"I'm Not Comfortable With COVID, But …": Dilemmas and Decision-Making to Mitigate Risks Among Mothers Who Gave Birth During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Individuals have faced unprecedented uncertainty and risk surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, and decision-making dilemmas have been complicated by quickly evolving and often contradictory recommendations for staying healthy. Using tenets of problematic integration theory and risk orders theory, we analyzed interview data from 50 mothers who gave birth during the pandemic to understand how uncertainty and risk perceptions shaped their decision-making about keeping themselves and their infants healthy in the first year after birth. Results describe how some mothers in our sample made sense of their decision-making to prioritize first-order risks to their own and their family's physical health, and other mothers prioritized second-order risks to their relationships and identities. We also discuss the social nature of mitigating risk during the COVID-19 pandemic and the catalysts for shifting risk perceptions. Theoretical and practical implications include improving public health messaging and clinical conversations to enable individuals to effectively manage social and identity needs alongside serious threats to physical health.

Narrative Sense-Making During COVID-19: Using Stories to Understand Birth in a Global Pandemic

Women who gave birth in the spring and summer of 2020 contended with a host of challenging factors. In addition to facing pregnancy, labor, and delivery during an emerging global pandemic, women grappled with health care restrictions that altered their birth experience. To explore how women made sense of their birth during COVID-19, we analyzed written narratives from 71 women who gave birth in the United States from March to July 2020. Based on tenets of communicated narrative sense-making, the themes that emerged from our data suggest that women framed the role of the pandemic as either completely overshadowing their birth experience or as an inconvenience. Women also wrote about threats to their agency as patients, mothers, and caregivers, as well as the evolving emotional toll of the pandemic that often prompted feelings of fear and sadness, along with self-identified anxiety and depression. We discuss these findings in light of the literature on birth stories as essential sites of narrative sense-making for women and their families.

Expectancy violations and boundary management when giving birth during a pandemic: implications for supporting women

BACKGROUND

Few life events are as profound as the birth of a child. Yet for those who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic, the birth experience and the care of their newborn child were altered in significant ways.

METHOD

In this study, we examined the stories of women who gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic using expectations violations theory and communication privacy management theory.

RESULTS

Based on focus group interviews with 65 women from 19 states across the U.S., we found that policies imposed by institutions and visitation rules negotiated by women were prominent in women's birth stories. Policies that affect territorial access to mothers and babies shaped communication to manage health and safety, resulted in intense emotional responses, and affected relationships with women's partners and families.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings offer practical implications for both health care systems and health care providers. Systems must communicate proactively to offer compassionate patient care, and physicians should offer guidance to help new parents manage visitors.

Validation of a Brief Measure for Complicated Grief Specific to Reproductive Loss

Objective Complicated grief reactions follow some pregnancy outcomes, like miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, infant death, selective reduction, or termination of pregnancy. Stigma can delay treatment and worsen outcomes. Screening tools such as the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale detect complicated grief poorly, and specific tools for prolonged or complicated grief after a reproductive loss are cumbersome. In this study, a five-item questionnaire to detect complicated grief after reproductive loss of any type was designed and preliminary validated. Methods A questionnaire patterned after the extensively validated Brief Grief Questionnaire (BGQ) was created by a group of physicians and lay advocates to employ non-traumatic but specific language related to grief after miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, infant death, selective reduction, or termination of pregnancy. One hundred and forty women at a large academic center were recruited in person and via social media to validate the questionnaire with well-studied instruments for anxiety (7-item Panic Disorder Severity Scale, PDSS), trauma (22-item Impact of Events Scale), and reproductive grief and depressive symptoms (33-item Perinatal Grief Scale [PGS]). Results The response rate was 74.9%. Of the 140 participants, 18 (12.8%) experienced their loss during high-risk pregnancies, and 65 (46.4%) were recruited via social media. Seventy-one (51%) respondents had a score > 4, a positive screen for the BGQ. On average, women experienced their loss 2 years prior to participation (IQR 1-5 years). Cronbach's alpha was 0.77 (95% CI: 0.69-0.83). The goodness of fit indices of the model met Fornell and Larker criteria (RMSEA = 0.167, CFI = 0.89, SRMR = 0.06). The AVE was 0.42 and the CR 0.78. Conclusions This investigator-created screening tool is internally consistent and meets preliminary criteria for discriminant validity. This tool can be refined prior to testing for sensitivity and specificity in screening for complicated grief after a reproductive loss.

