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Cassidy L, Treue S, Gail A, Pfefferle D. Choice-based severity scale (CSS): assessing the relative severity of procedures from a laboratory animal's perspective. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17300. [PMID: 38903880 PMCID: PMC11188928 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
One primary goal of laboratory animal welfare science is to provide a comprehensive severity assessment of the experimental and husbandry procedures or conditions these animals experience. The severity, or degree of suffering, of these conditions experienced by animals are typically scored based on anthropocentric assumptions. We propose to (a) assess an animal's subjective experience of condition severity, and (b) not only rank but scale different conditions in relation to one another using choice-based preference testing. The Choice-based Severity Scale (CSS) utilizes animals' relative preferences for different conditions, which are compared by how much reward is needed to outweigh the perceived severity of a given condition. Thus, this animal-centric approach provides a common scale for condition severity based on the animal's perspective. To assess and test the CSS concept, we offered three opportunistically selected male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) choices between two conditions: performing a cognitive task in a typical neuroscience laboratory setup (laboratory condition) versus the monkey's home environment (cage condition). Our data show a shift in one individual's preference for the cage condition to the laboratory condition when we changed the type of reward provided in the task. Two additional monkeys strongly preferred the cage condition over the laboratory condition, irrespective of reward amount and type. We tested the CSS concept further by showing that monkeys' choices between tasks varying in trial duration can be influenced by the amount of reward provided. Altogether, the CSS concept is built upon laboratory animals' subjective experiences and has the potential to de-anthropomorphize severity assessments, refine experimental protocols, and provide a common framework to assess animal welfare across different domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Cassidy
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Population and Behavioral Health Services, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, United States
| | - Stefan Treue
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Faculty for Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Alexander Gail
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Faculty for Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Dana Pfefferle
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
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Crayen MA, Kagan I, Esghaei M, Hoehl D, Thomas U, Prückl R, Schaffelhofer S, Treue S. Using camera-guided electrode microdrive navigation for precise 3D targeting of macaque brain sites. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301849. [PMID: 38805512 PMCID: PMC11132476 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial accuracy in electrophysiological investigations is paramount, as precise localization and reliable access to specific brain regions help the advancement of our understanding of the brain's complex neural activity. Here, we introduce a novel, multi camera-based, frameless neuronavigation technique for precise, 3-dimensional electrode positioning in awake monkeys. The investigation of neural functions in awake primates often requires stable access to the brain with thin and delicate recording electrodes. This is usually realized by implanting a chronic recording chamber onto the skull of the animal that allows direct access to the dura. Most recording and positioning techniques utilize this implanted recording chamber as a holder of the microdrive or to hold a grid. This in turn reduces the degrees of freedom in positioning. To solve this problem, we require innovative, flexible, but precise tools for neuronal recordings. We instead mount the electrode microdrive above the animal on an arch, equipped with a series of translational and rotational micromanipulators, allowing movements in all axes. Here, the positioning is controlled by infrared cameras tracking the location of the microdrive and the monkey, allowing precise and flexible trajectories. To verify the accuracy of this technique, we created iron deposits in the tissue that could be detected by MRI. Our results demonstrate a remarkable precision with the confirmed physical location of these deposits averaging less than 0.5 mm from their planned position. Pilot electrophysiological recordings additionally demonstrate the accuracy and flexibility of this method. Our innovative approach could significantly enhance the accuracy and flexibility of neural recordings, potentially catalyzing further advancements in neuroscientific research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Arwed Crayen
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August University, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences, Georg-August University, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Igor Kagan
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
| | - Moein Esghaei
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | - Dirk Hoehl
- Thomas RECORDING GmbH, Giessen, Hesse, Germany
| | - Uwe Thomas
- Thomas RECORDING GmbH, Giessen, Hesse, Germany
| | | | | | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August University, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Goettingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
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Shahidi N, Franch M, Parajuli A, Schrater P, Wright A, Pitkow X, Dragoi V. Population coding of strategic variables during foraging in freely moving macaques. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:772-781. [PMID: 38443701 PMCID: PMC11001579 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-024-01575-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Until now, it has been difficult to examine the neural bases of foraging in naturalistic environments because previous approaches have relied on restrained animals performing trial-based foraging tasks. Here we allowed unrestrained monkeys to freely interact with concurrent reward options while we wirelessly recorded population activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The animals decided when and where to forage based on whether their prediction of reward was fulfilled or violated. This prediction was not solely based on a history of reward delivery, but also on the understanding that waiting longer improves the chance of reward. The task variables were continuously represented in a subspace of the high-dimensional population activity, and this compressed representation predicted the animal's subsequent choices better than the true task variables and as well as the raw neural activity. Our results indicate that monkeys' foraging strategies are based on a cortical model of reward dynamics as animals freely explore their environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Shahidi
