Long-Evans rat pups were injected daily with genistein (150 µg, subcutaneous; n = 29) or olive oil (n = 23) between postnatal days 1 and 5. After weaning, we examined all subjects daily until they reached puberty (i.e. vaginal opening in female rats and preputial separation in male rats). For all female subjects, we also examined vaginal cytology. After monitoring estrous cyclicity, the female subjects were given the opportunity to interact with a gonadally intact male or a sexually receptive female rat on the day of behavioral estrus to assess sexual motivation (i.e. partner-preference test with and without physical contact), which has never been evaluated before. For all male subjects, we assessed the development of copulatory behavior and sexual motivation (partner-preference test without physical contact). Consistent with previous findings, we found that neonatal exposure to genistein did not affect puberty onset in female or male rats. However, female rats exposed to genistein displayed significantly more irregular estrous cycles than controls. Neonatal genistein exposure also altered the development of male copulatory behavior, as indicated by an increase in mount frequency and intromission frequency and shorter interintromission intervals. We extended previous findings confirming that neither female nor male sexual motivation was affected by neonatal genistein. The results of the present study have important implications for the development of reproductive physiology and behavior in human neonates exposed to genistein in soy-based baby formula.

Modified limited bedding and nesting is a model of early-life stress that affects reproductive physiology and behavior in female and male Long-Evans rats.

We used a modification of the limited bedding and nesting (LBN) model to evaluate the effects of early-life stress (ELS) on female and male reproductive physiology and behavior in Long-Evans rats. On postnatal day (PD) 2, dams and pups were transferred to a cage containing 100 mL of bedding (LBN condition) or to a cage containing 500 mL of bedding (control condition); bedding conditions remained until PD 10. In female rats, we measured vaginal opening, estrous cyclicity, female sexual behavior and motivation, and anxiety-like behavior. In male rats, we measured preputial separation, the development of male copulatory behavior, sexual motivation, and anxiety-like behavior. We found that relative to controls, female rats reared with LBN experienced precocious puberty and enhanced sexual motivation, but normal estrous cyclicity. Relative to controls, male rats reared with LBN experienced delayed puberty and enhanced sexual motivation, but normal development of copulatory behavior. Anxiety-like behavior was not affected by LBN in either female or male rats. In summary, the ELS of being reared with LBN affected the onset of puberty in the opposite direction in females and males, but enhanced sexual motivation in both. The current study is the first to examine the effects of ELS on sexual motivation using the LBN model. These findings further support the hypothesis that maternal care affects the development of sexual maturation and sexual motivation.

The yield of pap smears and its characteristics in a community based setting in Saudi Arabia.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the yield of Papanicolaou tests (pap smears), including the characteristics of abnormal pap smears. Methods: In this record-based cross-sectional study, we reviewed pap smears of patients seen at the Family Medicine clinics, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center from January 2002 to January 2017. All women between the ages of 21 and 65 were included. Study-specific case report form was developed to capture patient demographics, pap smear histopathology (Bethesda III System), human papilloma virus polymerase chain reaction (HPV PCR), and the parity status. Results: A total of 3346 patients were included; 2.2% had abnormal pap smear. Most frequent abnormalities were atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (2%), followed by glandular cell abnormalities (0.8%). Human papilloma virus infection was detected in 6.5% and all other infections were identified in 9.2% of all screened Pap smears. Conclusion: Pap smears remain an effective tool for cervical cancer screening. Low yields of pap smears compared to other developed countries could be attributed to lower risk factors for cervical cancer in Saudi Arabia. Routine screening especially among high risk women is strongly recommended.

Sexual Behavior is Enhanced by Regular, Repeated Mating from Young Adulthood to Middle Age in Female Long-Evans Rats.

BACKGROUND: Aging is associated neuroendocrine changes in women. Animals can be used to model these changes, as well as changes in reproductive behavior. OBJECTIVE: The current study was designed to characterize mating behavior across age and assess the effects of age and sexual history on mating behavior. METHODS: Sexual motivation was assessed using the partner-preference test, in which a female rat is given the choice to interact with a same-sex conspecific or a sexually-vigorous male rat, with which she can mate. RESULTS: Across repeated mating tests (2-12 months of age), female rats spent more time with the male, displayed more solicitation behaviors, were less likely to leave the male after mounts, but visited both stimulus animals less frequently. Comparing a separate group of age-matched, hormoneyoked female rats mated for the first time at 12 months of age to female rats mated for the first time at 2 months of age showed that the 12 month rats visited both stimulus animals less, were less likely to leave the male after mounts, took longer to return to the male after mounts, and displayed fewer solicitation behaviors than their younger counterparts. Relative to middle-aged female rats once they were sexually experienced, 12 month naïve rats spent less time with the male, were more likely to leave the male after mounts, and displayed fewer solicitation behaviors. Furthermore, 12 month naïve rats failed to discriminate between the stimulus animals, visiting both stimulus animals at the same rate unlike 2 month naïve or 12 month experienced rats. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that aging affects some measures of sexual behavior, but most effects of age can be mitigated by regular, repeated mating.

"What a Girl Wants": What Can We Learn From Animal Models of Female Sexual Motivation?

Sexual motivation is notably different than other motivations such as hunger and thirst, because it lacks homeostatic drive. Sexual motivation poses no threat to physical well-being; individual survival is not at stake. Nevertheless, sexual motivation is a powerful drive and is critical for species survival. Understanding the complexity of sexual motivation has the potential to advance our understanding of other motivations, even pathological motivations, such as those associated with substance abuse. The study of motivation that is unique to females has often been neglected. A number of paradigms have been developed to investigate female sexual motivation beyond measuring only the lordosis reflex. Lordosis is a reflexive posture displayed by female mammals in response to male sexual stimulation to facilitate intromission. The lordosis reflex is essential, but studying the drive to mate is compromised in the absence of robust lordosis. Therefore, appetitive measures of sexual behavior (e.g., preferences, solicitation behaviors) are more specific and more sensitive indicators of sexual motivation than lordosis alone. Paradigms designed to study female sexual motivation often provide a female subject with the choice to interact with a sexually vigorous male or either a non-sexual partner (i.e., female, castrated male) or to remain alone. The study of appetitive measures of sexual motivation has elucidated the role of hormones in female sexual motivation, as well as the underlying neural pathways. The present review describes methods for studying female rats to advance our understanding of sexual motivation and sexual dysfunction.