Exam 1 - Repetitive Behaviors Flashcards

1
Q

what are stereotypic behaviors?

A

repetitive behaviors that are not functional, often are rhythmic

pattern becomes more rigid over time & can be easily triggered by stress/anticipation even if not exhibited for a long time

movements will increase as stress increases

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2
Q

T/F: in an animal displaying stereotypic behavior, an increase in stress will increase their movements

A

true

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3
Q

what is the cause of stereotypies?

A

unknown - physiologically & neurologically complex

may be that individuals have high baseline cortisol levels (cortisol levels return to normal during/after cribbing in horses) which suggests that the behavior reduces stress perception

or that individuals have low b-endorphin levels

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4
Q

stereotypies usually start in _______ animals - why is this?

A

young animals!!!

older animals are thought to have been sensitized by significant stress when they were young

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5
Q

what are some examples of things that affect the stereotypic pattern seen in animals?

A

species-specific behavior

breed-specific behavior

personality type

environment

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6
Q

what are some examples of how breed-specific behaviors affect stereotypic patterns?

A

the pattern is often based on natural behaviors

oral behaviors like licking/cribbing

locomotor behaviors like circling, pawing, & tail chasing

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7
Q

what are some examples of how personality type behaviors affect stereotypic patterns?

A

high prey drive & easily stressed animals

jack russels digging & weimeraners being neurotic

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8
Q

what are some examples of how environment behaviors affect stereotypic patterns?

A

sawdust particles in sunshine - dog switched to overhead lights & chases particles

dog confined to a kennel - dog starts pacing the fence

owner behavior (giving attention) can reinforce the undesired behavior!!!

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9
Q

what medical problems has a circling locomotor pattern of stereotypic behavior been associated with?

A

gi issues, immune-mediated/inflammatory disorders, & allergies especially in GSD

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10
Q

what are some examples of locomotor patterns displayed as stereotypic behaviors?

A

circling, spinning, tail chasing, digging, weaving, & cage walking/pacing

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11
Q

what are some factors that potentiate the behavior of the tail chasing locomotor pattern?

A

hydrocephalus, genetic predisposition, & coping mechanism for stress

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12
Q

what are you concerned about for a dog displaying tail chasing but they don’t catch it & just go after it?

A

CNS/PNS problem - some dogs may catch & injure their tail

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13
Q

what are some examples of oral patterns displayed as stereotypic behaviors?

A

licking the floor/wall, excessive grooming, nose rubbing, pica, & flank sucking

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14
Q

what are some breed specific examples of locomotor patterns in stereotypic behaviors in dogs?

A

australian cattle dog - tail chasing

border collies - staring/chasing light or shadows

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15
Q

why do we see spinning & tail chasing as a locomotor pattern in german shepherds with behavioral stereotypies?

A

tail chasing is related to the neural cadherin gene

best performers tend to be the worst tail chasers

respond poorly to SSRIs - better to use anticonvulsants

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16
Q

T/F: GSD with tail chasing/spinning respond better to anticonvulsants than SSRIs

A

true

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17
Q

what oral patterns are seen in doberman pinschers with behavioral stereotypies? how common is it? why?

A

flank sucking & blanket sucking

30% incidence - 70% of some litters are affected

relates to neural cadherin gene - same as GSD

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18
Q

T/F: the cause of flank sucking in dobermans & tail chasing in GSD is related to the same neural cadherin gene

A

true

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19
Q

what stereotypies are seen in german short-haired pointers & great danes?

A

self-mutilation & fence running

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20
Q

what stereotypies are seen in mini schnauzers?

A

freezing, checking rear end

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21
Q

what stereotypies are seen in cavies?

A

chasing light or shadows

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22
Q

what stereotypies are seen in large breed dogs?

A

acral lick granulomas

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23
Q

what are some stereotypic patterns seen in cats?

A

excessive licking & circling

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24
Q

what is the acute phase in regards to the physiology of stereotypies?

A

on going stress results in a loose pattern of locomotor or oral behaviors to cope

studies on paw licking in dobies suggest that stress relief within 6 weeks stops the progression of the behavior into a stereotypy

25
Q

what is the chronic phase in regards to the physiology of stereotypies?

A

brain becomes hardwired for the behavior - stereotypy becomes more rigid & harder to eliminate

26
Q

what are some causes of dopamine modulation change related to chronic stress?

A

chronic stress from restricted goal-directed activities like locomotor activity, feeding, & social contact

27
Q

what are the functions of dopamine?

A

reward (motivation)

motor function (fine tuning)

pleasure, euphoria

compulsion

28
Q

T/F: there is some relationship to dopamine modulation dysfunction in the basal ganglia resulting in stereotypic behaviors

A

true

29
Q

what are some causes of dopamine modulation change related to psychostimulants (highly desirable stimuli)?

A

food - horses regularly consuming highly palatable foods appear more at risk for accelerated stereotypy development

social engagement

stuck between appetitive (wanting) & consummatory (doing)

30
Q

T/F: stereotypic behaviors may be related to abnormal sensitivity to endorphins

A

true - levels are lower in horses with stereotypies & response to some narcotic antagonists supports sensitivity

31
Q

what is the goal of treating stereotypies? why?