0528 Development of Pediatric OSA Health Communication Messaging for and with Parents

Introduction

Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is often undetected, due in part to gaps in parental awareness of OSA symptoms. To activate parents to talk to their child’s provider about OSA symptoms, there is a need for effective OSA health communication messaging.

Methods

We developed a health communication message in the form of an infographic, designed to help parents recognize the link between nighttime and daytime OSA symptoms. The message encouraged parents who saw these symptoms in their child to speak with their child’s provider. The infographic was iteratively reviewed, rated, and refined through a series of twelve virtual focus groups with three types of stakeholder: parents of children with OSA symptoms (n=24), primary care providers (n=9), and sleep medicine specialists (n=4). During groups, we elicited reactions and asked participants to rate various aspects of the message.

Results

Stakeholder feedback (semi-structured sessions and anonymous ratings) was elicited for the initial draft and two subsequent iterations of the message that incorporated prior feedback. Anonymous stakeholder ratings were measured on a scale from 1-5, with 5 denoting stronger endorsement of the construct. Parents rated the message positively for content (M=4.77; SD=0.44), literacy demand (M=4.92, SD=0.28), graphics/design (M=4.69, SD=0.63), and activation (M=4.77, SD=0.44). Sleep medicine providers perceived the message as accurate (M=5.0, SD=0) and primary care providers rated it as acceptable (M=4.67, SD=0.58) and feasible (M=4.33, SD=0.58) for display and dissemination in primary care settings.

Conclusion

We developed a pediatric OSA health communication message that was rated highly by parents, primary care providers, and sleep medicine specialists. Next steps are to disseminate and evaluate the impact of the message on pediatric OSA detection.

Support (If Any)

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number K23HL150299. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

“It made all the difference”: a qualitative study of parental experiences with pediatric obstructive sleep apnea detection

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To assess parental experience of their child's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) detection process and inform the development of interventions and health communication strategies to improve OSA detection.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 30 parents of children (ages 3-14) who snored and were referred for an overnight polysomnogram (PSG). Parents (60.0% Black race, 93.3% mothers) described how their child was referred for PSG and their perceptions and feelings throughout the detection process. Parents also completed an OSA knowledge measure. Interview data were analyzed using a descriptive approach and thematic analysis was conducted using the NVivo 12 software system.

RESULTS

Twenty-one themes were identified across 5 categories (first steps; PSG facilitators and barriers; health information; health care experiences; parent experiences). Respondents experienced multiple pathways to OSA detection, with more than half of referrals initiated by parental concerns (vs. screening efforts). Parents reported a willingness to take any necessary steps to help their child. Both barriers and facilitators to completing a PSG were described. Parents observed both nighttime and daytime symptoms related to OSA in their child but often did not connect the symptoms to each other until later in the process. Participants had varying degrees of OSA knowledge, with a mean knowledge score of 56% correct (range 10%-90% correct).

CONCLUSIONS

Parental experiences highlight aspects of the health care system that are both effective and ineffective in detecting children with OSA. Implications include a need for strategies to promote timely detection and to provide parents with accurate information about pediatric OSA.

CITATION

Honaker SM, Gopalkrishnan A, Brann M, Wiehe S, Clark AA, Chung A. "It made all the difference": a qualitative study of parental experiences ith pediatric obstructive sleep apnea detection. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(8):1921-1931.

