Behavior Objectives Flashcards
(76 cards)
1
Q
What components of the brain are involved in learning?
A
- cerebral cortex: executive function
- limbic system: emotional –> amygdala, hippocampus
- cerebellum: fine tuning/motor coordination
- medulla oblongata: autonomic
- ventral tegmental area: dopamine reward system
2
Q
What are the neurotransmitters involved in learning?
A
- glutamate
- GABA
- dopamine
- acetylcholine
- serotonin
- norepinephrine/noradrenaline
3
Q
Glutamate
A
Excitatory
- is secreted during times of stress to enhance memory
4
Q
GABA
A
Inhibitory
5
Q
Dopamine
A
Reward and reinforcement
- short term memory and problem solving
6
Q
Acetylcholine
A
Memories and perceptual learning
7
Q
Ventral Tegmental Area
A
Located in midbrain
- releases dopamine into the reward circuit
- amygdala –> emotions
- nucleus accumbens –> body motor function
- prefrontal cortex –> focus, attention, planning
- hippocampus –> formation of memories
8
Q
Hippocampus
A
Main region where learning occurs
- short term memory to long term memory
- new neurons are born throughout adulthood
9
Q
Long-term potentiation
A
Strengthens response at the synapses
- more effective due to recent activity
- structure changes in dendritic spine
- produces additional synapses
- classical and operant conditiong
10
Q
Long-term depression
A
Synaptic depression
- less effective due to recent activity
- may allow for synaptic changes when the contingencies in the environment change
- may play important part in learning
11
Q
Non-associative learning is associated with _______ and _______
A
Habituation and sensitization
12
Q
Associative learning deals with _______ and _______
A
Classical and operant conditioning
13
Q
Non-associative learning
A
Most widespread forms of learning
- all animals show habituation
- response to certain stimuli influenced by breed, species, and past experiences
14
Q
Habituation
A
Decrease in responsiveness produced by repeated exposure to a novel/neutral stimulus in the environment
15
Q
Sensitization
A
Increase in responsiveness produced by repeated exposure to an environmental stimuli
- flooding can result in sensitization
16
Q
Associative learning
A
Ability to learn to perform a particular behavior when a particular stimulus is present
17
Q
Classical conditioning
A
Learned through association on a conscious or subconscious level
- involves involuntary visceral responses
- salivation, vomiting, milk let down, emotional response (BP, HR, excitement, fear)
18
Q
Counter-conditioning
A
Process of establishing a new response (classical association) to a stimulus
- used to treat fears
- replace an aversive emotional state with a positive emotional state
- pair food with low level of fear evoking stimuli
19
Q
Operant conditioning
A
Responding to consequences
- gives choices and control over environment
- long term changes
- behavior modification
20
Q
What are the 4 quadrants of operant conditioning?
A
+R: add something good = behavior happens
+P: add something unpleasant/bad = behavior decreases
-P: take it away = behavior stops
- R: take it away = behavior increases
21
Q
Anxiety
A
Anticipation of a negative outcome
22
Q
Fear
A
Adaptive emotional response to an existing stimulus or situation that animal perceives as a potentially dangerous
- increases changes of survival
- fears may be adaptive
23
Q
Phobia
A
Sudden excessive and profound fear
- intensity is greater than a fear response
- phobias are not adaptive
24
Q
Acquisition of fear
A
Associative - classical conditioning - traumatic one event learning - social facilitation Non-associative - lack of habituation - sensitization - stress induced dishabituation Genetics
25
Fear response starts in the _________
Amygdala
- autonomic
- hormonal
- behavioral
26
Amygdala
Located deep in the temporal cortex
- considered part of the limbic system
- primary site responsible for processing external and internal triggers that are fear evoking and potentially life threatening
- ex: visual, auditory, odor, hypoxia, pain
27
Anxiety, fear, stress stimulates _____ and _____ to respond to the threat