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Georg-Elias-Müller-Institute for Psychology, Georg August-Universität, Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Melissa Franch
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Arun Parajuli
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paul Schrater
- Department of Computer Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Anthony Wright
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xaq Pitkow
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Center for Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
- Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Machine Learning, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Valentin Dragoi
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas, Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
- Neuroengineering Initiative, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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4
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Aboutorabi E, Baloni Ray S, Kaping D, Shahbazi F, Treue S, Esghaei M. Phase of neural oscillations as a reference frame for attention-based routing in visual cortex. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 233:102563. [PMID: 38142770 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Selective attention allows the brain to efficiently process the image projected onto the retina, selectively focusing neural processing resources on behaviorally relevant visual information. While previous studies have documented the crucial role of the action potential rate of single neurons in relaying such information, little is known about how the activity of single neurons relative to their neighboring network contributes to the efficient representation of attended stimuli and transmission of this information to downstream areas. Here, we show in the dorsal visual pathway of monkeys (medial superior temporal area) that neurons fire spikes preferentially at a specific phase of the ongoing population beta (∼20 Hz) oscillations of the surrounding local network. This preferred spiking phase shifts towards a later phase when monkeys selectively attend towards (rather than away from) the receptive field of the neuron. This shift of the locking phase is positively correlated with the speed at which animals report a visual change. Furthermore, our computational modeling suggests that neural networks can manipulate the preferred phase of coupling by imposing differential synaptic delays on postsynaptic potentials. This distinction between the locking phase of neurons activated by the spatially attended stimulus vs. that of neurons activated by the unattended stimulus, may enable the neural system to discriminate relevant from irrelevant sensory inputs and consequently filter out distracting stimuli information by aligning the spikes which convey relevant/irrelevant information to distinct phases linked to periods of better/worse perceptual sensitivity for higher cortices. This strategy may be used to reserve the narrow windows of highest perceptual efficacy to the processing of the most behaviorally relevant information, ensuring highly efficient responses to attended sensory events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Aboutorabi
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sonia Baloni Ray
- Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, New Delhi, India
| | - Daniel Kaping
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Farhad Shahbazi
- Department of Physics, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany; Faculty for Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Moein Esghaei
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany; Westa Higher Education Center, Karaj, Iran.
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Watson MR, Traczewski N, Dunghana S, Boroujeni KB, Neumann A, Wen X, Womelsdorf T. A Multi-task Platform for Profiling Cognitive and Motivational Constructs in Humans and Nonhuman Primates. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.09.566422. [PMID: 38014107 PMCID: PMC10680597 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.09.566422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Background Understanding the neurobiological substrates of psychiatric disorders requires comprehensive evaluations of cognitive and motivational functions in preclinical research settings. The translational validity of such evaluations will be supported by (1) tasks with high construct validity that are engaging and easy to teach to human and nonhuman participants, (2) software that enables efficient switching between multiple tasks in single sessions, (3) software that supports tasks across a broad range of physical experimental setups, and (4) by platform architectures that are easily extendable and customizable to encourage future optimization and development. New Method We describe the Multi-task Universal Suite for Experiments ( M-USE ), a software platform designed to meet these requirements. It leverages the Unity video game engine and C# programming language to (1) support immersive and engaging tasks for humans and nonhuman primates, (2) allow experimenters or participants to switch between multiple tasks within-session, (3) generate builds that function across computers, tablets, and websites, and (4) is freely available online with documentation and tutorials for users and developers. M-USE includes a task library with seven pre-existing tasks assessing cognitive and motivational constructs of perception, attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, motivational and affective self-control, relational long-term memory, and visuo-spatial problem solving. Results M-USE was used to test NHPs on up to six tasks per session, all available as part of the Task Library, and to extract performance metrics for all major cognitive and motivational constructs spanning the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) of the National Institutes of Mental Health. Comparison with Existing Methods Other experiment design and control systems exist, but do not provide the full range of features available in M-USE, including a pre-existing task library for cross-species assessments; the ability to switch seamlessly between tasks in individual sessions; cross-platform build capabilities; license-free availability; and its leveraging of video-engine capabilities used to gamify tasks. Conclusions The new multi-task platform facilitates cross-species translational research for understanding the neurobiological substrates of higher cognitive and motivational functions.
