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Author Schultz, P.N.; Remick-Barlow, G.A.; Robbins, L.
Title (up) Equine-assisted psychotherapy: a mental health promotion/intervention modality for children who have experienced intra-family violence Type Journal Article
Year 2007 Publication Health & Social Care in the Community Abbreviated Journal
Volume 15 Issue 3 Pages 265-271
Keywords children; equine; intra-family violence; mental health; psychotherapy
Abstract Equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP) is a specialized form of psychotherapy using the horse as a therapeutic tool. This modality is designed to address self-esteem and personal confidence, communication and interpersonal effectiveness, trust, boundaries and limit-setting, and group cohesion. Substantial numbers of children witness family violence. There is evidence that violence between parents has adverse effects on the children in the family. These children are at greater risk of behavioural problems and mental health disorders, including anxiety, anger, depression and suicidal ideations, withdrawal, low self-esteem, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The purpose of the present pilot study was to test the efficacy of EAP in a cross-sectional group of children referred to a psychotherapist for various childhood behavioural and mental health issues over an 18-month period (June 2003–January 2005). Sixty-three children received a mean number of 19 EAP sessions. Scores on the Children's Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale were determined pre- and post-treatment. The mean (± standard deviation, SD) pretreatment score was 54.1 (SD 3.2) and post treatment mean score was 61.7 ± 5.0 (t = 9.06, d.f. = 96, P < 0.001). All children showed improvement in GAF scores, and there was a statistically significant correlation between the percentage improvement in the GAF scores and the number of sessions given (r = 0.73, P = 0.001). Univariate analysis showed that the greatest improvement in the GAF scores occurred in the youngest of the subjects. Children in the group who had a history of physical abuse and neglect had a statistically significant greater percentage improvement in GAF scores after treatment than those who did not have a history of abuse and neglect. This study has demonstrated a quick response to EAP, especially in younger children, but it remains to be determined what kind of long-term effects this type of intervention may provide.
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Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Blackwell Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1365-2524 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 6031
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Author Lloyd, A.S.; Martin, J.E.; Bornett-Gauci, H.L.I.; Wilkinson, R.G.
Title (up) Evaluation of a novel method of horse personality assessment: Rater-agreement and links to behaviour Type Journal Article
Year 2007 Publication Applied Animal Behaviour Science Abbreviated Journal Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci.
Volume 105 Issue 1-3 Pages 205-222
Keywords Personality; Horse; Individual differences; Behaviour; Reliability
Abstract The efficacy of questionnaire-based personality assessment has been shown in a variety of animal and human personality studies. There has been a recent increase in questionnaire-based studies focussing on equine personality but with a lack of comparability to studies on other species. The aim of this study was to test the reliability of an assessment method originally developed for primates and demonstrate reliability using three criteria (1) assessments by independent observers must agree with one another, (2) these assessments must predict behaviours and real-world outcomes and (3) observer ratings must be shown to reflect genuine attributes of the individuals rated, not merely the observer's implicit personality theories about how traits co-vary. The personality of 61 horses (Equus caballus) was assessed using a questionnaire constructed of 30 behaviourally defined adjectives (BDAs). Horses were each assessed by three judges, in addition to a total of 2 h behaviour observations recorded per horse. Rater agreement was demonstrated for 72.1% of the horses and 25 of the BDAs. Principal component analysis was carried out on the rating data and revealed six underlying personality components that were labelled “dominance”, “anxiousness”, “excitability”, “protection”, “sociability” and “inquisitiveness”. Component scores for horses were correlated against behavioural observations for the same horses and revealed significant correlations with 20 of the recorded behaviour variables. Correlations between specific components and their associated behaviours were logical and consistent with the types of behaviours that would be expected to be linked with such personality types. The data were shown to meet all three criteria and provided strong evidence that the assessment method was reliably measuring horse personality.
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
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Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 1981
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Author May, A.
Title (up) Evaluierung von Stressparametern beim Pferd im Zusammenhang mit dem Klinikaufenthalt [Evaluation of stress parameters in the hospitalized horse] Type Manuscript
Year 2007 Publication Abbreviated Journal
Volume Issue Pages
Keywords
Abstract Ein Klinikaufenthalt stellt für Pferde eine Stresssituation dar und viele Pferde erkranken

während eines Klinikaufenthalts an Stress-assoziierten Erkrankungen. Eine der häufigsten ist

die so genannte Colitis X, eine oft tödlich verlaufende Durchfallerkrankung. Da es im Verlauf

dieser Erkrankungen zu einem Verlust der Tiere kommen kann, hat ihre Vermeidung oberste

Priorität.

