Up in smoke -- effects of acute nicotine administration on impulsivity in rats under a paced fixed consecutive number schedule of reinforcement

Impulsivity is a clinical symptom that has been implicated in numerous psychiatric and neurological disorders. Impulsivity is frequently observed in alcohol and opioid dependence in animal models. This study, in conjunction with UMass Medical School, attempted to extend these findings through the use of varying dosages of nicotine (acute administration) on Wistar Kyoto Rats. The paced Fixed Consecutive Number schedule was utilized to examine a specific component of impulsivity. Impulsivity levels were shown to significantly increase at higher nicotine dosages

Strategic plan for the development of the Coastal Training Institute (CTI) for Sea Grant Puerto Rico

This report, prepared for the University of Puerto Rico Sea Grant program, focused on developing a strategic plan for the development of the Coastal Training Institute (CTI) in Puerto Rico. The CTI is being created in response to the need for improved coastal management and sustainable development on the island. A market analysis was performed to determine environmental and managerial needs, compile available resources related to coastal management and to identify an appropriate structure for the CTI. Twenty-one interviews and a focus group were conducted as well as related case studies analyzed to gather this information. Our suggestions based upon the collected data were then submitted to Sea Grant in the form of a strategic plan to be used as a preliminary step in the formation of the CTI

Neural substrates underlying impulsivity

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder whose three main symptoms are impulsiveness, inattention, and hyperactivity. Although ADHD is an early developmental disorder, it may persist into adulthood, resulting in deficits associated with poor academic performance, frequent job changes, poor and unstable marriages, and increases in motor vehicle accidents. Of the three primary symptoms of ADHD, deficits in impulse control are the most challenging to the social network and the judicial system. While the etiology of ADHD remains unknown, recent work suggests that the central deficits in ADHD may be due to poor response inhibition that is linked to monoamine and prefrontal lobe deficiencies. In the past, preclinical studies designed to understand the lack of impulse control have generally been relegated to studies linked to aggression and drug abuse. With the use of innovative noninvasive techniques, like anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging, selective neurochemical and behavioral paradigms have converged with preclinical reports and lend support to the premise that monoaminergic neurotransmitter systems and the cortico-striatal circuitry are essential to impulse control. Furthermore, new emerging data on neural substrates underlying impulsivity have incorporated brain regions involved in reinforcement, reward, and decision making such as the nucleus accumbens, cerebellum, and amygdala. As noninvasive brain imaging, neurochemical, and behavioral approaches are combined, our knowledge of the neural networks underlying impulsivity will hopefully give rise to therapeutic approaches aimed at alleviating this disorder