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Schneider L, Dominguez-Vargas AU, Gibson L, Wilke M, Kagan I. Visual, delay, and oculomotor timing and tuning in macaque dorsal pulvinar during instructed and free choice memory saccades. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10877-10900. [PMID: 37724430 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Causal perturbations suggest that primate dorsal pulvinar plays a crucial role in target selection and saccade planning, though its basic neuronal properties remain unclear. Some functional aspects of dorsal pulvinar and interconnected frontoparietal areas-e.g. ipsilesional choice bias after inactivation-are similar. But it is unknown if dorsal pulvinar shares oculomotor properties of cortical circuitry, in particular delay and choice-related activity. We investigated such properties in macaque dorsal pulvinar during instructed and free-choice memory saccades. Most recorded units showed visual (12%), saccade-related (30%), or both types of responses (22%). Visual responses were primarily contralateral; diverse saccade-related responses were predominantly post-saccadic with a weak contralateral bias. Memory delay and pre-saccadic enhancement was infrequent (11-9%)-instead, activity was often suppressed during saccade planning (25%) and further during execution (15%). Surprisingly, only few units exhibited classical visuomotor patterns combining cue and continuous delay activity or pre-saccadic ramping; moreover, most spatially-selective neurons did not encode the upcoming decision during free-choice delay. Thus, in absence of a visible goal, the dorsal pulvinar has a limited role in prospective saccade planning, with patterns partially complementing its frontoparietal partners. Conversely, prevalent visual and post-saccadic responses imply its participation in integrating spatial goals with processing across saccades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Schneider
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany
| | - Adan-Ulises Dominguez-Vargas
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Département de Neurosciences, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Lydia Gibson
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany
| | - Melanie Wilke
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Goettingen 37075, Germany
- DFG Center for Nanoscale Microscopy & Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), Robert-Koch-Str. 40, Göttingen 37075, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
| | - Igor Kagan
- Decision and Awareness Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, Goettingen 37077, Germany
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7
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Calapai A, Pfefferle D, Cassidy LC, Nazari A, Yurt P, Brockhausen RR, Treue S. A Touchscreen-Based, Multiple-Choice Approach to Cognitive Enrichment of Captive Rhesus Macaques ( Macaca mulatta). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2702. [PMID: 37684966 PMCID: PMC10486349 DOI: 10.3390/ani13172702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on the psychological and physiological well-being of captive animals has focused on investigating different types of social and structural enrichment. Consequently, cognitive enrichment has been understudied, despite the promising external validity, comparability, and applicability. As we aim to fill this gap, we developed an interactive, multiple-choice interface for cage-mounted touchscreen devices that rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) can freely interact with, from within their home enclosure at the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of the German Primate Center. The multiple-choice interface offers interchangeable activities that animals can choose and switch between. We found that all 16 captive rhesus macaques tested consistently engaged with the multiple-choice interface across 6 weekly sessions, with 11 of them exhibiting clear task preferences, and displaying proficiency in performing the selected tasks. Our approach does not require social separation or dietary restriction and is intended to increase animals' sense of competence and agency by providing them with more control over their environment. Thanks to the high level of automation, our multiple-choice interface can be easily incorporated as a standard cognitive enrichment practice across different facilities and institutes working with captive animals, particularly non-human primates. We believe that the multiple-choice interface is a sustainable, scalable, and pragmatic protocol for enhancing cognitive well-being and animal welfare in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Calapai
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Dana Pfefferle
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Lauren C Cassidy
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Population and Behavioral Health Services, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95817, USA
| | - Anahita Nazari
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Pinar Yurt
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ralf R Brockhausen
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Faculty for Biology and Psychology, Goettingen University, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
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8
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Brando S, Vitale A, Bacon M. Promoting Good Nonhuman Primate Welfare outside Regular Working Hours. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13081423. [PMID: 37106985 PMCID: PMC10135122 DOI: 10.3390/ani13081423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Promoting good primate welfare outside of daylight hours is an important task. The responsibility to provide a complex environment and environmental enrichment is an essential element of primate wellbeing programs that should be approached from a 24-h perspective and planned according to the species and individual needs, including giving animals the ability to interact with and control their environment during hours when animal care staff are not present. One must be aware, however, that their needs may differ at night-time from their care needs during the day when staff are present. Assessing welfare and providing enrichment during times when staff are not on hand can be achieved through the use of a variety of technologies, such as night-view cameras, animal-centred technologies, and data loggers. This paper will address the relevant topics concerning the care and welfare of primates during off-hours, and the use of related technologies to facilitate and assess wellbeing at these times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Brando
- AnimalConcepts, Teulada, P.O. Box 378, 03725 Alicante, Spain
| | - Augusto Vitale
- Center for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Madison Bacon
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Saint Paul, MN 55455, USA
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9
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Warne RK, Moloney GK, Chaber AL. Is biomedical research demand driving a monkey business? One Health 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2023.100520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
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10