Sympathetic system; hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
- sympathetic system releases norepinephrine for subcortical areas of brain and adrenal gland = behavioral response of fight/flight
28
Fear conditioning
Form of classical conditioning
- amygdala is the central site
- integrates prior learning and memory to stimulate other brain centers to initiate the autonomic threat response
- glutamate is the primary NT
- serotinin, norepinephrine, and GABA quiet the stress response
29
Bite history
```
Due to fear of vet and restraint
- learned response, classical conditioning
Treatment
- condition to a muzzle
- wean off fluoxetine
- increase trazodone
```
30
Separation distress
Will become maladaptive past puppy stage = dysfunctional attachment
- risk factors: single family homes, separation from mother before 8 weeks, ill as puppy, genetics
31
Dogs trained with _____ have less separation anxiety
Positive reinforcement
32
Treatment for separation anxiety
- safety and avoidance
- communication --> cue-response reward
- medication: paroxetine (SSRI), trazodone (SARI), gabapentin
33
Attention-seeking behavior/compulsive disorder risk factors
```
Genetics
- chronic conflict
- behavioral needs not adequately met
- maternal depervation
Derived from normal behaviors (grooming, ingestion, predation, locomotion)
```
34
Compulsive disorder treatment
- safety and avoidance
- communication --> focus and foundation exercise for redirection
- tools --> head collar, mat, food puzzle toys
- behavior modification
- medications --> fluoxetine (SSRI), clonidine, stop acepromazine
35
Cognitive dysfunction syndrome
Formation of lesions that physically disrupt communication between neurons
- due to free radical formation
- associated with aging = increased expression of genes associated with stress and inflammation (esp. in the hippocampus)
36
Cognitive dysfunction syndrome treatment
- safety and avoidance
- communication
- tools --> pheromones
- behavior modification
- medications --> neurocare food or antioxidants, lorazepam, selegline, gabapentin
37
Fear is an ______ response, without ______
Emotional; cognition
38
What is the primary part of the brain responsible for processing and triggering the fear response?
Amygdala
39
REM sleep behavior disorder
Clinical signs occur during sleep
- vocalizations
- locomotion
- aggression
- biphasic
40
REM sleep disorder pathophysiology
Secondary to loss of function of the inhibitory neurons in the pons and medulla
- normal: induce paralysis by inhibiting LMNs in brainstem and spinal cord
- diseased: active cerebral cortex during sleep causes stimulation of LMNs = violent limb movements, aggression, etc
41
REM sleep disorder treatment
Medications: phenobarb, gabapentin, clonazepam, potassium bromide
42
Redirected aggression - fear based
Risk factors: noise phobia, play aggression
- bottle fed baby = lack of social skills and bit inhibition
- genetics
- mother stress
43
Redirected aggression treatment
- crate train
- enrichment
- interactive play
- food dispensing toys
- emergency recall
44
Cribbing
Use of incisors to grasp horizontal object, flex ventral neck muscles, grunt
- wind sucking - same behavior without grasping
45
Incidence of cribbing occurs in
- thoroughbreds
- dressage horses
- eventing horses
46
Cribbing risk factors
- decreased forage
- increased concentrate
- decreased communication between adjacent horses
- weaning is a critical time
- isolation has ill effects
47
Feeding _____ to young horses at weaning is a strong risk factor for cribbing
Concentrates
| - possibly stimulates NMDA glutamate receptors
48
Cribbing treatments
- cribbing straps
- bad tasting substances
- antacids due to high incidence of GI ulcers
- shock collar
- naloxone
- cribbing bar
- surgery to remove spinal accessory nerve of portions of ventral neck muscles
49
Preferred cribbing treatments
```
Environmental modification
- increase roughage amount
- no concentrate
- increase forage time
- compatible social group
Wean on pasture, not concentrate
- wean with friends, gelding, or barren mare
