EFFECTS OF DRUGS

Author: MORAGREGA VERGARA INES.
Year: 2004.
University: VALENCIA [www.uv.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAT DE PSICOLOGIA.
Place of preparation: FACULTAT DE PSICOLOGIA.

Summary: Previous studies in rodents have shown that housing conditions can alter the spontaneous motor activity, increase the level of emotionality of animals and even affect their ability to learn. Several investigations have suggested that nicotine cholinergic agonist, may have an effect on learning ability. However, these studies generally have not considered the effects of nicotine on emotional factors that could affect the observed changes in the performance of tasks of learning and memory. Moreover, it was also unknown to what extent factors such as isolation can be an important variable in assessing the effects of nicotine on the behavior. For all of the above, the objective of this thesis was to delineate the effects of social isolation and the administration of nicotine on learning in mice NMRI, taking into account the role modulator of variables such as the level of emotional anxiety and aggressiveness. It designed two experimental studies. In study 1 were studied the effects of isolation and nicotine in mice with different levels of aggression. This study consisted of two experiments in the first one was assessed learning the labyrinth of water. In the second, learning the active avoidance conditioning. In study 2 explored the same kinds of learning, but in this case mice differed in their level of anxiety. The basal level of aggressiveness was measured as a function of the latency attack on an opponent and were classified as having high or low aggressiveness. The level of anxiety was obtained as a function of time spent in the open arms of the maze high. In addition to the ability to learn in the maze of water and avoidance conditioning, motor activity was evaluated baseline for all subjects. The main results show that: 1) Isolation induces motor hyperactivity in rodents. 2) The isolation has no effect clearly anxiolytic or ansiógenos in the labyrinth high. 3) In the maze of water, isolation does not affect the acquisition but can improve retention. The level of aggressiveness is not influenced by the acquisition nor retention. The level of anxiety also had a direct effect on the labyrinth of water. Nicotine worsened performance in mice isolated. 4) The avoidance conditioning active mice isolated presented more evitaciones that grouped. The level of aggressiveness affects measures motor activity and the rate of learning of this condition. Regarding the level of anxiety note that can modulate the rate of active avoidance learning. In this task, nicotine fewer evitaciones in animals grouped and also there is a differential sensitivity to nicotine in mice with different levels of aggressiveness. We conclude that the housing conditions can affect the ability of learning and behavioral modulate the effects of nicotine.

Author: LOPEZ CRESPO GINESA ANA.
Year: 2004.
University: ALMERÍA [www.ual.es].
Place of defense: DEPARTAMENTO DE NEUROCIENCIA Y CIENCIAS DE LA SALUD.
Place of preparation: FACULTAD DE HUMANIDADES Y CIENCIAS DE LA EDUCACIÓN.

Summary: The organophosphates are a series of structurally diverse compounds whose main mechanism of action is irreversible inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). The objective of this thesis was to study the neurotoxic effects in the short, medium and long term treatment with chlorpyrifos (CPF), one of the most widely used organophosphate pesticides globally. This was evaluated locomotor activity of rats intoxicated with an acute dose of CPF, as well as its implementation in different animal models of anxiety (Open Field Test, Labyrinth in Red High and High Maze T). The results showed that treatment with FPC produces a decrease in the locomotive to conduct two days of his administration, the fact that tolerance develops rapidly. Moreover, the effects of the CPF in animal models of anxiety depend on the animal model used as a time post-administración that are evaluated. In general lines, in the short term can be seen anxiolytic effect within five days of his administration. Most of these effects are not appreciated when the evaluation takes place in the medium term, but at this moment continues with an anxiolytic effect in the T-maze high. The long-term evaluation in animal models indicated an effect ansiógeno CPF detectable only in the Maze in Cruz High. Finally, we assessed the effects of a second poisoning FPC both measures locomotor activity in the different models of anxiety. The results showed that even though it takes 6 months between poisoning after a second intoxication is enhancing some of the acute effects of the CPF, disappearing others. Taken together, these results suggest that a single dose of FPC produces neurotoxic effects in both the short as well as medium and long term.