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Moeller S, Unakafov AM, Fischer J, Gail A, Treue S, Kagan I. Human and macaque pairs employ different coordination strategies in a transparent decision game. eLife 2023; 12:81641. [PMID: 36633125 PMCID: PMC9937648 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Many real-world decisions in social contexts are made while observing a partner's actions. To study dynamic interactions during such decisions, we developed a setup where two agents seated face-to-face to engage in game-theoretical tasks on a shared transparent touchscreen display ('transparent games'). We compared human and macaque pairs in a transparent version of the coordination game 'Bach-or-Stravinsky', which entails a conflict about which of two individually-preferred opposing options to choose to achieve coordination. Most human pairs developed coordinated behavior and adopted dynamic turn-taking to equalize the payoffs. All macaque pairs converged on simpler, static coordination. Remarkably, two animals learned to coordinate dynamically after training with a human confederate. This pair selected the faster agent's preferred option, exhibiting turn-taking behavior that was captured by modeling the visibility of the partner's action before one's own movement. Such competitive turn-taking was unlike the prosocial turn-taking in humans, who equally often initiated switches to and from their preferred option. Thus, the dynamic coordination is not restricted to humans but can occur on the background of different social attitudes and cognitive capacities in rhesus monkeys. Overall, our results illustrate how action visibility promotes the emergence and maintenance of coordination when agents can observe and time their mutual actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Moeller
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate CognitionGöttingenGermany
| | - Anton M Unakafov
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate CognitionGöttingenGermany
- Georg-Elias-Müller-Institute of Psychology, University of GottingenGöttingenGermany
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-OrganizationGöttingenGermany
- Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological NetworksGottingenGermany
| | - Julia Fischer
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate CognitionGöttingenGermany
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
- Department of Primate Cognition, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of GottingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Alexander Gail
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate CognitionGöttingenGermany
- Georg-Elias-Müller-Institute of Psychology, University of GottingenGöttingenGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational NeuroscienceGöttingenGermany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate CognitionGöttingenGermany
- Georg-Elias-Müller-Institute of Psychology, University of GottingenGöttingenGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational NeuroscienceGöttingenGermany
| | - Igor Kagan
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate CognitionGöttingenGermany
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11
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Cassidy LC, Bethell EJ, Brockhausen RR, Boretius S, Treue S, Pfefferle D. The Dot-Probe Attention Bias Task as a Method to Assess Psychological Well-Being after Anesthesia: A Study with Adult Female Long-Tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis). Eur Surg Res 2023; 64:37-53. [PMID: 34915502 PMCID: PMC9909723 DOI: 10.1159/000521440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the impact routine research and laboratory procedures have on animals is crucial to improving their well-being and to the success and reproducibility of the research they are involved in. Cognitive measures of welfare offer insight into animals' internal psychological state, but require validation. Attention bias - the tendency to attend to one type of information over another - is a cognitive phenomenon documented in humans and animals that is known to be modulated by affective state (i.e., emotions). Hence, changes in attention bias may offer researchers a deeper perspective of their animals' psychological well-being. The dot-probe task is an established method for quantifying attention bias in humans (by measuring reaction time to a dot-probe replacing pairs of stimuli), but has yet to be validated in animals. We developed a dot-probe task for long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to determine if the task can detect changes in attention bias following anesthesia, a context known to modulate attention and trigger physiological arousal in macaques. Our task included the following features: stimulus pairs of threatening and neutral facial expressions of conspecifics and their scrambled counterparts, two stimuli durations (100 and 1,000 ms), and counterbalancing of the dot-probe's position on the touchscreen (left and right) and location relative to the threatening stimulus. We tested 8 group-housed adult females on different days relative to being anesthetized (baseline and 1-, 3-, 7-, and 14-days after). At baseline, monkeys were vigilant to threatening content when stimulus pairs were presented for 100 ms, but not 1,000 ms. On the day immediately following anesthesia, we found evidence that attention bias changed to an avoidance of threatening content. Attention bias returned to threat vigilance by the third day postanesthesia and remained so up to the last day of testing (14-days after anesthesia). We also found that attention bias was independent of the type of stimuli pair (i.e., whole face vs. scrambled counterparts), suggesting that the scrambled stimuli retained aspects of the original stimuli. Nevertheless, whole faces were more salient to the monkeys as responses to these trials were generally slower than to scrambled stimulus pairs. Overall, our study suggests it is feasible to detect changes in attention bias following anesthesia using the dot-probe task in nonhuman primates. Our results also reveal important aspects of stimulus preparation and experimental design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren C Cassidy
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Emily J Bethell
- Liverpool John Moores University, Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool John Moores University, Research Centre in Brain and Behaviour, Liverpool, UK
| | - Ralf R Brockhausen
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Susann Boretius
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Functional Imaging Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Dana Pfefferle
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
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12
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Gopu B, Kour P, Pandian R, Singh K. Insights into the drug screening approaches in leishmaniasis. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 114:109591. [PMID: 36700771 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, a tropically neglected disease, is responsible for the high mortality and morbidity ratio in poverty-stricken areas. Currently, no vaccine is available for the complete cure of the disease. Current chemotherapeutic regimens face the limitations of drug resistance and toxicity concerns indicating a great need to develop better chemotherapeutic leads that are orally administrable, potent, non-toxic, and cost-effective. The anti-leishmanial drug discovery process accelerated the desire for large-scale drug screening assays and high-throughput screening (HTS) technology to identify new chemo-types that can be used as potential drug molecules to control infection. Using the HTS approach, about one million compounds can be screened daily within the shortest possible time for biological activity using automation tools, miniaturized assay formats, and large-scale data analysis. Classical and modern in vitro screening assays have led to the progression of active compounds further to ex vivo and in vivo studies. In the present review, we emphasized on the HTS approaches employed in the leishmanial drug discovery program. Recent in vitro screening assays are widely explored to discover new chemical scaffolds. Developing appropriate experimental animal models and their related techniques is necessary to understand the pathophysiological processes and disease host responses, paving the way for unraveling novel therapies against leishmaniasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boobalan Gopu
- Animal House Facility, Pharmacology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
| | - Parampreet Kour
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India
| | - Ramajayan Pandian
- Animal House Facility, Pharmacology Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India
| | - Kuljit Singh
- Infectious Diseases Division, CSIR- Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu 180001, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, India.
