Impact of Fluoxetine on Behavioral Invigoration of Appetitive and Aversively Motivated Responses: Interaction With Dopamine Depletion

Impaired behavioral activation and effort-related motivational dysfunctions like fatigue and anergia are debilitating treatment-resistant symptoms of depression. Depressed people show a bias towards the selection of low effort activities. To determine if the broadly used antidepressant fluoxetine can improve behavioral activation and reverse dopamine (DA) depletion-induced anergia, male CD1 mice were evaluated for vigorous escape behaviors in an aversive context (forced swim test, FST), and also with an exercise preference choice task [running wheel (RW)-T-maze choice task]. In the FST, fluoxetine increased active behaviors (swimming, climbing) while reducing passive ones (immobility). However, fluoxetine was not effective at reducing anergia induced by the DA-depleting agent tetrabenazine, further decreasing vigorous climbing and increasing immobility. In the T-maze, fluoxetine alone produced the same pattern of effects as tetrabenazine. Moreover, fluoxetine did not reverse tetrabenazine-induced suppression of RW time but it reduced sucrose intake duration. This pattern of effects produced by fluoxetine in DA-depleted mice was dissimilar from devaluing food reinforcement by pre-feeding or making the food bitter since in both cases sucrose intake time was reduced but animals compensated by increasing time in the RW. Thus, fluoxetine improved escape in an aversive context but decreased relative preference for active reinforcement. Moreover, fluoxetine did not reverse the anergic effects of DA depletion. These results have implications for the use of fluoxetine for treating motivational symptoms such as anergia in depressed patients.

Self-Efficacy to Engage in Physical Exercise and Walking Ability Best Predicted Exercise Adherence after Stroke

Aim. To describe exercise preferences and to investigate the contribution of exercise preferences, walking ability, and current levels of physical activity in predicting exercise adherence in individuals with chronic stroke. Methods. For this exploratory study, exercise adherence was measured using the first question of the first section of the Exercise Preference Questionnaire (stroke)-Brazil (EPQ (stroke)-Brazil). Nine independent variables were included as potential predictors of exercise adherence: the seven factors of the EPQ (stroke)-Brazil, walking speed, and level of physical activity. Results. Participated 93 individuals with stroke, who had a mean age of 62 (SD 12) years and a mean time since the onset of the stroke of 58 (SD 67) months. The most preferable exercise was walking. Logistic regression analysis revealed that self-efficacy to engage in physical exercise and walking ability predicted and explained 80% of the variance in exercise adherence. Conclusion. The findings showed that feeling able to perform physical exercise and having higher walking ability predicted higher exercise adherences in individuals with chronic stroke. The knowledge of potential contributors to exercise adherence may help in designing exercise programs for individuals with stroke.

Core Muscle Activity, Exercise Preference, and Perceived Exertion during Core Exercise with Elastic Resistance versus Machine

Objectives. To investigate core muscle activity, exercise preferences, and perceived exertion during two selected core exercises performed with elastic resistance versus a conventional training machine.Methods. 17 untrained men aged 26–67 years participated in surface electromyography (EMG) measurements of five core muscles during torso-twists performed from left to right with elastic resistance and in the machine, respectively. The order of the exercises was randomized and each exercise consisted of 3 repetitions performed at a 10 RM load. EMG amplitude was normalized (nEMG) to maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVC).Results. A higher right erector spinae activity in the elastic exercise compared with the machine exercise (50% [95% CI 36–64] versus 32% [95% CI 18–46] nEMG) was found. By contrast, the machine exercise, compared with the elastic exercise, showed higher left external oblique activity (77% [95% CI 64–90] versus 54% [95% CI 40–67] nEMG). For the rectus abdominis, right external oblique, and left erector spinae muscles there were no significant differences. Furthermore, 76% preferred the torso-twist with elastic resistance over the machine exercise. Perceived exertion (Borg CR10) was not significantly different between machine (5.8 [95% CI 4.88–6.72]) and elastic exercise (5.7 [95% CI 4.81–6.59]).Conclusion. Torso-twists using elastic resistance showed higher activity of the erector spinae, whereas torso-twist in the machine resulted in higher activity of the external oblique. For the remaining core muscles the two training modalities induced similar muscular activation. In spite of similar perceived exertion the majority of the participants preferred the exercise using elastic resistance.