User:Corinnemark/sandbox

Article Evaluation
I evaluated the Health and Disease section on the Human Body Wikipedia page. Everything in the article is relevant to the topic and written in a neutral perspective. This section of the article is only one paragraph long, and only briefly addresses some of the many diseases that the human body could contract. It seems like one could take the time to go into more detail on each of the complications addressed. Unfortunately, there are no citations in this portion of the article, but many key words are links to other Wikipedia articles on related topics. When browsing through the talk section of the article, there were a couple of users discussing information with a citation link to about.com. The users agreed that about.com was a rather unreliable source, and that the information featured on the Wikipedia article should come from a more trustworthy source; I found this quite interesting. The article is not rated nor part of any WikiProjects.

Potential Topics for Unit 2 Project
Two potential articles that I would like to contribute to for my Unit 2 Project are the Silicone page and the Separation Anxiety in Dogs page. On the Silicone page, I would like to specifically improve on the "Personal care" section and perhaps create a section on alternatives to silicone in personal care products, since there is no information on that anywhere on the page. As for the Separation Anxiety in Dogs page, I would like to further research the "Treatment" section and explore alternative drug-therapy treatments besides the benzodiazephine treatment.

Finalizing Topic/Finding Sources
I have decided to improve the existing Separation anxiety Wikipedia page. In particular, I wanted to improve on the "Treatment" section and write about other drug-therapy treatments besides the benzodizaphine treatment, and explore other, non-drug-related treatments like psychotherapy. Below is a (draft) bibliography of some of the sources I intend on using to improve the Wikipedia page.


 * 1) Packer, R.M.A., De Risio, L., & Volk, H.A.(2017). Investigating the potential of the anti-epileptic drug imepitoin as a treatment for co-morbid anxiety in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. BMC Veterinary Research. doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1000-0
 * 2) McPeake, K.J. & Mills, D.S. (2017). The use of imepitoin (Pexion) on fear and anxiety related problems in dogs - a case series. BMC Veterinary Research, 13 (173). doi: 10.1186/s12917-017-1098-0
 * 3) Karagiannis, C.I., Burman, O.H.P., & Mills, D.S. (2015). Dogs with separation-related problems show a "less pessimistic" cognitive bias during treatment with fluoxetine (Reconcile) and a behavior modification plan. BMC Veterinary Research, 11 (80). doi: 10.1186/s12917-015-0373-1
 * 4) Puruunen, J., Tiira, K., Lehtonen, M., Hanhineva, K., & Lohi, H.(2016). Non-targeted metabolite profiling reveals changes in oxidative stress, tryptophan and lipid metabolisms in fearful dogs. Behavioral and Brian Functions, 12 (7). doi: 10.1186/s12993-016-0091-2
 * 5) van Rooy, D., Arnott, E. R., Early, J.B., McGreevy, P., & Wade, C.M. (2014). Holding back the genes: limitations of research into canine behavioral genetics. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 1 (7). doi: 10.1186/2052-6687-1-7
 * 6) Zapata, I., Serpell, J.A., & Alvarez, C.E. (2016). Genetic mapping of canine fear and aggression. BMC Genomics, 17 (572). doi: 10.1186/s12864-016-2936-3
 * 7) Chung, H.S., Lee, H.J., Shim, I., & Bae, H. (2012). Assessment of anti-depressant effect of nelumbinis semen on rats under chronic mild stress and its subchronic oral toxicity in rats and beagle dogs.

Notes for Improvement
There is much information missing on the Separation anxiety in dogs article, specifically in the "Treatment" section. In this section, I would like to explore new drug-therapy treatments, specifically imepitoin, a new drug that was developed recently. I would also like to explore non-drug-related treatment options, such as psychotherapy, for dogs (or other animals for that matter) who suffer from separation anxiety.