A

reduction of the behavior!!!

stereotypies are extremely difficult to eliminate

treat coexisting medical conditions - tail chasing with mutilation/injures to the rear & cauda equina syndrome

32
Q

how is management used for treating stereotypies?

A

environmental enrichment

33
Q

how is drug therapy used to treat stereotypies?

A

SSRIs & TCAs - 50% respond to serotonin enhancers

some respond to narcotic antagonists - internal reward

34
Q

T/F: it is okay to use physical barriers alone to treat stereotypic behaviors

A

false - can’t do this alone without addressing the stress

35
Q

T/F: it is impossible to prove that animals have obsessive thoughts

A

true

36
Q

what is obsession?

A

persistent idea initially experienced as intrusive & senseless that is usually disturbing/distracting

37
Q

what is compulsion? how does it relate to stereotypy?

A

repetitive, purposeful, & intentional behavior performed in a repetitive fashion in response to an obsession - clearly excessive & done to make obsession go away

the repetition may be a stereotypy that has become dissociated from the triggering stimulus

38
Q

what causes compulsion in companion animals?

A

unknown but suspected genetic component in some cases

39
Q

what is the issue with compulsion being done to make the obsession go away?

A

the relief never lasts & anxiety continues to increase, so the need to express the behavior becomes more demanding

40
Q

what are some examples of human expressions of OCD?

A

washers - cleaning or hand-washing compulsions

checkers - repeatedly checking harmful things

doubters & sinners - perfection or will be punished/bad things will happen

counters & arrangers - obsessed with order & symmetry

hoarders - bad things will happen if they throw anything away

41
Q

what are some examples of OCD patterns in dogs?

A

acral lick dermatitis/granulomasa

ball, stick, or toy fetish

light chasing - often triggered by having the dog chase a laser light

circling or tail chasing

42
Q

what OCD patterns are seen in bull terriers?

A

tail chasing, trancing, & freezing

43
Q

OCD patterns in other dog breeds are seen when __________ become ______

A

stereotypies

OCDs

44
Q

what cat breed is associated with the OCD pattern of wool/fabric sucking?

A

siamese cats

45
Q

what cat breed is associated with the OCD pattern of excessive self-licking?

A

bengal cats

46
Q

what are some examples of OCD patterns seen in cats?

A

repetitive vocalization

wool/fabric sucking

excessive licking of self, inanimate objects, or air licking

light chasing

spinning

tail chasing

47
Q

what is the physiology of OCD in companion animals?

A

thought to be an abnormality in the brain pathway

frontal cortex sends ‘worry’ signal through caudate nucleus (part of the basal ganglia)

caudate nucleus normally brakes amount of signal passed on to the thalamus

thalamus gets excited & signals the frontal cortex

frontal cortex gets more hyper & the loop continues if caudate nucleus doesn’t slow things down

48
Q

what is the relationship of OCD to the Slitrk5 gene?

A

inactivation of the gene leads to over grooming

role in the release & uptake of glutamate, so too much glutamate causes nerve over excitation, & glutamate receptors may also be over sensitive

49
Q

T/F: medication alone (SSRIs) for treating OCD in companion animals is rarely effective

A

true

50
Q

what is the most successful treatment for animals with OCD?

A

cognitive therapy where they learn effective ways to respond to obsessive thoughts without showing the compulsive behavior

51
Q

should an animal ever be punished for showing compulsive behavior?

A

nope

52
Q

what is the goal for treating animals with OCD? how should you start in your approach?

A

reduce the frequency of the behavior - elimination is unlikely & recurrence with stress is common

treat underlying conditions - hyper behavior & medical conditions

53
Q

how is management used for treating OCD in companion animals?

A

physical barriers - only blocks the behavior & increases stress, so don’t do this alone

avoid stimuli that trigger the behavior

reduce environmental stress with exercise, environmental enrichment, & predictable routines

neutrally distract animal - head halter, asking for an alternative behavior to be rewarded

54
Q

why may SSRIs & TCAs work for treating animals with OCD?

A

they work to increase the amount of serotonin available in interneuron space & may eventually remodel some receptors

55
Q

why may narcotic antagonists work for treating animals with OCD?

A

stress causes the release of endorphins & endorphins in certain regions in the brain can trigger stereotypic movements

narcotic antagonists block the release of endorphins

56
Q

why may NMDA receptor blockers, such as dextromethorphan, work for treating animals with OCD?

A

stress causes the release of endorphins which release dopamine

dopamine reinforces the behavior but needs activated NMDA receptors to work

57
Q

how is behavior modification used for treating animals with OCD?

A

train the animal for breed-specific activities

teach the animal to relax on cue

desensitize the animal to the stimuli

58
Q

what is the difference between stereotypies, obsessions, & compulsions?

A

stereotypy - not functional, rhythmic repetitive behaviors that are easily triggered by stress/anticipation

obsessions - unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings

compulsions - behaviors an individual engages in to attempt to get rid of the obsessions and/or decrease distress, repetitive purposeful intentional behavior performed in a repetitive fashion in response to an obsession