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13
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Home-Enclosure-Based Behavioral and Wireless Neural Recording Setup for Unrestrained Rhesus Macaques. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0285-22.2022. [PMID: 36564215 PMCID: PMC9836026 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0285-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrophysiological studies with behaving nonhuman primates often require the separation of animals from their social group as well as partial movement restraint to perform well-controlled experiments. When the research goal per se does not mandate constraining the animals' movements, there are often still experimental needs imposed by tethered data acquisition. Recent technological advances meanwhile allow wireless neurophysiological recordings at high band-width in limited-size enclosures. Here, we demonstrate wireless neural recordings at single unit resolution from unrestrained rhesus macaques while they performed self-paced, structured visuomotor tasks on our custom-built, stand-alone touchscreen system [eXperimental Behavioral Instrument (XBI)] in their home environment. We were able to successfully characterize neural tuning to task parameters, such as visuo-spatial selectivity during movement planning and execution, as expected from existing findings obtained via setup-based neurophysiology recordings. We conclude that when movement restraint and/or a highly controlled, insulated environment are not necessary for scientific reasons, cage-based wireless neural recordings are a viable option. We propose an approach that allows the animals to engage in a self-paced manner with our XBI device, both for fully automatized training and cognitive testing, as well as neural data acquisition in their familiar environment, maintaining auditory and sometimes visual contact with their conspecifics.
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14
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Yurt P, Calapai A, Mundry R, Treue S. Assessing cognitive flexibility in humans and rhesus macaques with visual motion and neutral distractors. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1047292. [PMID: 36605264 PMCID: PMC9807625 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1047292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cognitive flexibility is the ability of an individual to make behavioral adjustments in response to internal and/or external changes. While it has been reported in a wide variety of species, established paradigms to assess cognitive flexibility vary between humans and non-human animals, making systematic comparisons difficult to interpret. Methods We developed a computer-based paradigm to assess cognitive flexibility in humans and non-human primates. Our paradigm (1) uses a classical reversal learning structure in combination with a set-shifting approach (4 stimuli and 3 rules) to assess flexibility at various levels; (2) it employs the use of motion as one of three possible contextual rules; (3) it comprises elements that allow a foraging-like and random interaction, i.e., instances where the animals operate the task without following a strategy, to potentially minimize frustration in favor of a more positive engagement. Results and Discussion We show that motion can be used as a feature dimension (in addition to commonly used shape and color) to assess cognitive flexibility. Due to the way motion is processed in the primate brain, we argue that this dimension is an ideal candidate in situations where a non-binary rule set is needed and where participants might not be able to fully grasp other visual information of the stimulus (e.g., quantity in Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). All participants in our experiment flexibly shifted to and from motion-based rules as well as color- and shape-based rules, but did so with different proficiencies. Overall, we believe that with such approach it is possible to better characterize the evolution of cognitive flexibility in primates, as well as to develop more efficient tools to diagnose and treat various executive function deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pinar Yurt
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Germany,Georg-August University School of Science, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Antonino Calapai
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Germany,LeibnizScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany,*Correspondence: Antonino Calapai,
| | - Roger Mundry
- LeibnizScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany,Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany,Department for Primate Cognition, Georg-August University, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Goettingen, Germany,LeibnizScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
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15
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Zaraza D, Chernov MM, Yang Y, Rogers JA, Roe AW, Friedman RM. Head-mounted optical imaging and optogenetic stimulation system for use in behaving primates. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2022; 2:100351. [PMID: 36590689 PMCID: PMC9795332 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Advances in optical technology have revolutionized studies of brain function in freely behaving mice. Here, we describe an optical imaging and stimulation device for use in primates that easily attaches to an intracranial chamber. It consists of affordable commercially available or 3D-printed components: a monochromatic camera, a small standard lens, a wireless μLED stimulator powered by an induction coil, and an LED array for illumination. We show that the intrinsic imaging performance of this device is comparable to a standard benchtop system in revealing the functional organization of the visual cortex for awake macaques in a primate chair or under anesthesia. Imaging revealed neural modulatory effects of wireless focal optogenetic stimulation aimed at identified functional domains. With a 1 to 2 cm field of view, 100× larger than previously used in primates without head restraint, our device permits widefield optical imaging and optogenetic stimulation for ethological studies in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Zaraza