Ziel der vorliegenden Untersuchung war es, herauszufinden, inwieweit bei den Pferden der

klinisch erkennbare Stress mit Veränderungen messbarer Blutparameter (Hämatokrit,

Gesamteiweiß, Leukozyten, Glukose, Laktat, Kortisol) einhergeht und dabei einen Parameter

zu finden, mit dem Stress beim Klinikpatienten Pferd verlässlich und möglichst einfach

evaluiert werden kann. Zudem wurden in dieser Studie Freie Sauerstoffradikale („oxidativer

Stress“) und IgA im Kot bestimmt, um diese Parameter auf ihre klinische Verwendbarkeit zu

prüfen und zu untersuchen, inwieweit Stress mit dem lokalen Immunglobulingehalt

interferiert. Einigen ausgewählten Pferden wurde zudem der Paramunitätsinducer Zylexis® der

Firma Pfizer appliziert, um dessen Wirkung auf die untersuchten Parameter festzustellen.

Es wurden 110 Patienten der Klinik für Pferde untersucht, die in dem Zeitraum der Studie

zufällig hospitalisiert wurden. Die Pferde wurden in zwei Gruppen eingeteilt. Eine Gruppe

wurde in der Klinik operiert, die zweite nur stationär behandelt. Des Weiteren wurde eine

Kontrollgruppe in ihrem Heimatstall zum Vergleich miteinbezogen, die in den letzten sechs

Wochen vor der Studie nicht transportiert oder anderweitig belastet worden war.

Den Pferden wurde in definierten Abständen Blut und Kot entnommen, um den Einfluss von

Transport, Operation und Klinikstress möglichst gut zu erfassen. Die Zeitpunkte waren direkt

nach der Einlieferung, am Morgen vor der Narkose, nach der Aufstehphase und sowohl einen

als auch vier Tage nach der Narkose. Pferden, die nicht operiert wurden und der

Kontrollgruppe wurden insgesamt dreimal Blut und Kot (Tag 1, 3, Tag vor der Entlassung)

entnommen.

Für die Zylexis®-Studie wurden Vitrektomie-Patienten ausgewählt, da diese ein gutes Beispiel

für eine kurze, wenig traumatische Operation darstellen. Diese Pferde wurden mit den

anderen Pferden, die leichten Operationen unterzogen wurden, verglichen.

Bereits nach dem unterschiedlich langen Transport zeigten die Pferde signifikante Anstiege

von Gesamtleukozytenzahl, dem Verhältnis neutrophiler Granulozyten zu Lymphozyten

(N:L-Verhältnis), Glukose und den klinischen Parametern (Herzfrequenz, Atemfrequenz,

Körpertemperatur). Die IgA-Konzentration im Kot sank bei den eingelieferten Pferden nach

Einlieferung erst ab, um sich dann vermutlich durch den Kontakt mit den fremden Antigenen

in der Klinik reflektorisch zu erhöhen. Auffällig war, dass die Kortisolkonzentration nach

dem Transport bei den als „nervös, sensibel“ eingestuften Pferden signifikant höher lag als bei

den „ruhigen, ausgeglichenen“ Pferden.

Weitere deutliche Veränderungen zeigten sich nach den Operationen. Glukose, Kortisol und

das N:L-Verhältnis wiesen nach den unterschiedlich langen Eingriffen höhere Konzentrationen

auf. Die Laktatkonzentration stieg signifikant bereits nach der Operation und

anschließend noch weiter nach der Aufstehphase. Dies ist primär auf die Muskelbelastung

zurückzuführen, da Laktat vor allem muskulären Ursprungs ist. Hämatokrit und Gesamteiweiß

sanken nach der Narkose aufgrund der intraoperativ verabreichten Infusionen ab.

Einem starken hoch signifikanten Konzentrationsabfall unterlag auch der IgA-Gehalt im Kot.

Dabei war kein Unterschied zwischen den verschiedenen Operationstraumata festzustellen.

