Pregnancy is associated with low fear reactions in ewes

Viérin, Manon; Bouissou, Marie‐France

doi:10.1016/s0031-9384(01)00416-4

Cited by 40 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…Together, this research is typically interpreted as supporting the position that the physiological milieu of pregnancy confers stress-buffering effects on the developing fetus, and as such, is protective against potentially deleterious effects of maternal stress (deWeerth & Buitelaar, 2005; Glynn, 2010a). Similar hypotheses have been offered to reconcile observed reductions in fearful behavior in other species (e.g., Vierin & Bouissou, 2001). …”

mentioning

confidence: 62%

Physiological blunting during pregnancy extends to induced relaxation

DiPietro

Mendelson

Williams

et al. 2012

Biological Psychology

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There is accumulating evidence that pregnancy is accompanied by hyporesponsivity to physical, cognitive, and psychological challenges. This study evaluates whether observed autonomic blunting extends to conditions designed to decrease arousal. Physiological and psychological responsivity to an 18-minute guided imagery relaxation protocol in healthy pregnant women during the 32nd week of gestation (n = 54) and non-pregnant women (n = 28) was measured. Data collection included heart period (HP), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), tonic and phasic measures of skin conductance (SCL and NS-SCR), respiratory period (RP), and self-reported psychological relaxation. As expected, responses to the manipulation included increased HP, RSA, and RP and decreased SCL and NS-SCR, followed by post-manipulation recovery. However, responsivity was attenuated for all physiological measures except RP in pregnant women, despite no difference in self-reported psychological relaxation. Findings support non-specific blunting of physiological responsivity during pregnancy.

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mentioning

confidence: 62%

Physiological blunting during pregnancy extends to induced relaxation

DiPietro

Mendelson

Williams

et al. 2012

Biological Psychology

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“…In the present study, younger horses (P1) showed higher reactivity. In an earlier study, the age also influenced the reactivity of lambs (5-6 months of age animals showed lower reactivity than the 3-4 months old ones) [24]. The reaction of young horses in a familiar environment is as intense as their reaction in an unfamiliar environment, and this influenced their reactions to humans and their behavior in general [21].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Proposal and Validation of a Scale of Composite Measure Reactivity Score to Characterize the Reactivity in Horses During Handling

Calviello

Titto

Infante

et al. 2016

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

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a b s t r a c tThis study aimed to identify the parameters related to the expression of the reactivity in horses during handling and based on that proposed and validated a scale of composite measure reactivity score to characterize horse's reactivity. To this end, the first stage (S1) proposed the scale and the second (S2) validated it. In S1, 364 Lusitano horses were evaluated, 188 were adult breeding mares (4-12 years old), and 176 were foals (males/ females, aged from 2 months to 2 years). During hooves trimming, vermifuge application, palpation scores were assigned to behaviors of movement, ears and eyes position, breathing, vocalization, and urination. A response parameter called reactivity was attributed to each animal, ranging from score 1 (nonreactive/calm) to score 4 (very reactive/ aggressive). The verification of the possible parameters (age, behavior), which explains the response parameter (reactivity), was taken using ordinal proportional odds model. Movement, breathing, ears and eyes position, vocalization, and age appear to explain the reactivity of horses during handling (P < .01). Therefore, based on these parameters, it was possible to propose two scales of composite measure reactivity score: one to characterize the mares and another the foals. On S2, the proposed scale was validated by the simultaneous application of Forced Human Approach Test, another commonly used test to evaluate the reactivity in horses, with a correlation of 0.97 (P < .05). The assessment of the reactivity of horses during handling by a composite measure reactivity score scale is valid, and easy to apply, without disrupting daily routine and override the impact of individual differences.

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“…Like some somatization symptoms, the thresholds for some anxiety symptoms appeared to be elevated in pregnant women, too. There is indeed some evidence that changes in the hormonal balance, the brain or the neurologic system inhibit pregnant women's reactions to frightening circumstances (Vierin and Bouissou, 2001;Glynn et al, 2004;Di Pietro et al, 2005;Klinkenberg et al, 2009;Macbeth and Luine, 2010;Roos et al, 2011) In contrast to somatization and anxiety, the thresholds for many distress symptoms were reduced in pregnant women, as well as in young mothers. One might wonder whether the reduced threshold for distress has an adaptive function for pregnant women and young mothers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%