Voice modulation, self-perception and motor branch of the superior laryngeal nerve.

OBJECTIVES: Vocal morbidity resulting from damage to the motor branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN) after endocrine surgery is well known, but diagnosis is often delayed. The present study aimed to quantify these vocal changes acoustically (main objective), and correlate this with the vocal complaints of patients with suspected SLN motor impairment (secondary objective). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty females patients with suspected injury of the SLN cricothyroid branch (CT-) were compared to 30 patients without postoperative vocal impairment (CT+) and to 30 control subjects. Mean, minimal and maximal fundamental frequencies (F0mean, F0min and F0max) and vocal range were measured on /e/ at high frequency, sirens (glissandi), a reading text, and minimal intonation pairs. Subjective vocal impairment was evaluated on the Voice Handicap Index (VHI). RESULTS: A lowering of F0mean associated with vocal range reduction by one fifth (in the reading text) seemed to be specific to CT- patients. Production of questions was affected, with differences in melodic curve and attack. Thyroidectomy within 2 months in itself (without suspected SLN cricothyroid branch injury) also affected these parameters, but to a lesser degree. CT- patients reported greater voice impairment than CT+ patients or controls (P=0.0004). CONCLUSION: Alterations in speech intonation, quantified on minimal pair test, and self-assessed vocal handicap (VHI) are tools that can easily be used in daily practice to screen for SLN motor branch lesion.

Comparison of the behaviour of European brown bears (Ursus arctos arctos) in six different parks, with particular attention to stereotypies.

In order to assess the influence of environmental parameters on their behaviour, 16 European brown bears were observed in six different zoological parks. Activities were measured by scan sampling and their relationships to housing conditions were established by multifactorial correspondence analysis and cluster analysis. The largest enclosures were characterised by high scores of play, social behaviours, eating, and interest in the inside as well as the outside of the enclosure. Because these parks were newer, their bears were the youngest of those studied. Stereotypies were associated with medium age animals and small enclosures. The oldest subjects were characterised by high frequencies of resting. Stereotyped walk was observed only in those parks where keepers throw food to the bears. This result and detailed observation of stereotyped movements suggest that the meaning of the stereotypy for the animal could be to induce the keeper's arrival.

Typology of activity bouts and effect of fearfulness on behaviour in meat-type chickens.

Increased physical exercise is known to prevent leg problems in meat-type chickens. Our aims were to study in detail the organisation of general and locomotor activity, to determine how physical exercise could be promoted and to investigate the effects of tonic immobility (TI) duration on spontaneous activity. Chicks were allocated to two groups according to their TI duration at 3 and 20 days (fearful birds, HF, n=11; non-fearful birds, LF, n=14). The behaviour patterns expressed by awake birds were recorded as 'activity bouts'. Activity bouts were then classified into five classes according to the most long-lasting activity in the bout. The behaviour patterns were similar in both groups. The FORAGING class contained long-lasting bouts with high levels of locomotor activity which decreased considerably with age, when bouts of EATING and DRINKING classes became more and more numerous. Bouts in the PREENING and NONE classes contained low activity. In conclusion, the level of activity in home pens was poorly related to TI. Categorisation of bouts into five classes is valuable to understand the general organisation of activity in chickens. The FORAGING class included bouts with high levels of locomotion and it could thus be used as a general indicator of activity.

A statistical analysis of sequences of cardiac interbeat intervals does not support the chaos hypothesis.

Series of cardiac interbeat intervals were recorded in 34 mice and described using an original technique. The different intervals were divided into six classes according to their lengths. The different successions of pairs of intervals were counted with the help of a software programme devoted to lexical analysis. Most of the mice showed a very similar pattern of repeated sequences of interbeat intervals, statistically different from a random distribution. One-, two- or three-dimensional chaotic discrete maps were used to generate series that were then analyzed in the same way. They failed to give a distribution pattern of repeated sequences similar to the biological ones. On the contrary, series generated using a random component, and limited in amplitude by a feed-back correction occurring when the intervals reached a lower or an upper threshold, gave distributions of values very similar to biological ones. Moreover, the natural diversity observed between mice was easily reproduced by fluctuation of these different parameters. It is suggested that a very simple process, not completely deterministic, could better explain interbeat interval regulation in normal mice than did chaotic phenomena, which need complex biological processes.

