Behavioural medicine - altering perceptions and emotional responses

Why is considering physical health important before trying to alter behaviours?

altered emotional bias can be linked to physical disease

If clinical examination suggests potential for an underlying physical health factor, what further tests should be done?

• blood tests

• radiological examination

• neurological work up

What conditions are worth considering when we see altered emotional bias?

• endocrine disorders

• pain inducing conditions

• age related conditions

What should we do to try and modify fear-anxiety related behaviour?

• reduce residual protective emotion

• identify triggers for emotional responses

  • limit exposure

  • dilute the trigger

How can we reduce the input of a trigger?

• modify social environment

• modify physical environment

How can we encourage cold tap flow rate?

modify human interactions and activities

How can we improve drainage of the sink?

• increase availability of sleep

• encourage good quality sleep

• give access to opportunities for other species specific drainage behaviour

How should we try to alter the fear-anxiety related emotional response?

• neutralise the animals reaction to the problematic stimuli through desensitisation

• then going forward, change the animals perception through forming new and positive associations, through counter-conditioning

How do we successfully apply counter conditioning?

we need to ensure that the positive emotional response initiated by the cue (e.g. food or social contact) is stronger than the negative emotional association with the problematic stimulus

What can be used to induce a cue or positive emotional state via desire seeking system?

• food treats

• play

• appropriate social contact

What do we need to do to ensure the counter conditioning will work if using social interactions as the cue?

• make sure to watch body posture, facial expression, ear and tail position to assess the animals emotional response

• use the animal’s interpretation and not the person’s intention

What body postures and movements are associated with negative (protective) emotional systems?

• pulling away

• resisting approach

• leaning backwards

• extending hind legs behind

• raising hackles

What facial expressions and signs are associated with negative (protective) emotional systems?

• ear position

• pupillary dilation

• facial tension

• turning head away

• averting gaze

What tail movements are associated with negative (protective) emotional systems?

• tail position being down

  • end of the tail between the legs

  • base of the tail clamped down against the anus

• wagging of the tip of the tail only, in a frantic manner

• windmill wagging - appeasement gesture —> emotional conflict

What might happen if the positive association with the cue, is not as strong as the negative association of the stimulus?

poisoning the cue - cue may start to be associated with fear/anxiety

What can help when setting up for success?

• don’t have the animal trapped - location where the animal can walk away if they need to

• make sure the animal is in a positive emotional state before starting the counter conditioning