Ansonsten unterlagen die Pferde, die mit hochgradig gestörtem Allgemeinbefinden zu einer

Notoperation eingeliefert wurden, viel deutlicheren Veränderungen als die anderen Pferde.

Die Freien Radikale zeigten überhaupt keinen charakteristischen Verlauf. Sie schienen

allerdings bei den chronisch erkrankten Pferden erhöht zu sein. Des Weiteren zeigten sie

Erhöhungen bei bestimmten Erkrankungen („Equine Motor Neuron Disease“, Hufrehe).

Bei den Pferden, die Zylexis® verabreicht bekamen, konnte eine Tendenz zur Verbesserung

des Immunstatus nachgewiesen werden. Es fiel ein deutlich höherer Gesamteiweißgehalt auf,

der wahrscheinlich auf eine vermehrte Produktion von Immunglobulinen zurückzuführen ist.

Außerdem war die Kortisolkonzentration nach der Operation signifikant niedriger. Der IgAGehalt

zeigte einen weniger deutlichen Konzentrationsabfall, was aber statistisch nicht belegt

werden konnte.

Die Untersuchungen zeigten, dass das N:L-Verhältnis und Glukose geeignete Parameter

darstellen um zuverlässig den Stress, dem ein Pferd ausgesetzt ist, zu evaluieren. Kortisol ist

vorsichtig zu interpretieren, da es großen individuellen Schwankungen ausgesetzt ist.

Die Bestimmung von IgA im Kot gibt Aufschluss über den lokalen Immunstatus des

Intestinaltrakts. Da es bei allen Pferden postoperativ zu signifikanten Konzentrationsabfällen

kam, sind Pferde nach jeder Operation offensichtlich prädisponiert, eine Darmerkrankung,

wie beispielsweise Colitis X, zu entwickeln. Kortisol scheint auch Einfluss auf das lokale

Immunsystem zu nehmen, da hohe Kortisolwerte mit einem niedrigen IgA-Gehalt im Kot

korrelierten.

Um die Zusammenhänge der Blutparameter und der Colitis X näher zu erforschen und

insbesondere um die „kritischen“ IgA-Konzentrationen zu ermitteln, wären noch weiterführende

Untersuchungen aufschlußreich.

[Many horses in clinics display symptoms of stress-associated diseases. One of the most feared

is the so-called Colitis X, an often fatal ending diarrhea. As death occurs quite often in the

course of those diseases, their avoidance has first priority.

The aim of the following study was to find out whether signs of stress which are displayed by

the horses correlate with measurable blood parameters. Furthermore we tried to find a

parameter which was suitable to evaluate stress in hospitalized horses.

Apart from the commonly measured parameters (hematocrit, total protein, leucocytes,

glucose, lactate, corticosterone) we tried to include free oxygen radicals in this study.

Immunoglobulin A in faeces was investigated to find out how stress interfered with the local

immune system. A Paramunityinducer often used in Germany (Zylexis®) was administered to

10 selected horses to research its effect on the different parameters.

110 patients hospitalized in the horse clinic were examined. First the horses were organized

into two groups. One group underwent surgery and the other one received stationary

treatment. Furthermore a control group was taken into account which had not been

transported or subjected to stress in six weeks prior to the study.

The horses were drawn blood and collected faeces in defined intervals to register the

influence of transport, operation and clinic stress. Blood samples were taken directly after the

transport, prior to the operation, right after surgery and one day and four days after the

operation. Horses which did not undergo surgery including the control group were drawn

blood and faeces three times (day 1, 3, and the day prior to discharge from the clinic).

For the paramunity investigation patients for vitrectomy were chosen as they display a good

example for short little traumatic operations. Those were compared with other horses brought

into the clinic for short operations.

After the transport to the clinic horses showed significant increases in leukocyte

concentration, N:L-ratio, glucose and the clinical parameters (heart rate, breathing rate, body

temperature). The immunoglobulin concentration decreased after the transport to rapidly rise

after contact with antigens from the clinic environment.

Horses categorized as “nervous, sensitive” displayed significantly higher corticosterone

concentrations after the transport than horses categorized as “cool, calm”. Other distinct

variations showed after the operations. The lactate concentrations increased significantly after

anaesthesia and went up even further after the horse got up afterwards. This is due to

muscular fatigue as lactate is mainly produced in the muscles. Glucose, corticosterone and the

N:L-ratio also displayed higher concentrations after the operation.

