Abstract
Macaques are often motivated to perform in neuroscientific experiments by implementing fluid restriction protocols. Daily access to water is controlled and the monkeys are rewarded with droplets of fluid for performing correct trials in the laboratory. Although these protocols are widely used and highly effective, it is important from a 3Rs perspective to investigate refinements that may help to lessen the severity of the fluid restriction applied. We assessed the use of social stimuli (images of conspecifics) as rewards for four rhesus macaques performing simple cognitive tasks. We found that individual preferences for images of male faces, female perinea and control stimuli could be identified in each monkey. However, using preferred images did not translate into effective motivators on a trial-by-trial basis: animals preferred fluid rewards, even when fluid restriction was relaxed. There was no difference in the monkeys’ performance of a task when using greyscale versus colour images. Based on our findings, we cannot recommend the use of social stimuli, in this form, as a refinement to current fluid restriction protocols. We discuss the potential alternatives and possibilities for future research.
Highlights
Macaques are used in neuroscientific experiments as models to better understand human brain function
Taking into account the evidence surrounding the potential motivational value of social stimuli, this study investigates to what extent social stimuli can be used to motivate macaques in a behavioural neuroscience setting for adequate task performance, with the aims to reduce the need for fluid rewards, and refine protocols associated with fluid control
Monkey 2 preferred the male faces to the female perinea (W = 15.28, p < 0.001) and to the controls (W = 17.70, p < 0.001), he looked for longer at the female perinea than their scrambled controls (W = 8.70, p < 0.001)
Summary
Macaques are used in neuroscientific experiments as models to better understand human brain function. This often requires their engagement in laboratory tasks, which can require many hundreds of trials per day to achieve adequate statistical power. In order to motivate the animals, many researchers reward them with highly-valued fluid upon the completion of each correct trial Where studies require large numbers of trials, fluid restriction protocols, which control the daily access to fluid for an animal, may have to be employed to sufficiently motivate the monkeys to consistently perform the task (see [3] for a review). It is still important that alternatives to fluid rewards are explored for their efficacy and practicality in motivating macaques to perform adequate
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