Breaking Bad News: A Randomized Trial Assessing Resident Performance After Novel Video Instruction

Introduction Delivering bad news to patients is an essential skill for physicians, which is often developed through patient encounters. Residents in our program participate in objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) on an annual basis to evaluate their skills in these scenarios. Our objectives were to develop an educational video and determine if an educational video provided to residents prior to OSCEs would improve performance. Methods Previous OSCEs were reviewed to identify best practices and to create a four-minute video highlighting the "do's and don'ts" of delivering bad news. Residents in two post-graduate year (PGY) classes were randomized to watch the video prior to or after a standardized patient encounter. Three masked reviewers assessed resident empathy, attention, and understanding on 10 five-point Likert scales and assigned a total score (scale: 0-50). Hedges' g was used to assess mean scores and effect size. Results A total of 17 residents participated in the evaluation: nine in the pre-OSCE video group and eight in the control group. Residents randomized to the video prior to the patient encounter had a mean score of 37.01 (SD=3.6). Residents randomized to the control group had a mean score of 35.38 (SD=4.85). Hedges' g was 0.37 (95% CI: -0.59 to 1.33). Conclusion Residents randomized to the video group had a small increase in OSCE performance, which was not statistically significant. The novel video was helpful and addresses the need for a quick pre-assessment educational tool, though interns and graduating medical students may be a more appropriate target audience for instruction.

Abstract PS7-48: I'm willing to be that woman: Exploring Black women's decisions to participate in breast cancer clinical trials

Black women die of breast cancer (BC) at a higher rate than any other racial group. Researchers’ scientific understanding about this racial disparity, as well as the ability to develop targeted BC treatments for this racial group, is hampered by Black women’s well-documented hesitancy to participate in medical research. In this study, we conducted interviews with 14 participants who were Black BC survivors/patients who had participated in a BC clinical trial (CT).

In this Integrated Behavioral Model-guided study, we explored participants’ attitudes, perceived norms, and personal agency in relation to their decision to participate in a BC CT. Findings about the women’s attitudes revealed that despite their often-demonstrated reluctance to be involved in medical research, Black women’s strong, altruistic desires to serve others and their communities made them prime candidates for CT participation. In other words, their instrumental attitudes reveal a desire to participate as a way to help themselves and are greatly influenced by the need to leave a “legacy” of better treatment for other Black women. At the same time, while a few participants demonstrated some hesitancy to take unknown or new drugs, most expressed experiential attitudes of feeling safe in their choices.

Study results concerning norms showed that despite the Black population’s instilled community values, decisions about BC CT participation do not seem to be motivated by a strong injunctive normative influence from friends or family. Most women reported sharing their decision to participate in a CT after the fact. The two strongest normative influences were oncologists and/or their staff members, and patient support groups. From a descriptive normative perspective, most Black women realized their decision to participate in a CT was an unusual one but overestimated how many Black women they believed did participate in BC CTs.

These women expressed strong personal agency when they made independent, informed decisions to participate. Most were proactive in seeking out CTs; in cases where they were recruited into a trial by a medical professional, they expressed clear details about how they independently thought through their decision before agreeing to participate, also suggesting perceived control. This study concluded that Black women actively involved in BC support groups, who have developed trusting relationships with their doctors, may feel more motivated and have higher perceived personal agency about participation in a BC CT. Through CT participation, Black women not only potentially help themselves but also demonstrate care about their racial group and the legacy of helping others, suggesting that altruistic messaging may be particularly salient for this group. Finally, these participants, despite their higher education levels and involvement with BC support groups, were quite inaccurate in their reporting of descriptive norms about Black women’s participation in CTs, suggesting that social norms messaging may be one way to alert other Black women about the continuing disparity in CT participation. Future work needs to explore these findings in the context of CT recruitment messaging and continue to involve and include Black women’s voices to improve BC outcomes in research and medicine.

Citation Format: Katherine E Ridley-Merriweather, Katharine J Head, Maria Brann, April Ramirez, Anna Maria Storniolo. I'm willing to be that woman: Exploring Black women's decisions to participate in breast cancer clinical trials [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Virtual Symposium; 2020 Dec 8-11; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(4 Suppl):Abstract nr PS7-48.

Tensions and Contradictions in Interns' Communication about Unexpected Pregnancy Loss

Early miscarriage is an unexpected pregnancy complication that affects up to 25% of pregnant women. Physicians are often tasked with delivering the bad news of a pregnancy loss to asymptomatic women while also helping them make an informed decision about managing the miscarriage. Assessing the communicative responses, particularly the discursive tensions embedded within providers' speech, offers insight into the (in)effective communication used in the delivery of bad news and the management of a potentially traumatic medical event. We observed and analyzed transcripts from 40 standardized patient encounters using Baxter's relational dialectics theory 2.0. Results indicated that interns invoked two primary distal already-spoken discourses: discourses of medicalization of miscarriage and discourses of rationality and informed consent. We contend that tensions and contradictions could affect how women respond to the news of an impending miscarriage and offer practical implications for communication skills training.