Hematocrit and total protein concentrations decreased after anaesthesia ascribed to infusions

during operation. After anaesthesia a highly significant reduction of immunoglobulin

concentrations in the faeces was determined. No influence of the different operation traumas

could be recognized.

That was surprising as in all other cases horses in very bad general condition displayed

distinct changes.

The free oxygen radicals did not show any characteristic pattern. There appeared to be a

higher concentration in horses with chronic illnesses. Furthermore some diseases, like Equine

Motor Neuron Disease and laminitis, seemed to have an increasing impact on the oxygen

radicals.

Zylexis® showed a tendency to improve the immune status of the horses in this study. The

paramunized horses had more total serum protein than the others. This could be due to an

increased production of Immunoglobulins. Additionally the corticosterone concentration after

the operation stayed on a significantly lower level. The local immunoglobulin A

concentrations did not appear to decrease as much as in the non-paramunized horses but it

was not possible to statistically prove this statement.

The results of this study show that the N:L-ratio and glucose might be suitable parameters to

reliably evaluate the stress that has an effect on the hospitalized horse. Corticosterone values

have to be interpreted carefully as they are very prone to individual variations.

Measuring immunoglobulins in faeces provides information about the local intestinal immune

status. Since all horses showed significant lower immunoglobulin concentrations after the

anesthesia/operation they obviously lack immune protection and are therefore predisposed for

developing enteritis, as Colitis X. In this study corticosterone seemed to influence the local

immune system as high concentrations of corticosterone correlated with low immunoglobulin

levels.

To understand the circumstances more thoroughly and to find out which factors have to be

present additionally in order for the horses to fall ill with Colitis X, further investigations have

to be made.]
Address
Corporate Author Thesis Ph.D. thesis
Publisher LMU München Place of Publication München Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5902
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Author Pérez-Barbería, F.J.; Shultz, S.; Dunbar, R.I.M.; Janis, C.
Title (up) Evidence For Coevolution Of Sociality And Relative Brain Size In Three Orders Of Mammals Type Journal Article
Year 2007 Publication Evolution Abbreviated Journal
Volume 61 Issue 12 Pages 2811-2821
Keywords Brain size, carnivores, coevolution, primates, sociality, ungulates
Abstract Abstract

