Retention of knowledge after repeated virtual world CPR training in high school students.

We investigated the retention of knowledge and skills after repeated Virtual World MOS (VWMOS) team training of CPR in high school students. An experimental group of 9 students were compared to a control group of 7 students. Both groups initially received traditional CPR training and the experimental group also received 2 VWMOS sessions six months apart. Although we found no significant differences in general basic life support knowledge, the changes that occurred in the CPR guidelines were retained 18 months after the last Virtual World training session in the experimental group. Moreover fewer deviations from the CPR guidelines occurred.

Tail pinch increases acetylcholine release in rat striatum even after toluene exposure.

The effect of tail pinch on acetylcholine release in the striatum of freely moving rats was studied by microdialysis immediately after inhalation exposure to toluene (2000 ppm, 2 h) or exposure to air only. It has recently been found that toluene increases extracellular dopamine levels while decreasing acetylcholine release, and that dopamine uptake inhibition increases both extracellular dopamine levels and acetylcholine release, suggesting that toluene decreases acetylcholine release by a dopamine-independent mechanism. The present experiment was an attempt to study if a behaviourally induced increase of extracellular dopamine differs from that induced by toluene in affecting striatal acetylcholine release. Acetylcholine released increased during tailpinch in the unexposed as well as the toluene exposed group. No difference between the two groups in the acetylcholine release response to tailpinch was demonstrated. The result supports the conclusion that acute toluene exposure decreases acetylcholine release via a dopamine independent mechanism, and suggests that toluene exposure does not affect the striatal acetylcholine response to an acute stressful stimulus.

Are the effects of toluene on the vestibulo and opto-ocular motor system inhibited by the action of GABAB antagonist CGP 35348?

The acute effects of toluene and a selective GABAB-antagonist, CGP 35348, on the vestibulo and opto-ocular motor (VOOM) system in rats were investigated by recording of compensatory eye-movements during vestibular and optokinetic stimulations. It has previously been demonstrated that toluene enhances the performance of the basic vestibulo-oculomotor reflex (VOR) and depresses the effects of the visual input to this reflex. It has been proposed that these effects are caused by alterations of the GABA-transmission system in the cerebellum. It has now been demonstrated that the exaggerating effects of toluene on the VOR, tested by angular horizontal acceleration/deceleration of the animals in darkness, are inhibited by CGP 35348 in a dose related way. On the contrary, the depressing effects on the visual input, tested by optokinetic stimulation, by angular acceleration/deceleration with a simultaneous conflicting visual stimulation and by eliciting saccades, could not be prevented by CGP 35348. The results support the hypothesis that toluene causes some of the effects on the VOOM system by influence on the GABA-transmission. The findings are in agreement with a recent report of increased levels of extracellular GABA in the cerebellar cortex during exposure to toluene.

Acute toluene exposure decreases extracellular gamma-aminobutyric acid in the globus pallidus but not in striatum: a microdialysis study in awake, freely moving rats.

Intracerebral brain microdialysis was performed in awake, freely moving rats to study the effect of acute inhalation exposure of toluene (2000 ppm, 2 h) on extracellular levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) within the globus pallidus and the striatum. GABA within the globus pallidus decreased (20%) during and after (26%) exposure to toluene, while no reduction was seen in the striatal GABA level during exposure. After the exposure there was a tendency towards an increase (maximally 37%) in striatal GABA. 2 h of perfusion with tetrodotoxin (10(-6) M) decreased (32%) the extracellular GABA levels within the globus pallidus. The results suggest that the effect of acute toluene exposure varies with brain region and that the GABA output from the striatum to globus pallidus is more affected by the exposure than the GABA release within the striatum.

Effect of toluene inhalation on extracellular striatal acetylcholine release studied with microdialysis.

Intracerebral microdialysis was performed on awake, freely moving rats in order to record effect of toluene exposure on acetylcholine release in striatum. Acetylcholine release decreased during (about 20%) and after (about 60%) toluene exposure (2 hr, 2000 p.p.m.) Striatal acetylcholine release is thought to be mediated by dopamine. In a previous work we found that extracellular dopamine levels increase during toluene exposure. A dopamine uptake inhibitor (LU 19-005, 2 mg/kg) was therefore injected subcutaneously and the effect of increased extracellular dopamine on acetylcholine release within the striatum was monitored in the absence of toluene exposure. LU 19-005 increased striatal dopamine levels six times and the acetylcholine levels increased to about 145% of basal value. The present study shows that toluene exposure decrease acetylcholine release while an injection of a dopamine uptake inhibitor fails to decrease acetylcholine release. Indicating that acute exposure of toluene decreases striatal acetylcholine release by a mechanism that is not mediated by increased extracellular dopamine levels. Our data suggest that toluene decrease acetylcholine release within the striatum and that this effect not is mediated by increased extracellular dopamine levels.

Extracellular dopamine levels within the striatum increase during inhalation exposure to toluene: a microdialysis study in awake, freely moving rats.

An exposure chamber for microdialysis on awake, freely moving rats during exposure to volatile agents is described. Inhalation exposure to 1000 and 2000 ppm toluene for 2 h was accompanied by an increase in extracellular dopamine levels within the striatum, but did not affect the homovanillic acid level. Neither the dopamine nor the homovanillic acid level was affected by toluene 500 ppm or isoamylacetate. It is suggested that the action of inhaled toluene on the dopamine neuron differs from that of the anaesthetic halothane, possibly by interfering with dopamine reuptake. Microdialysis seems to be a useful tool for studying the effects of volatile agents on brain neurotransmission.

Acute toluene exposure increases extracellular GABA in the cerebellum of rat: a microdialysis study.

Effect of acute inhalation exposure of toluene or halothane anaesthesia on extracellular levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was monitored within the cerebellum of rats by microdialysis. GABA increased during and after exposure to toluene (2000 p.p.m., 2 hr) in contrast, halothane had no noticeable effect on GABA levels. When tetrodotoxin was added to the perfusion medium basal concentrations of GABA decreased to about 74% of control concentrations. Extracellular GABA levels did not increase during exposure to toluene when tetrodotoxin was added to the perfusion medium. The results indicate that toluene increase GABA within the cerebellum by sodium dependent mechanisms, possibly by modulating the neuronal input from the mossy fibers to the cerebellar cortex.