Qualitative Assessment of Bad News Delivery Practices during Miscarriage Diagnosis

Miscarriage is one of the most common pregnancy complications health care providers discuss with patients. Previous research suggests that women's distress is compounded by ineffective communication with providers, who are usually not trained to deliver bad news using patient-centered dialogue. The purpose of this study was to use a patient-centered approach to examine women's experiences with and perspectives of communication during a miscarriage to assist in the development of communication training tools for health care providers. During focus groups, 22 women who had experienced miscarriage discussed video-recorded standardized patient-provider interactions and recalled communication during their own miscarriages. Results of a pragmatic iterative analysis of the transcripts suggest training techniques and communication behaviors that should guide education for providers to deliver the diagnosis of and treatment options for early pregnancy loss, such as demonstrating empathy, creating space for processing, checking for understanding, and avoiding medical jargon and emotionally charged language.

Nursing student evaluation of NIOSH workplace violence prevention for nurses online course

INTRODUCTION

As primary targets of workplace violence in health care settings, nurses may suffer negative physical and psychological consequences. NIOSH created an online course to educate nurses about violence prevention techniques.

METHOD

A mixed-methods approach assessed workplace violence awareness and knowledge among nursing students. A pre/post/post-test survey and focus group discussions evaluated participant awareness and knowledge, assessed course design, and solicited recommendations for increasing participation and strategies for improving message retention.

RESULTS

The mean awareness scores differed significantly between pre-course and both post-course time points (Wilk's λ=0.319, F(2, 46)=49.01, p<0.001). Post hoc tests using the Bonferroni correction revealed that course participation increased awareness of workplace violence from pre-course scores (M=0.75, SD=0.438) to immediate post-course (M=2.13, SD=0.789) and four-week post-course (M=1.96, SD=0.771) scores on a 3-item measure. Similarly, mean knowledge scores increased between pre-course and both post-course time points (Wilk's λ=0.495, F(1.57, 73.66)=37.26, p<0.001). Post hoc tests using the Bonferroni correction revealed that course participation increased knowledge of workplace violence from pre-course scores (M=6.65, SD=1.45) to immediate post-course (M=8.56, SD=1.32) and four-week post-course (M=8.19, SD=1.42) scores on a 10-item measure. Qualitative data from the focus groups reinforced the quantitative findings. Participants citing benefits from the content strongly recommended including the course in nursing curriculums. Incorporating the course early in the nursing educational experience will better prepare students to deal with workplace violence when they enter health care professions.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that NIOSH and its partners created an effective online workplace violence awareness and prevention course. Practical applications: Nursing students and professionals can be effectively educated about workplace violence using an online format.

Making the message meaningful: a qualitative assessment of media promoting all-terrain vehicle safety

BACKGROUND

Millions of all-terrain vehicles (ATV) are used around the world for recreation by both adults and youth. This increase in use has led to a substantial increase in the number of injuries and fatalities each year. Effective strategies for reducing this incidence are clearly needed; however, minimal research exists regarding effective educational interventions.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to assess rural ATV riders' preferences for and assessment of safety messages.

METHODS

13 focus group discussions with youth and adult ATV riders were conducted. 88 formative research participants provided feedback on existing ATV safety materials, which was used to develop more useful ATV safety messages. 60 evaluative focus group participants critiqued the materials developed for this project.

RESULTS

Existing ATV safety materials have limited effectiveness, in part because they may not address the content or design needs of the target population. ATV riders want educational and action-oriented safety messages that inform youth and adult riders about their responsibilities to learn, educate and implement safety behaviours (eg, appropriate-sized ATV, safety gear, solo riding, speed limits, riding locations). In addition, messages should be clear, realistic, visually appealing and easily accessible. Newly designed ATV safety materials using the acronym TRIPSS (training, ride off-road, impairment, plan ahead, safety gear, single rider) meet ATV riders' safety messaging needs.

