Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK): validation of the Portuguese version.

BACKGROUND: TRACK (Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids) questionnaire is an instrument developed and validated in English to evaluate the control of respiratory symptoms in children under 5 years of age. OBJECTIVE: To validate the Portuguese version of the TRACK questionnaire. METHODS: The validation was done in an observational, prospective and multicenter evaluation (six centers in Brazil) in children with recurrent respiratory symptoms. Children were classified according to symptoms, GINA criteria and medical evaluation. Parents and doctors rated child respiratory symptom control in the last month (VAS). Approval from the Institutional Review Board was obtained in each centre, and written informed consent was obtained from parents. RESULTS: Data from 299 children were obtained at baseline, and 195 at follow-up. The median score of the TRACK questionnaire was 65 and Cronbach's α was 0.70. TRACK scores showed significant correlation with the medical and family opinions about symptom control (r: 0.74 and r: 0.61). TRACK scores were significantly lower in children who had used systemic steroids (median [IQR]: 45 [30-65] vs 75 [55-80]; p < 0.001) and had an emergency visit in the last month (45 [35-60] vs 70 [55-80]; p < 0.001). TRACK scores were also significantly different when children were separated by the medical opinion, GINA criteria and symptoms. Comparison of different respiratory symptom control cut-off points showed that the cut-off of 80 points had the highest area under ROC curve (0.800). CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated that the Portuguese version of the TRACK questionnaire has satisfactory reliability (internal consistency), adequate criterion validity (compared against GINA levels of control) and constructive validity (compared against respiratory symptoms and medical opinion), showing that it can be a useful tool to discriminate among children with different levels of respiratory symptom control. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03290222.

Sexual experience did not affect the long-term sexual behavior inhibition of male rats treated with fluoxetine

Antidepressants, including tricyclics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors cause sexual dysfunctions such as decreased sexual desire, erectile difficulties, and delayed ejaculation. Studies have shown that treatment with fluoxetine inhibits several components of sexual behavior in male rats. It is known that sexual experience improves the sexual behavior of male rats. Thus, the effects of sexual experience were examined in male rats during long-term treatment with fluoxetine or vehicle. Rats treated with 10mg/kg fluoxetine or vehicle daily (28 days) were observed for sexual behavior at the 14th, 21st, and 28th day of treatment. Long-term administration of fluoxetine increased the mount latency in control rats in the first session; no differences were observed in other parameters on the same day. Still in the control group, the mount and intromission latencies gradually decreased, whereas the number of intromissions and ejaculations increased over the sessions. The group in long-term treatment with fluoxetine also showed reduced mount and intromission latencies, although latencies remained significantly higher as compared to the control group. Fluoxetine-treated rats showed increased mount and intromission rates on the 28th day of treatment in relation to the first day. These data suggest that the impairment caused by long-term treatment with fluoxetine persists throughout the sessions despite the rats’ sexual experience.(AU)

Sexual experience did not affect the long-term sexual behavior inhibition of male rats treated with fluoxetine

Antidepressants, including tricyclics, monoamine oxidase inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors cause sexual dysfunctions such as decreased sexual desire, erectile difficulties, and delayed ejaculation. Studies have shown that treatment with fluoxetine inhibits several components of sexual behavior in male rats. It is known that sexual experience improves the sexual behavior of male rats. Thus, the effects of sexual experience were examined in male rats during long-term treatment with fluoxetine or vehicle. Rats treated with 10mg/kg fluoxetine or vehicle daily (28 days) were observed for sexual behavior at the 14th, 21st, and 28th day of treatment. Long-term administration of fluoxetine increased the mount latency in control rats in the first session; no differences were observed in other parameters on the same day. Still in the control group, the mount and intromission latencies gradually decreased, whereas the number of intromissions and ejaculations increased over the sessions. The group in long-term treatment with fluoxetine also showed reduced mount and intromission latencies, although latencies remained significantly higher as compared to the control group. Fluoxetine-treated rats showed increased mount and intromission rates on the 28th day of treatment in relation to the first day. These data suggest that the impairment caused by long-term treatment with fluoxetine persists throughout the sessions despite the rats’ sexual experience.

The effect of hetero- and homosexual experience and long-term treatment with fluoxetine on homosexual behavior in male rats.

INTRODUCTION: The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have become the most frequently prescribed drugs for the treatment of depression. Sexual side effects have been noted to occur with this treatment on heterosexual behavior in rats. Heterosexual experience facilitates sexual orientation of male rats and decreases the latencies to first mount and first intromission. On the other hand, homosexual behavior in male rats induced by female hormones has not been evaluated. AIM: The objective of this work is to evaluate the effects of heterosexual and homosexual experience in male rats long-term treated with fluoxetine (FLX) on homosexual hormone-induced behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male rats were treated with FLX or saline solution (10 mg/kg for 65 days). At days 36, 50, and 65 of the treatment, the rats were evaluated for homosexual behavior. Other rats treated with FLX or saline solution for 60 consecutive days were submitted to heterosexual behavior at 14, 21, and 28 days of the treatment. After this, they were orquiectomized and homosexual hormone-induced behavior was observed at 45 and 60 days of the treatment. RESULTS: (1) Only treatment with FLX did not affect the homosexual behavior. (2) The homosexual experience facilitated the homosexual behavior mainly on the animals from the control group. (3) The heterosexual experience facilitated the homosexual behavior on both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Only long-term administration of FLX does not interfere with the homosexual behavior in male rats. The homosexual and the heterosexual experience facilitated the homosexual behavior on the control and experimental groups. We suggested that learning aspects related to sexual behavior are responsible by these results.