Cocaine hydrochloride (30, 15, or 0 mg/kg) was administered daily subcutaneously to male rats for a minimum of 72 days. Animals receiving the 15-mg/kg and 0-mg/kg doses were pair-fed with animals receiving the higher dose. A fourth group served as a nontreated ad libitum-fed control to assess the role of cocaine-associated decreases in food and water intake. Administration of cocaine resulted in dose-related decreases in body weights, increases in locomotor activity, and decreases in estradiol levels. The high dose of cocaine was also associated with an increase in the percentage of spermatozoa with heads separated from tails. Cocaine did not affect sexual behavior, relative weights of the testis or accessory organs, histology of the testis, number of implantations, resorptions, fetal or newborn weight of offspring, or offspring weight at 21 days of age but did result in hyperactivity and increased perseverance in a T maze.

This study examined the relationship between neuropsychological measures and a measure of activities of daily living upon completion of an inpatient rehabilitation stay. Data for 154 medical patients, referred for standard neuropsychological screening, were divided into two equal groups and multiple regression analyses were conducted for each. Results were double cross-validated. One equation proved highly stable; no shrinkage was noted when applied to the other group. Results indicated that both the neuropsychological composite and the severity index of comorbid disease status were significant predictors of independent functioning. This underscores the importance of collecting information on disease status as well as performing neuropsychological screening on geriatric patients during inpatient rehabilitation.Neuropsychological assessment has played an increasingly important role in rehabilitation facilities, providing information regarding a patient's strengths as well as weaknesses and further making recommendations regarding patients' ability to function independently following their discharge from the hospital. Traditional neuropsychological assessment methods were predominantly developed or adapted to serve a diagnostic function (Hart & Hayden, 1986). As a result, there are limited empirical data in the neuropsychological literature to support conclusions regarding real-world effects of organic brain impairment.Although in recent years this limitation has begun to be addressed (see Acker, 1986;Heaton & Pendleton, 1981, for reviews), information about the effects of cognitive defic its on ability to perform activities of daily 1 i ving (ADLs) is particularly

No abstract

Male mice were divided into four groups, one group was given ad libitum access to a liquid alcohol diet containing 35% ethanol derived calories (EDC). A second group was pair fed an isocaloric control diet containing 17.5% EDC whereas a third was similarly treated with a 0% EDC diet for a minimum of 42 days. A fourth group served as ad libitum nontreated controls to assess the role of pair feeding. Males were then mated with nontreated females. The males consuming alcohol had an increased percentage of abnormal sperm and there was a significant effect of paternal alcohol exposure on implantation sites, but no effect on pre- or postnatal mortality or fetal weight. These results suggest that paternal alcohol consumption adversely affects sperm production but does not affect development of offspring in mice.

Reason for Review The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the way healthcare services are provided and created challenges to the delivery of behavioral health in the inpatient setting. Here, we present our front-line experience of infection prevention for the psychiatric patient in the COVID era. Recent Findings There are unique challenges surrounding COVID-19 precautions within inpatient psychiatric settings. The challenges presented to psychiatric care by COVID-19 begin in the emergency department and follow the patient through the continuum of care once admitted to the facility. Unit infrastructure, patient population, treatment modalities, staffing considerations, and discharge planning are distinct instances where COVID-19 protocols that are well-suited for other hospital settings necessitate revision for psychiatric settings. Summary The purpose of this communication is to add to the current body of shared experience of infection prevention for the psychiatric patient in the COVID-19 era.