0000000000174049

AUTHOR

Michael Koch

Disturbed social behavior and motivation in rats selectively bred for deficient sensorimotor gating

Deficient prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle reflects disturbed sensorimotor gating found in certain neuropsychiatric disorders. We here tested whether rats selectively bred for deficient PPI are deteriorated in behavioral paradigms used to model negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Rats with low PPI preferred standard rat-chow when having the choice between lever-pressing for reward-pellets or freely available rat-chow, suggesting reduced motivation. Additionally, these rats show deteriorated social behavior during interaction with a juvenile rat. Rats selectively bred for low PPI may therefore be used as a model to study the biological mechanisms and therapeutic strategies of negative sy…

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Interrater reliability of ultrasound in the diagnosis of sialolithiasis

 The aim of this study was to assess the interrater reliability of ultrasound for diagnosing sialolithiasis. A total of 100 consecutive patients with signs of obstructive sialadenopathy were evaluated. The patients all underwent ultrasound examinations in a standardized manner conducted by one specialist with extensive experience in the management of salivary gland disorders and proficiency in head and neck ultrasonography. The video recordings were sent to six colleagues with comparable experience without providing any further information about the patients' medical history and physical examination. The overall agreement between the seven observers was substantial, with a κ of 0.765 for th…

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