CONCLUSIONS

To reach a target population, it is crucial to include them in the development and assessment of safety messages. Germane to this particular study, ATV riders provided essential information for creating useful ATV safety materials.

Dialectical tensions in stroke survivor relationships

Stroke is an unpredictable and life-altering medical occurrence that causes immediate change in survivors' relationships. This study unearthed dialectical tensions expressed by spouses of stroke survivors and examined how those dialectical tensions compare to those experienced by stroke survivors themselves. Sixteen spouses of stroke survivors participated in interviews, and four tensions ultimately emerged: self-orientation-partner-orientation, realism-idealism, uncertainty-acceptance, and emotional release-emotional reservation. Three dialectical tensions (i.e., uncertainty-acceptance, realism-idealism, self-orientation-partner-orientation) were similar to those communicated by stroke survivors. Recognizing dialectical tensions experienced and shared can open communication lines and ultimately improve the health of individuals and their relationships.

Recognizing HIV/AIDS volunteers’ stressors and desire for support

Little research has focused on experiences of volunteers for people living with HIV/AIDS but other research on caregivers for this population illustrates the stress often experienced. This study identifies stressors experienced by volunteers for people with HIV/AIDS, and determines the types of social support needed to help volunteers cope with the stressors identified. Six volunteers were interviewed at a small non-profit organization in Appalachia providing such services. Participants indicated that providing services for people with HIV/AIDS is a rewarding experience; however, stress and frustration played a large role in their experiences with the organization. Further, the results of this study indicate that emotional and informational social support may help volunteers cope with stressors associated with providing services for people with HIV/AIDS.

Toward a typology of confidentiality breaches in health care communication: an ethic of care analysis of provider practices and patient perceptions

Confidentiality should be a fundamental right of patients in a health care setting. However, health care providers who take an oath to uphold confidentiality often neglect this basic patient right. Breaching confidential health information is a serious ethical problem and a communication issue that, historically, has received limited empirical, theoretical, or practical attention. The goals of this project were to frame this issue from an ethic of care perspective, define the concept of a confidentiality breach, identify the types of confidentiality breaches being communicated in health care organizations, and understand how patients perceive these breaches. Based on interviews with 51 patients and observations of health care providers, a definition and typology of confidentiality breaches emerged. Theoretical and practical implications also became evident.

E-medicine and health care consumers: recognizing current problems and possible resolutions for a safer environment

Millions of Americans access the Internet for health information, which is changing the way patients seek information about, and often treat, certain medical conditions. It is estimated that there may be as many as 100,000 health-related Web sites. The availability of so much health information permits consumers to assume more responsibility for their own health care. At the same time, it raises a number of issues that need to be addressed. The health information available to Internet users may be inaccurate or out-of-date. Potential conflicts of interest result from the blurring of the distinction between advertising and professional health information. Also, potential threats to privacy may result from data mining. Health care consumers need to be able to evaluate the quality of the information provided on the Internet. Various evaluative mechanisms such as codes of ethics, rating systems, and seals of approval have been developed to aid in this process. The effectiveness of these solutions is evaluated in this paper. Finally, the paper addresses the importance of including patients in developing standardized quality assurance systems for online health information.

Exploring the potential for subtype-selective muscarinic agonists in glaucoma

Pilocarpine has been used to lower intraocular pressure (IOP) in glaucoma patients for more than 100 years. Since the identification of five muscarinic receptor subtypes, there has been an interest in separating the IOP-lowering effects from the ocular side effects of pupil constriction and lens accommodation. However, all these actions seem to be mediated by the M3 receptor. A novel muscarinic receptor agonist, AGN 199170, that has no activity on the M3 subtype was compared to pilocarpine in a monkey glaucoma model. This compound lowered IOP suggesting that muscarinic agonists targeted at muscarinic receptors other than the M3 subtype may be able to selectively lower IOP.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of the subtype-selective muscarinic agonist PD 151832

PD 151832 is a potent partial muscarinic agonist that displays a high level of functional selectivity for the muscarinic m1 receptor subtype, as evidenced by its selective stimulation of PI turnover and cellular metabolic activity in transfected Hm1-CHO cells at concentrations that produce minimal stimulation of other cloned human muscarinic receptors. PD 151832 enhanced the amplification of Hm1-transfected NIH-3T3 cells at concentrations lower than those required to produce similar effects in Hm2 or Hm3-transfected cells. The functional m1 selectivity of PD 151832 is consistent with its improvement of mouse water maze performance at doses far lower than those required to produce peripheral parasympathetic side effects.