Comparison of different behavioral test situations used in psychopharmacology for measurement of anxiety.

In order to estimate the consistency of variables measured in different test situations classically used in psychopharmacology, a set of hybrid mice was confronted with five testing situations: responses to a novel object introduced in a familiar environment, responses to novel places, behavior in a light/dark choice situation, on the holeboard, and in an elevated plus maze. A principal component analysis was performed using two variables per device as active variables and 26 others as supplementary variables. The first factor was clearly due to opposition between high and low levels of neophobia. Only variables from the first two tests were strongly correlated to this factor. Variables from the holeboard and from the plus maze were highly correlated one another and with the second factor, which grouped locomotion and exploration criteria. The light/dark choice test was intermediate and seemed to be moderately related to both locomotion and neophobia. These results point out the difficulty in comparing different test devices from a psychological point of view.

Description du comportement sexuel de Calliphora vomitoria (Diptera: Calliphoridae) par une technique d'analyse de textes.

Description of the sexual behaviour of Calliphora vomitoria (Diptera: Calliphoridae) with a lexical analysis software package. The sexual behaviour of Calliphora vomitoria was described using a lexical analysis software package considering courtship as a series of words, without any arbitrary categorization. Normal as well as manipulated partners of both sexes were presented to the males. Results showed that normal courtship and copulation occurred when the wings were modified but present and correctly oriented, whereas perturbations were observed and copulation disappeared after inversion and various head modifications. Missing elements (head and wings) were less disruptive than their inversion. If the partner was supposed to be scanned from the head to the abdomen via the wings and if it was supposed to perceive the relative position of these different parts, it is obvious that the absence of an element did not act as an error message and courtship and copulation were preserved. On the other hand, inversion of the same elements seemed to induce wrong or inconsistent informations affecting courtship structure, probably because of sequence disturbance. The courtship preservation in front of every kind of manipulation leads us to question what image of the sexual partner is constructed.

Description des données d'observation continue du comportement par une technique d'analyse de textes 1. Mise enévidence de styles individuels de maternage dans une lignée consanguine de souris.

This study illustrates the use of an original technique to give a precise description of the developmental environment provided by female mice to their pups, and of his changes with the age of the pups. Successive events recorded by continous observation of maternal behaviour of C57BL/6 inbred mice were analysed by a technique devoted to textual analysis. The different mothers were easily characterised by differences in the frequencies of the behavioural items expressed on the nest. These individual differences were stable with increasing age of the pups. On the other hand, the frequencies of behavioural sequences showed differences related to the age of the pups. The psychological meaning of some behavioural items is suggested by the results. The relevance of multivariate techniques of description directly applied on initial data of continous observation is discussed.

Description des données d'observation continue du comportement par une technique d'analyse de textes. 2. Comparaisons des conduites maternelles dans trois souches de souris.

This study illustrates the use of multifactorial analysis to perform comparisons between different genotypic groups, based on behavioral profiles. Maternal behaviour of C57BL/6 mice and of two reciprocal F2 was precisely described by continous observation. Unpolished data were directly analysed by a textual analysis technique using correspondences analysis. Strains were clearly different according to the relative frequencies of the different acts. These differences seemed to be related to grand-maternal effects, as previously shown in the same strains. Pups age related variation between day 2 and day 6 was very low when compared to maternal styles of the three strains.

Correspondances entre la variabilite des conduites maternelles et la diversification des comportements de la progeniture chez la souris.