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Mykyta M. Chernov
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Yiyuan Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - John A. Rogers
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Anna W. Roe
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
| | - Robert M. Friedman
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health and Science University, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA
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16
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Cabrera-Moreno J, Jeanson L, Jeschke M, Calapai A. Group-based, autonomous, individualized training and testing of long-tailed macaques ( Macaca fascicularis) in their home enclosure to a visuo-acoustic discrimination task. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1047242. [PMID: 36524199 PMCID: PMC9745322 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1047242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the utility and efficiency of automated procedures for cognitive assessment in psychology and neuroscience have been demonstrated in non-human primates (NHP). This approach mimics conventional shaping principles of breaking down a final desired behavior into smaller components that can be trained in a staircase manner. When combined with home-cage-based approaches, this could lead to a reduction in human workload, enhancement in data quality, and improvement in animal welfare. However, to our knowledge, there are no reported attempts to develop automated training and testing protocols for long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), a ubiquitous NHP model in neuroscience and pharmaceutical research. In the current work, we present the results from 6 long-tailed macaques that were trained using an automated unsupervised training (AUT) protocol for introducing the animals to the basics of a two-alternative choice (2 AC) task where they had to discriminate a conspecific vocalization from a pure tone relying on images presented on a touchscreen to report their response. We found that animals (1) consistently engaged with the device across several months; (2) interacted in bouts of high engagement; (3) alternated peacefully to interact with the device; and (4) smoothly ascended from step to step in the visually guided section of the procedure, in line with previous results from other NHPs. However, we also found (5) that animals' performance remained at chance level as soon as the acoustically guided steps were reached; and (6) that the engagement level decreased significantly with decreasing performance during the transition from visual to acoustic-guided sections. We conclude that with an autonomous approach, it is possible to train long-tailed macaques in their social group using computer vision techniques and without dietary restriction to solve a visually guided discrimination task but not an acoustically guided task. We provide suggestions on what future attempts could take into consideration to instruct acoustically guided discrimination tasks successfully.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Cabrera-Moreno
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences, Biophysics and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate CenterLeibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lena Jeanson
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marcus Jeschke
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate CenterLeibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Antonino Calapai
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate CenterLeibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
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17
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Apex and ApeTouch: Development of a Portable Touchscreen System and Software for Primates at Zoos. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12131660. [PMID: 35804559 PMCID: PMC9265006 DOI: 10.3390/ani12131660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Zoos are increasingly looking at technology-based enrichment as a way to improve the welfare of primates in their care. Touchscreen tasks are an option that have a long and established history of usage by primates in research settings as well as a history in zoos. However, the barrier-to-entry is high for new zoos interested in adopting the primate touchscreen method. There are no pre-built and zoo-specific hardware and software options available, so zoos must assemble touchscreen systems on their own and write their own software or use pre-existing research-based software that is not ideally suited to zoo settings and applications. To remedy this, we developed a pre-built portable touchscreen system named Apex along with easy-to-operate primate software named ApeTouch; both are available for zoos to acquire. Our system and software offer enrichment, research, and husbandry applications. To illustrate the utility of these tools, we report on a training study with four species of zoo-housed macaques using the Apex machine and ApeTouch software. Abstract We report on the development and testing of a portable touchscreen apparatus and accompanying software program for primate enrichment, cognitive research, and husbandry applications. For zoos considering using technology to bolster scientific efforts or enhance the welfare of primates in their care, touchscreen activities offer a solution that has a long and proven record of primate use in laboratory settings as well as a history of usage in the zoo world. We review the options that are available for zoos to build their own touchscreen systems and we offer as an alternative our pre-built apparatus, Apex, and primate software suite, ApeTouch, both of which are tailored for use in a zoo setting. The efficacy and utility of these tools are demonstrated in a training study with four macaque groups of different species that were previously naïve to touchscreens. All of the groups in the study learned to use the device and displayed a consistent engagement with the touchscreen tasks over 95 daily sessions of exposure. In the final stage of the training, two of the four groups displayed an above-chance level performance on a numerical sequencing task.
