Performance of juvenile baboons on neuropsychological tests assessing associative learning, motivation and attention

作者：Zuercher Nicole R; Rodriguez Jesse S^*; Jenkins Sue L; Keenan Kate; Bartlett Thad Q; McDonald Thomas J; Nathanielsz Peter W; Nijland Mark J

来源：Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 2010, 188(2): 219-225.

DOI：10.1016/j.jneumeth.2010.02.011

• Learning
• Memory
• Operant conditioning
• Positive reinforcement
• Attention
• Set-shifting

The CANTAB (Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery), a system developed for human neuropsychological testing, has previously been used to assess cognitive function in two species of non-human primates, common marmoset monkeys and rhesus macaques. We describe the application of the system to the juvenile baboon, a nonhuman primate species offering specific investigative advantages. juvenile baboons were trained and tested on a progressive ratio task to assess motivation, simple discrimination and simple reversal tasks to assess associative learning, and intra- and extra-dimensional set-shifting tasks to assess selective attention and attentional set-shifting, respectively. Study subjects were 8 juvenile baboons (Papio sp.), 4 females and 4 males aged 3.0 +/- 0.1 (mean + SEM) years and weight 8.2 +/- 0.4 kg. All baboons were easily trained, readily learned the neuropsychological tests and exhibited a stable performance. Applying a method such as the CANTAB has significant implications for expanding on the translational utility of the baboon in studies of neurodevelopment.

• 出版日期2010-5-15