INTRODUCTION Exposure to 3, 4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) could lead to serotonergic system toxicity in the brain. This system is responsible for learning and memory functions. Studies show that MDMA causes memory impairment dose-dependently and acutely. The present study was designed to evaluate the chronic and acute effects of MDMD on spatial memory and acquisition of passive avoida...

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of both neuronal NOS (nNOS) and inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibitor 2-iminobiotin, with the more selective nNOS inhibitor N(ω)-propyl-L-arginine (NPLA) and selective inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibitor aminoguanidine, on emotional learning, working memory and reference memory, by using three panel runway and passive avoidance paradigm in order to clarify t...

This study examines the anticonvulsant profile of interactions between 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CCPA, a selective adenosine A1 receptor agonist) and four conventional antiepileptic drugs (AEDs: carbamazepine--CBZ, phenobarbital, phenytoin and valproate) in the mouse maximal electroshock seizure (MES) model. Acute adverse effects produced by AEDs in combination with CCPA were determined...

Flavonoids are a class of polyphenolic compounds present in fruits and vegetables. Several studies have demonstrated a relationship between the consumption of flavonoid-rich diets and the prevention of human diseases including neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, we assessed the effect of quercetin (3,3',4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) on oxidative stress and memory retrieval using a step-through pas...

Behavioral effects of a hydroalcoholic (60% ethanol) extract from the leaves of Salvia elegans Vahl (Lamiaceae) were studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The extract was administered intraperitoneally and its effects on spontaneous motor activity (total motility, locomotion, rearing and grooming behavior) were monitored. Putative anxiolytic and antidepressant properties of Salvia elegans were s...

While risk research focuses on actions that put people at risk, this paper introduces the concept of “passive risk”— risk brought on or magnified by inaction. We developed a scale measuring personal tendency for passive risk taking (PRT), validated it using a 150 undergraduate student sample, and obtained three factors indicating separate domains of passive risk taking: risk involving resources...

According to the physiological animal model proposed by Gorenstein and Newman (1980; see also Newman, Gorenstein, & Kelsey, 1983), psychopaths and extraverts may be characterized by a common psychological diathesis related to behavioral inhibition (see also Fowles, 1980; Gray, 1982). One aspect of this diathesis involves deficient passive avoidance learning, which has been central to explanatio...

One of the most common causes of mortality in acute kidney injury is brain dysfunction. Here we investigated the possible protective effect of erythropoietin (EPO) on cognitive impairments induced by bilateral renal ischemia (BRI). Eighty male Wistar rats were allocated into 8 groups: 1, 2) Sham+V (Vehicle), 3, 4) Sham+EPO, 5, 6) BRI+V, 7, 8) BRI+EPO. The groups followed by the reperfusion per...