As the brain is responsible for managing an individual's behavioral response to its environment, we should expect that large relative brain size is an evolutionary response to cognitively challenging behaviors. The “social brain hypothesis” argues that maintaining group cohesion is cognitively demanding as individuals living in groups need to be able to resolve conflicts that impact on their ability to meet resource requirements. If sociality does impose cognitive demands, we expect changes in relative brain size and sociality to be coupled over evolutionary time. In this study, we analyze data on sociality and relative brain size for 206 species of ungulates, carnivores, and primates and provide, for the first time, evidence that changes in sociality and relative brain size are closely correlated over evolutionary time for all three mammalian orders. This suggests a process of coevolution and provides support for the social brain theory. However, differences between taxonomic orders in the stability of the transition between small-brained/nonsocial and large-brained/social imply that, although sociality is cognitively demanding, sociality and relative brain size can become decoupled in some cases. Carnivores seem to have been especially prone to this.
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Notes doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00229.x Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4781
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Author Pérez-Barbería, F.J.; Shultz, S.; Dunbar, R.I.
Title (up) Evidence for coevolution of sociality and relative brain size in three orders of mammals Type Journal Article
Year 2007 Publication Evolution Abbreviated Journal
Volume 61 Issue Pages
Keywords
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Pérez-Barbería2007 Serial 6221
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Author Lusseau, D.
Title (up) Evidence for social role in a dolphin social network Type Journal Article
Year 2007 Publication Evolutionary Ecology Abbreviated Journal Evol. Ecol.
Volume 21 Issue 3 Pages 357-366
Keywords
Abstract Abstract  Social animals have to take into consideration the behaviour of conspecifics when making decisions to go by their daily lives. These decisions affect their fitness and there is therefore an evolutionary pressure to try making the right choices. In many instances individuals will make their own choices and the behaviour of the group will be a democratic integration of everyone’s decision. However, in some instances it can be advantageous to follow the choice of a few individuals in the group if they have more information regarding the situation that has arisen. Here I provide early evidence that decisions about shifts in activity states in a population of bottlenose dolphin follow such a decision-making process. This unshared consensus is mediated by a non-vocal signal, which can be communicated globally within the dolphin school. These signals are emitted by individuals that tend to have more information about the behaviour of potential competitors because of their position in the social network. I hypothesise that this decision-making process emerged from the social structure of the population and the need to maintain mixed-sex schools.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 5154
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Author Dunbar, R.I.M.; Shultz, S.
Title (up) Evolution in the Social Brain Type Journal Article
Year 2007 Publication Science Abbreviated Journal Science
Volume 317 Issue 5843 Pages 1344-1347
Keywords
Abstract The evolution of unusually large brains in some groups of animals, notably primates, has long been a puzzle. Although early explanations tended to emphasize the brain's role in sensory or technical competence (foraging skills, innovations, and way-finding), the balance of evidence now clearly favors the suggestion that it was the computational demands of living in large, complex societies that selected for large brains. However, recent analyses suggest that it may have been the particular demands of the more intense forms of pairbonding that was the critical factor that triggered this evolutionary development. This may explain why primate sociality seems to be so different from that found in most other birds and mammals: Primate sociality is based on bonded relationships of a kind that are found only in pairbonds in other taxa.
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Notes Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4243
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Author McElreath, R.; Luttbeg, B.; Fogarty, S.P.; Brodin, T.; Sih, A.
Title (up) Evolution of animal personalities Type Journal Article
Year 2007 Publication Abbreviated Journal Nature
Volume 450 Issue 7167 Pages E5-E5
Keywords
Abstract
Address
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Nature Publishing Group Place of Publication Editor
Language Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0028-0836 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes 10.1038/nature06326 Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4295
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Author Overli, O.; Sorensen, C.; Pulman, K.G.T.; Pottinger, T.G.; Korzan, W.; Summers, C.H.; Nilsson, G.E.
Title (up) Evolutionary background for stress-coping styles: relationships between physiological, behavioral, and cognitive traits in non-mammalian vertebrates Type Journal Article
Year 2007 Publication Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Abbreviated Journal Neurosci Biobehav Rev
Volume 31 Issue 3 Pages 396-412
Keywords Adaptation, Psychological/*physiology; Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; Biogenic Monoamines/physiology; Brain/physiology; Cognition/*physiology; Evolution; Glucocorticoids/*physiology; Individuality; Lizards; Oncorhynchus mykiss; Social Dominance; Stress, Psychological/*psychology
Abstract Reactions to stress vary between individuals, and physiological and behavioral responses tend to be associated in distinct suites of correlated traits, often termed stress-coping styles. In mammals, individuals exhibiting divergent stress-coping styles also appear to exhibit intrinsic differences in cognitive processing. A connection between physiology, behavior, and cognition was also recently demonstrated in strains of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) selected for consistently high or low cortisol responses to stress. The low-responsive (LR) strain display longer retention of a conditioned response, and tend to show proactive behaviors such as enhanced aggression, social dominance, and rapid resumption of feed intake after stress. Differences in brain monoamine neurochemistry have also been reported in these lines. In comparative studies, experiments with the lizard Anolis carolinensis reveal connections between monoaminergic activity in limbic structures, proactive behavior in novel environments, and the establishment of social status via agonistic behavior. Together these observations suggest that within-species diversity of physiological, behavioral and cognitive correlates of stress responsiveness is maintained by natural selection throughout the vertebrate sub-phylum.
Address Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, N-1432 As, Norway. oyvind.overli@umb.no
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 0149-7634 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes PMID:17182101 Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 2801
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Author Bell, A.M.
Title (up) Evolutionary biology: animal personalities Type
Year 2007 Publication Nature Abbreviated Journal Nature
Volume 447 Issue 7144 Pages 539-540
Keywords Aggression/physiology/psychology; Animals; Behavior, Animal/*physiology; *Evolution; Humans; *Models, Biological; Personality/genetics/*physiology; Reproduction/genetics/physiology; Risk-Taking; Selection (Genetics)
Abstract
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Publisher Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1476-4687 ISBN Medium
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Notes PMID:17538607 Approved no
Call Number Equine Behaviour @ team @ Serial 4099
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