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18
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Electrophysiological dataset from macaque visual cortical area MST in response to a novel motion stimulus. Sci Data 2022; 9:182. [PMID: 35440786 PMCID: PMC9019011 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01239-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing the cortical neural representation of visual stimuli is a central challenge of systems neuroscience. Publicly available data would allow a broad range of scientific analyses and hypothesis testing, but are rare and largely focused on the early visual system. To address the shortage of open data from higher visual areas, we provide a comprehensive dataset from a neurophysiology study in macaque monkey visual cortex that includes a complete record of extracellular action potential recordings from the extrastriate medial superior temporal (MST) area, behavioral data, and detailed stimulus records. It includes spiking activity of 172 single neurons recorded in 139 sessions from 4 hemispheres of 3 rhesus macaque monkeys. The data was collected across 3 experiments, designed to characterize the response properties of MST neurons to complex motion stimuli. This data can be used to elucidate visual information processing at the level of single neurons in a high-level area of primate visual cortex. Providing open access to this dataset also promotes the 3R-principle of responsible animal research. Measurement(s) | spike train • eye movement measurement | Technology Type(s) | single-unit recording • eye tracking device | Factor Type(s) | direction, location, and speed of moving random dot patterns | Sample Characteristic - Organism | Macaca mulatta | Sample Characteristic - Environment | laboratory environment | Sample Characteristic - Location | Germany |
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19
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Calapai A, Cabrera-Moreno J, Moser T, Jeschke M. Flexible auditory training, psychophysics, and enrichment of common marmosets with an automated, touchscreen-based system. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1648. [PMID: 35347139 PMCID: PMC8960775 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29185-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Devising new and more efficient protocols to analyze the phenotypes of non-human primates, as well as their complex nervous systems, is rapidly becoming of paramount importance. This is because with genome-editing techniques, recently adopted to non-human primates, new animal models for fundamental and translational research have been established. One aspect in particular, namely cognitive hearing, has been difficult to assess compared to visual cognition. To address this, we devised autonomous, standardized, and unsupervised training and testing of auditory capabilities of common marmosets with a cage-based standalone, wireless system. All marmosets tested voluntarily operated the device on a daily basis and went from naïve to experienced at their own pace and with ease. Through a series of experiments, here we show, that animals autonomously learn to associate sounds with images; to flexibly discriminate sounds, and to detect sounds of varying loudness. The developed platform and training principles combine in-cage training of common marmosets for cognitive and psychoacoustic assessment with an enriched environment that does not rely on dietary restriction or social separation, in compliance with the 3Rs principle. The authors present a cage-based stand-alone platform for autonomous, standardized, and unsupervised training and testing of visuo-auditory-cued behaviours of common marmosets. The experiments do not require dietary restriction or social separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Calapai
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", Göttingen, Germany
| | - J Cabrera-Moreno
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences, Biophysics and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - T Moser
- Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences, Biophysics and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience Group and Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany
| | - M Jeschke
- Cognitive Hearing in Primates (CHiP) Group, Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany. .,Auditory Neuroscience and Optogenetics Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany. .,Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", Göttingen, Germany. .,Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
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20
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Zarei M, Jahed M, Dezfouli MP, Daliri MR. Sensory representation of visual stimuli in the coupling of low-frequency phase to spike times. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1641-1654. [PMID: 35106628 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02460-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Neural synchronization has been engaged in several brain mechanisms. Previous studies have shown that the interaction between the time of spiking activity and phase of local field potentials (LFPs) plays a key role in many cognitive functions. However, the potential role of this spike-LFP phase coupling (SPC) in neural coding is not fully understood. Here, we sought to investigate the role of this SPC for encoding the sensory properties of visual stimuli. To this end, we measured SPC strength in the preferred and anti-preferred motion directions of stimulus presented inside the receptive field of middle temporal (MT) neurons. We found a selective response in terms of SPC strength for different directions of motion. Remarkably, this selective function is inverted with respect to the spiking activity. In other words, the least SPC occurs for the preferred direction (based on the spike rate), and vice versa; the strongest SPC is induced in the anti-preferred direction. Altogether, these findings imply that the neural system may use spike-LFP phase coupling in the primate visual cortex to encode sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Zarei
- School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran.,School of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology (SUT), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehran Jahed
- School of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology (SUT), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohsen Parto Dezfouli
- School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Daliri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran
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21
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Jacob G, Katti H, Cherian T, Das J, Zhivago KA, Arun SP. A naturalistic environment to study visual cognition in unrestrained monkeys. eLife 2021; 10:63816. [PMID: 34821553 PMCID: PMC8676323 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Macaque monkeys are widely used to study vision. In the traditional approach, monkeys are brought into a lab to perform visual tasks while they are restrained to obtain stable eye tracking and neural recordings. Here, we describe a novel environment to study visual cognition in a more natural setting as well as other natural and social behaviors. We designed a naturalistic environment with an integrated touchscreen workstation that enables high-quality eye tracking in unrestrained monkeys. We used this environment to train monkeys on a challenging same-different task. We also show that this environment can reveal interesting novel social behaviors. As proof of concept, we show that two naive monkeys were able to learn this complex task through a combination of socially observing trained monkeys and solo trial-and-error. We propose that such naturalistic environments can be used to rigorously study visual cognition as well as other natural and social behaviors in freely moving monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgin Jacob