A serotonin receptor gene (5HT1A) variant found in a Tourette's syndrome patient

Serotonergic pathway disturbances have been implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders such as Tourette's syndrome (TS), substance abuse, and depression. In order to search for the presence of an association between these neuropsychiatric disorders and particular serotonin receptors isolated from these patients, we have started to analyze the structure of these receptor genes. We now report that a missense nucleotide change in the 5HT1A receptor gene produces a variant form of the 5HT1A receptor (Arg(219) to Leu) identified in DNA extracted from a TS patient. Also, in several DNA samples examined, both in controls and in the patients, we found a second missense nucleotide change which resulted in an amino acid change (Asn(417) to Lys) located in the carboxyl tail of the receptor. Several other polymorphic changes have been reported previously in the human 5HT1A receptor and we have also confirmed these findings in our samples.

Detection of multiple forms of Gi alpha in HL60 cells

Comparison of cDNA sequences from multiple sources predicts a genus of highly homologous but structurally distinct G protein alpha-subunits, designated as Gi alpha, that may include the alpha-subunit of the functionally defined adenylate cyclase inhibitory G protein. Using specific oligonucleotide probes on Northern blots, we show that Gi alpha-2 and Gi alpha-3, but not Gi alpha-1, are expressed in HL60 cells. Antisera raised against synthetic peptides from regions predicted to be conserved (AS6) and divergent (LE3) among Gi alpha subtypes bind to a 40 kDa protein in Western blots of HL60 membranes. AS6 identifies an additional protein at 41 kDa. Thus, Northern blot and immunoblot results show that at least two Gi alpha subtypes, a 40 kDa protein likely to correspond to Gi alpha-2 and a 41 kDa protein possibly representing Gi alpha-3, may be expressed in a single cell type.

3H-(-)DO 710 discriminates guanine nucleotide sensitive and insensitive dopamine binding sites

(-)DO 710, a substituted benzamide derivative which discriminates dopamine D-2 and D-4 binding sites (Sokoloff et al. 1984), and antagonises in a differential manner several apomorphine-induced behavioral responses (Schwartz et al. 1984) was tritiated and used namely to differentially label the D-4 site. In striatum the 3H-(-)DO 710 saturation curve was best explained by the presence of two classes of sites with a 7-fold difference in affinity (Kd values of 3.0 nM and 0.42 nM) and Bmax values of 316 and 106 fmol X mg protein-1, respectively which correspond to the D-2 and D-4 sites (Sokoloff et al. 1984). In spite of its limited selectivity, 3H-(-)DO 710 in low concentration (0.2 nM) could be used to preferentially label striatal D-4 site as shown by the inhibition potencies of discriminant benzamide derivatives (DBD), significantly higher than at pituitary D-2 site (receptor) whereas classical neuroleptics including metoclopramide were equally potent at both sites. The affinity of a variety of agonists for striatal sites labeled with 0.2 nM 3H-(-)DO 710 generally differed from their affinity for the two states of the pituitary D-2 receptor (with high and low affinity for agonists, respectively); compounds like lisuride, N-propylnorapomorphine or pergolide had very high affinity for the striatal 3H-(-)DO 710 site. In pituitary from oestradiol-treated rats, where only D-2 site occurs, only the low-affinity site for 3H-(-)DO 710 (Kd = 2.8 nM) was found.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The use of [3H](-)-DO 710 as selective dopaminergic ligand for binding and autoradiographic studies

DO 710, a benzamide derivative previously shown to display a dopamine antagonistic potency superior to that of sulpiride, was 3H-labeled. Its use as radioligand was assessed in membrane binding and autoradiographic studies. The compound displayed relatively high affinity (Kd 2 nM) and pronounced selectivity for dopamine receptors (distinct from D-1 receptors) as well as low non-specific binding particularly evidenced in autoradiographic experiments. Hence [3H](-)-DO 710 displays distinct technical advantages over commonly used dopaminergic radioligands.