Links for Draft
 * https://bmcvetres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12917-017-1000-0
 * https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28610629
 * https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12917-015-0373-1
 * https://behavioralandbrainfunctions.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12993-016-0091-2
 * https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/2052-6687-1-7
 * https://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12864-016-2936-3
 * https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407502/
 * https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12662130

Final Draft
Benzodiazepine section (in addition to current section under 'treatment'): Imepitoin, also known by its brand name Pexion, is a recently-developed drug licensed for treating primarily canine epilepsy. Imepitoin is a low-affinity agonist at the benzodiazepine site of the GABA receptor, meaning it is able to loosely attach itself to the GABA receptor and mimic GABA. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a neurotransmitter that is used to counteract glutamate, the excitatory neurotransmitter responsible for which excessive levels can lead to anxious behaviors and can cause long-term anxiety disorders. Because imepitoin is known to have anti-convulsant effects on laboratory rats and is already an anti-epilepsy drug treatment, researchers were curious as to whether or not it could decrease a canine's levels of separation anxiety, as one symptom of separation anxiety in dogs is excessive shaking, primarily in smaller breeds.

One study conducted in 2016 did not test its effects on separation anxiety specifically, but rather investigated its abilities to reduce fear and anxiety-related behaviors via an online survey completed by the canine participants' owners, alongside measuring how many seizures per month the dogs experienced. Results showed a significant reduction of average seizures per month, but no significant differences in behavior regarding the five anxiety-related measures examined (dog-directed fear, stranger-directed fear, non-social fear, pain sensitivity and separation-related behavior), concluding that imepitoin did not definitively affect anxiety-related behavior in dogs. However, it was noted by researchers conducting the study that the participants' anxiety levels could not have been high enough in the beginning of the study for the dogs to show a significant reduction in anxiety-related behavior.

Another research study in June 2017 tested only for imepitoin's abilities to reduce anxiety-related behaviors in canines, but unlike the previous study mentioned, researchers had evaluated the dogs personally for canine temperament using a Positive and Negative Activation Scale (PANAS) rather than having the participants' owners evaluate the dogs through an online survey. Average weekly reaction (AWR) scores in response to anxiety-inducing stimuli and owners' diary entries were also taken into account. Results displayed significantly lower AWR scores for anxiety alongside a reduction in negative activation on the PANAS, concluding that imepitoin is a drug-therapy option to positively reduce canines' anxiety-related behaviors. However, no research has been found to support that imepitoin is currently being prescribed to treat separation anxiety in canines.

Fluoxetine section (in addition to fluoxetine paragraph in 'drugs' section): In another study conducted in 2015, dogs expressing symptoms of separation anxiety were given fluoxetine tablets and a standard behavior modification plan for two months. Owner interviews, spatial cognitive bias tests, questionnaires and relations between cognitive bias and drug treatment were all taken into consideration. Results showed that the clinical treatment of fluoxetine seemed to produce a shift in cognitive bias in the canine subjects, emphasizing that pharmacological therapy not only can positively affect behavior, but also an animal's psychological state.

Nelumbinis semen section (new section under 'treatment' section): One cause of separation anxiety in canines is chronic stress. A study in 2012 tested nelumbinis semen, the seeds of the herb Nelumbo nucifera, and its anti-depressant effects on animals experiencing stress. It should be noted that this study did not test directly on canines, but rather rats, and aimed to apply the principles found by the study to other animals such as dogs. The study, however, did test oral toxicity specifically on canines. After testing different dosage amounts of the nelumbinis semen, scientists determined that 400mg per the animal's weight in kilograms was the most ideal amount to lower immobility when the animal was faced with a stressful situation. In addition, nelumbinis semen was not found toxic when administered to dogs. Based on these findings, it is possible that if more research was put into studying herbal remedies such as nelumbinis semen, it is possible that alternative and "natural" ingredients could be used as a substitute for drug-based therapy.

Other Scientific Findings (new section): A study conducted in 2016 used primary metabolite profiling through a combination of liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify possible biomarkers for anxiety-related behavior. Primary metabolites are directly involved in more "natural" processes, such as reproduction and development, so abnormal differences could result in differences of mental development. Results identified changes in thirteen metabolites between dogs who had separation anxiety and those who did not; these changes included differences in hypoxanthine, indoxysulfate and phospholipids, all which control oxidative stress, tryptophan levels, and lipid metabolisms. Researchers were able to come to the conclusion that biomarkers such as primary metabolites play a prominent role in canine anxiety.