Maternal behaviour may be used as a tool for hereditary transmission of behavioural characters in mammals. The maternal behaviour of mice from three different origins which reared foster pups of the same inbred strain was observed. Multivariate analysis revealed differences in maternal style related either to genotype effects or to grandmaternal influences. The behavioural development of the pups was studied at days 10, 14 and 17 for neuromotor coordination and spontaneous activity, at day 21, 40 and 75 for locomotor activity and food hoarding in a semi natural environment and at day 120 of age for water escape learning performance. Body weights were noted at the same ages. Results showed both maternal effects (differences between pups reared by an inbred or hybrid mother) and great-grandmaternal effects (differences between pups reared by two reciprocal F2's). An analysis of correspondences between mother and pup behaviour permitted the description of a large panel of correlations suggesting causal relations between maternal activities and pups characteristics. These maternal activities may be considered primarily as agents of hereditary transmission.

Comportements maternels chez la souris: Telle mere telle fille?

Relations between mother' and daughter' maternal behaviour were surched by continuous recording of locomotor activity and time spent in the nest during the first six days postpartum in two isogenic generations of mice. The first generation was composed of either heterozygous Fl or inbred C57BL/6 (=B6) dams, both giving birth after ovarian graft to B6 pups. In each litter the maternal behaviour of a female was studied in the same conditions as for her mother. Even in developing in quite different environments, both groups of B6 daughters did not differ for the behavioural patterns under study. Links between mother' and daughter' activity during the nursing period were shown in one group by important negative correlations suggesting a feedbak regulation mechanism. This illustrate a possible way of passive hereditary transmission of acquired behavioural characteristics.

Mise en evidence d'effects grand-maternels sur les conduites maternelles de la souris.

Continuous recording of locomotor activity and time spent in the nest were performed on mice during the five first days postpartum. We compared mice of the C57BL/6 inbred strain to mice of the two reciprocal F2's derived from the C57BL/6 and BALB/c parental strains. All animals reared foster pups of the C57BL/6 strain. The results did not show any difference between the three groups for the total amount of time spent in the nest ; this parameter decreases with days. No difference appeared between the C57BL/6 group and the F2 B6CxCB6 group (having a grandmother of the C57BL/6 strain), whereas each of these groups differed significantly from F2 CB6xB6C group (having a grandmother of the BALB/c strain) for the following indices : locomotor activity, mean duration of a stay in the nest, mean duration of an absence from the nest and percentage of nocturnal activity. These results are discussed in terms of grandmaternal effects as far as the variation in the strain of the grandmother is the only factor which can account for these differences in behavior.

Measurements of the behavioral effects of albino mutation in mice (Mus musculus): comparisons of coisogenic inbred and hybrid lines.

The effects of the albino gene on mouse behavior were examined, in particular its possible interactions with nonallelic genes (epistasis). More generally, the possible effects of genetic background (inbreeding depression or hybrid vigor) on the effects of the mutation were also considered. Tasks requiring either predominantly motor or predominantly cognitive capacity were studied for coisogenic albino and pigmented mice from either an inbred strain (C57BL/6 c/c vs. C57BL/6 +/c) or an F1 heterozygous generation (F1 c/c vs. F1 +/c) from a BALB/c X C57BL/6 +/c cross. The results showed a clear albino gene effect in the two lines and provide further evidence that the gene is the effective factor. On the other hand, there was no significant interaction between the mutation and the genotypic group (C57BL/6 or F1), which indicates that the effects of the mutation act approximately in an additive fashion between loci in these groups.

[Demonstration of prenatal maternal influences by embryo transplantation in mice]. / Mise en évidence d'effets maternels pré-natals par transplantation d'embryons chez la Souris.