Author: MALDONADO ADRIAN CONCEPCION.
Year: 2006.
University: VALENCIA [www.uv.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAT DE PSICOLOGIA.
Place of preparation: FACULTAT DE PSICOLOGIA.

Summary: The overall objective of this PhD thesis was to study the involvement of the glutamatergic neurotransmission and GHB in addiction to opiates and cocaine. First we wanted to look at the contribution of these two systems neurotransmission in the effects of morphine introduced on social behavior. We hypothesized that the effect on system glutamatérgico specifically blocking NMDA receptors (using Memantine and MK - 801) as well as the facilitation of neurotransmission GABAérgica through the administration of GHB (gamma-acid) may modify the effects on the social behaviors exercises morphine. We are also studying whether both physical symptoms such as motivational, as measured by Conditioning Aversivo of Place (CAL), observed in the withdrawal syndrome in morphine, can be modified by the above-mentioned actions on the system glutamatérgico or GABAérgico. We have also noted the role of these two systems neurotransmission on the reinforcing actions of cocaine. We have studied the role of GHB system glutamatérgico and on reinforcing effects of cocaine, acquisition, speech and the restoration (relapse) by the condition of the place preference (LPC) induced by the drug. Through this series of studies trying to explore the role of these systems neurotransmission in the reinforcing effects, as in the relapse into cocaine use. The results indicated that the administration of memantine produce an increase in the motor activity is not affecting the action antiagresiva of morphine. The memantine blocks the motivational and physical symptoms of withdrawal syndrome in morphine while the MK - 801 was more effective in blocking only motivational symptoms of this withdrawal syndrome evaluated by CAL. Moreover, we observed as GHB enhances social behavior induced by morphine at the same time counteracting this opioid-induced hyperactivity, improving both the physical and motivational aspects of the withdrawal syndrome in morphine. In addition we have seen not as GHB power reinforcing effects of cocaine, as assessed by the LPC, blocking the return to search for cocaine (relapse) when administered during the acquisition or the expression of conditioning along with a dose or 'priming' cocaine. We have also seen as blocking NMDA and AMPA receptors by the administration of memantine and CNQX prevents the acquisition of CPL and expression induced by cocaine, not being able to block relapse induced administrations' priming 'of the same drug.

Author: SAAD COSTA CARMEN ADELIA.
Year: 2006.
University: SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA [www.usc.es].
Place of defense: FACULTAD DE PSICOLOGÍA.
Place of preparation: CONVENIO UNIVERSIDADE DE SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (FACULTADE DE PSICOLOXÍA) E A UBRA.

Summary: This investigation arises from a perspective aimed at the implementation and evaluation of a prevention program in the school, the program "Building Health" in the city of Corumba, in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. This program has been designed and evaluated at the University of Santiago de Compostela and is based on the major risk factors that lead to drug use and condcuta antisocial adolescents. Based on an analysis of the psychosocial factors associated with behavioral problems, this program's main purpose is to provide youth skills necessary to deal adequately with the social influences which incite to drug use or to antisocial behavior, and especially at preseiones group of friends, given the intensity with which they interact during adolescence. The evaluaicón program has been carried out with a pre-post test design (first assessment before starting the program and another six months to the end) and it has been proved the effectiveness of this program couando this is implemented by técncios or teachers. They have participated in the study six schools municipal basic education in the city of Corumba, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, two of which assigned to the control condition and two others to the condition of treatment. The total number of subjects of the investigation has been 271 students. For the evaluation of the effects of the program have been used in the questionnaires that were included indicators of consumption and antisocial behavior, as well as psychosocial variables and skills on which incidde the program .. To analyze the data from this study we used different herramientoas statistics such as test "Chi" proof "t" Student and Analysis Covarianza. The results suggest that the condition gets treatment values significantly different from the control condition in the variables directly related to the consumption of teenagers such as: informaicón on alcohol, cannabis and snuff, beliefs about prevalence of consumption and susceptibility to persuasion. You also get significant differences in variables related to competition psychosocial: self-esteem, luagr control and satisfaction with the school. The variables are consumer trends change in the expected direction.