```
50
Agonist vs antagonist
Agonist
- mimic neurotransmitter activity
Antagonist
- block normal neurotransmitter activity
51
Types of PRN medications
- benzodiazepines
- trazodone
- clonidine
- gabapentin
52
Types of maintenance medications
- TCA
| - SSRI
53
PRN
Mild to strong effects
- effects within minutes
- dose just before trigger
- choose if intermittent and predictable trigger
- not great for long term use
54
Benzodiazepines
Neurotransmitter: GABA
- decrease glutamine
- anixolytic, muscle relaxants, anticonvulsants
- quick onset, short acting
- give before fear or panic onset
55
Benzodiazepines side effect
- over sedation
- ataxia
- hallucinations
- feline idiopathic hepatic necrosis
- paradoxical excitement
- disinhibition
- retrograde amnesia
56
When to use benzodiazepines
- storm anxiety
- noise phobias
- separation anxiety
- car rides
- vet visits
- reset sleep/wake cycle
57
Acepromazine
Neurotransmitter: blocks dopamine
- anti-psychotic
- use: antiemetic, sedative
58
Trazodone
Neurotransmitter: serotonin, histamine to block arousal system = sedation
- SARI
- low side effect risk
59
Trazodone uses
- anxiety
- storm phobia
- post-op confinement
- hospitalization
- fear at vet
60
Clonidine
Neurotransmitter: norepinephrine
- MOA: alpha 2 agonist, decrease NE release, locus ceruleus
- side effects: dry mouth, hypotension, agitation
- use in combo with: antidepressants, trazodone
61
Clonidine uses
- fear related aggression
- noise phobia
- separation anxiety
- compulsive disorders
- impulse control
62
Sileo
Alpha 2 agonist
- only FDA medication approved to treat noise phobia!!
- calming without sedation
63
Gabapentin
Neurotransmitter: glutamine
- refractory cases and neuropathic pain
- reduces reactivity and generalized anxiety
- sedation
64
Maintenance medication
- mild to moderate anxiolytic effects
- weeks to effect
- same daily dose regardless of trigger intensity
- choose if trigger constantly or unpredictably present
- safe for long term use
65
SSRI
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor
- neurotransmitter: serotonin
- blocks reuptake of serotonin by presynaptic neuron
- anxiolytic, anti-aggression, anti-compulsive
- long half life
- 50% dose for first 2 weeks
- choice dependent on symptoms of anxiety, etc
66
SSRI side effects
- vomiting, diarrhea
- constipation, urinary retention
- initial, temporary anorexia
- increased agitation
- seizure or other neuro signs
- abnormal bleeding
67
SSRI uses
- aggression
- separation anxiety
- marking in cats
- compulsive disorders
- fearful behaviors
- noise phobias
- storm phobias
68
TCA
Tricyclic antidepressants
- NTs: serotonin, norepinephrine, anticholinergic, antihistamine, alpha-adrenergic effect
- clomipramine: selective for 5HT, first choice for OCD
- amitriptyline: use for derm cases
69
Clomicalm
FDA approved for canine separation anxiety
| - urine marking in cats outside of US
70
TCA side effects
Never give with MAOI and with caution with other meds facilitating serotonin activity
- weight gain, sedation
- constipation, urinary retention
- sedation, dizziness, hypotension
- cardiac arrhythmia and blocks
- binds to T3, T4, TSH --> do not use in hypothyroid dogs!!!!!
71
TCA uses
- separation anxiety
- storm phobia
- general anxiety
- noise phobia
- some aggression cases
- compulsive disorders
- marking cats
72
Buspirone
NT: serotonin
- MOA: 5HT 1A partial agonist
- monotherapy for generalized anxiety
- augment of SSRI response
73
MOI
Monoamine oxidase inhibitor
- NT: norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin
- blocks oxidative deamination of brain amines
- increases levels of NE, DA, 5HT, elevates mood
74
Selegiline (anipryl)
FDA approved for canine cognitive dysfunction
| - off the market
75
Selgiline side effects
High risk of serotonin syndrome
- do not give with other serotonin enhancing drugs
- minimum of 5 week wash out between SSRI, TCA, and MAOI
76
Nutraceuticals
NT agonists or precursors (GABA, 5HT)
| - neuroprotectants from oxidative stress: improve neuron health and keep neuronal signaling efficient