A comparison between inbred C57BL/6 Mice either transferred at an early developmental stage into the uterus of a hybrid female and then nursed by this mother, or only fostered to such a mother at birth, is performed in order to differentiate between uterine and postnatal maternal effects. At 21 days of age, animals from embryo transfer are heavier and display a greater amount of locomotor activity during a 48 hr period in a seminatural environment than crossfostered subjects. On the other hand, the L.D. distribution of this activity is not affected by the differences in development environments. The interest of such a methodology for the genetic analysis of behavioural differences related to differences in the environment during ontogeny is discussed.

Differential effects of the albino gene on behavior according to task, level of inbreeding, and genetic background.

Different generations from a Mendelian crossing schedule and two inbred recombinant albino strains were compared in a water-escape and a locomotor task under dim red-orange light. The results revealed deleterious effects of the albino gene. Although seriously altering cognitive-capacities, they did not affect locomotor tasks. The degree of expression of these effects was greater in the inbred albino mice than in the albinos from heterozygous generations. Differences in the genetic background may also affect the degree of expression of the albino gene effects in various albino strains. The visual system is unlikely to mediate the pleiotropic effects of the albino gene discussed in this report.

Maternal effects in mice: influence of parents' and offspring's genotypes.

Different backcrosses between the F1 and two inbred parental strains (C and B6) were compared for swimming speed in water escape task and for swimming ability in a water channel. Results showed maternal effects, mice from an F1 dam swimming faster than mice from an inbred dam. Albino mice appear to be more sensitive to these effects could also be related to the inbreeding level of the offspring, the reciprocal backcrosses showing differences, whereas the two reciprocal F1's did not. Maternal effects appear to be greater in the water escape task than in the water channel situation.

Hoarding behavior of AKR, C57BL/6 mice and their F1 in their home living space: an automatic recording technique.

Earlier genetic analysis of food hoarding behavior in mice used test situations in which animals were allowed to hoard food only during short time periods. This paper describes a technique to measure food hoarding over long time periods. Small discs of standard food are equipped with a steel clip and each passage of a mouse bringing such a food disc from the food search enclosure to the nest is detected by an electromagnetic sounding lead connected to a pen recorder. Preliminary results show that female mice begin to hoard earlier than males; one of the two reciprocal F1 has a shorter latency to hoard than the other one. Results also show differences between two parental inbred strains and their reciprocal F1 for the light-dark distribution of hoarding.

A case of behavioral heterosis in mice: quantitative and qualitative aspects of performance in a water-escape task.

Fourteen hundred and four mice from two inbred strains (Balb/c and C57BL/6), F1, F2, and backcrosses were subjected to four trials in a water-escape task and to a swimming test. Detailed analysis of mice behavior in these situations showed that the "F1 hybrid vigor" affected behavioral characters not directly related to physical vigor but of potential adaptive value. Their superiority was mainly due to more frequent adoption of an efficient behavioral tactic (direct or edge escape paths toward the exit) and more rapid progress with experience in this respect than other generations exhibited. These results clearly show that heterosis is not limited to physical vigor but may extend to behavioral and even psychological characters.

Activite locomotrice de souris isolees, de deux lignees consanguines, dans un environnement semi-naturel ou en cages d'elevage.

Des enregistrements continus d'activité locomotrice ont été effectués sur des souris mâles isolées des lignées Balb/c et C57bl/6, vivant en cages d'élevage ou en milieu semi- naturel. Les résultats montrent que les différences entre ces deux situations ne sont pas perçues de la même façon par les animaux des deux lign'ees: alors qu'en cages d'élevage les souris des deux lignées experiment la même quantité totale d'activaté, en milieu semi-naturel les souris Balb/c sont plus actives que les C57bl/6. En outre, l≐s différences observées entre les lignées pour la repartition de l'activité au cours du nycthèmere s'inversent lorsque l'on passe d'une situation à l'autre. L'étude de la variabilité fait aparaître une dispersion plus grande des performances dans la lignée C57bl/6 en cages d'élevage, alors qu'en milieu semi-naturel la dispersion est plus chez Bal/c.