Fetal homologue of infant crying.

Four behavioural states are recognised in the human fetus and are comparable to those of the neonate: 1F (quiet sleep), 2F (active state), 3F (quiet awake), and 4F (active awake). State 5, or crying, is not considered to have a fetal correlate. In a study assessing the effects of exposure to tobacco and cocaine during pregnancy on fetal response and habituation to vibroacoustic stimulation, what appears to be the fetal homologue of crying was observed. These behaviours were seen on ultrasound, and have been captured on video recordings and include: an initial exhalation movement associated with mouth opening and tongue depression, followed by a series of three augmented breaths, the last breath ending in an inspiratory pause followed by an expiration and settling. This is the first report/video documenting these behaviours and suggests the possibility of a state 5F.

Maintaining intentional control of behavior under alcohol.

BACKGROUND: This research used a process dissociation paradigm to measure the influence of controlled and automatic processes on a word-stem completion task when correct performance under alcohol was positively reinforced, or had no particular consequence. It was predicted that the impairing effect of alcohol on controlled processes that govern intentional control of behavior would be resisted when drinkers were reinforced for performing well. METHODS: Four groups of eight male drug-free social drinkers initially studied a list of words. Two of the groups then received 0.56 g/kg alcohol (A) and two received a placebo (P) before the stem-completion task was performed. During the task, the correct responses of one pair of A and P groups were reinforced (money and verbal approval) whereas no reinforcement was provided to the other pair. RESULTS: As predicted, under alcohol, the influence of controlled processes that govern intentional responses was greater when reinforcement was provided than when it was absent (p = 0.005). Without reinforcement, controlled processes in the A group were lower than the P control group (p = 0.01). In contrast, the A and P groups that received reinforcement did not differ (p = 0.142). Controlled processes in the P groups were not affected by reinforcement (p = 0.65). In addition, the influence of automatic processes was not affected by alcohol or by reinforcement (p > 0.781). CONCLUSIONS: Positive reinforcement for behavior under alcohol increases the influence of controlled processes. These results suggest that the degree to which intentional control is retained under alcohol depends on the consequence of behavior in the situation. It seems that controlled processes enable drinkers to intentionally display the behavior that is rewarded.