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Bangalore, India.,Department of Electrical Communication Engineering Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Harish Katti
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Bangalore, India
| | - Thomas Cherian
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Bangalore, India
| | - Jhilik Das
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Bangalore, India
| | - K A Zhivago
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Bangalore, India
| | - S P Arun
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Bangalore, India
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22
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Scott JT, Bourne JA. Modelling behaviors relevant to brain disorders in the nonhuman primate: Are we there yet? Prog Neurobiol 2021; 208:102183. [PMID: 34728308 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2021.102183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent years have seen a profound resurgence of activity with nonhuman primates (NHPs) to model human brain disorders. From marmosets to macaques, the study of NHP species offers a unique window into the function of primate-specific neural circuits that are impossible to examine in other models. Examining how these circuits manifest into the complex behaviors of primates, such as advanced cognitive and social functions, has provided enormous insights to date into the mechanisms underlying symptoms of numerous neurological and neuropsychiatric illnesses. With the recent optimization of modern techniques to manipulate and measure neural activity in vivo, such as optogenetics and calcium imaging, NHP research is more well-equipped than ever to probe the neural mechanisms underlying pathological behavior. However, methods for behavioral experimentation and analysis in NHPs have noticeably failed to keep pace with these advances. As behavior ultimately lies at the junction between preclinical findings and its translation to clinical outcomes for brain disorders, approaches to improve the integrity, reproducibility, and translatability of behavioral experiments in NHPs requires critical evaluation. In this review, we provide a unifying account of existing brain disorder models using NHPs, and provide insights into the present and emerging contributions of behavioral studies to the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack T Scott
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - James A Bourne
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
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23
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Womelsdorf T, Thomas C, Neumann A, Watson MR, Banaie Boroujeni K, Hassani SA, Parker J, Hoffman KL. A Kiosk Station for the Assessment of Multiple Cognitive Domains and Cognitive Enrichment of Monkeys. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:721069. [PMID: 34512289 PMCID: PMC8426617 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.721069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonhuman primates (NHP's) are self-motivated to perform cognitive tasks on touchscreens in their animal housing setting. To leverage this ability, fully integrated hardware and software solutions are needed that work within housing and husbandry routines while also spanning cognitive task constructs of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC). Here, we detail such an integrated robust hardware and software solution for running cognitive tasks in cage-housed NHP's with a cage-mounted Kiosk Station (KS-1). KS-1 consists of a frame for mounting flexibly on housing cages, a touchscreen animal interface with mounts for receptables, reward pumps, and cameras, and a compact computer cabinet with an interface for controlling behavior. Behavioral control is achieved with a Unity3D program that is virtual-reality capable, allowing semi-naturalistic visual tasks to assess multiple cognitive domains.KS-1 is fully integrated into the regular housing routines of monkeys. A single person can operate multiple KS-1's. Monkeys engage with KS-1 at high motivation and cognitive performance levels at high intra-individual consistency. KS-1 is optimized for flexible mounting onto standard apartment cage systems and provides a new design variation complementing existing cage-mounted touchscreen systems. KS-1 has a robust animal interface with options for gaze/reach monitoring. It has an integrated user interface for controlling multiple cognitive tasks using a common naturalistic object space designed to enhance task engagement. All custom KS-1 components are open-sourced.In summary, KS-1 is a versatile new tool for cognitive profiling and cognitive enrichment of cage-housed monkeys. It reliably measures multiple cognitive domains which promises to advance our understanding of animal cognition, inter-individual differences, and underlying neurobiology in refined, ethologically meaningful behavioral foraging contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thilo Womelsdorf
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Christopher Thomas
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Adam Neumann
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Marcus R. Watson
- Department of Biology, Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Seyed A. Hassani
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Jeremy Parker
- Division of Animal Care, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Kari L. Hoffman
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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24
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Visual Neuroscience Methods for Marmosets: Efficient Receptive Field Mapping and Head-Free Eye Tracking. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0489-20.2021. [PMID: 33863782 PMCID: PMC8143020 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0489-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The marmoset has emerged as a promising primate model system, in particular for visual neuroscience. Many common experimental paradigms rely on head fixation and an extended period of eye fixation during the presentation of salient visual stimuli. Both of these behavioral requirements can be challenging for marmosets. Here, we present two methodological developments, each addressing one of these difficulties. First, we show that it is possible to use a standard eye-tracking system without head fixation to assess visual behavior in the marmoset. Eye-tracking quality from head-free animals is sufficient to obtain precise psychometric functions from a visual acuity task. Second, we introduce a novel method for efficient receptive field (RF) mapping that does not rely on moving stimuli but uses fast flashing annuli and wedges. We present data recorded during head-fixation in areas V1 and V6 and show that RF locations are readily obtained within a short period of recording time. Thus, the methodological advancements presented in this work will contribute to establish the marmoset as a valuable model in neuroscience.
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25
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Veith VK, Quigley C, Treue S. Cholinergic manipulations affect sensory responses but not attentional enhancement in macaque MT. BMC Biol 2021; 19:49. [PMID: 33726757 PMCID: PMC7967954 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-00993-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attentional modulation in the visual cortex of primates is characterized by multiplicative changes of sensory responses with changes in the attentional state of the animal. The cholinergic system has been linked to such gain changes in V1. Here, we aim to determine if a similar link exists in macaque area MT. While rhesus monkeys performed a top-down spatial attention task, we locally injected a cholinergic agonist or antagonist and recorded single-cell activity. RESULTS Although we confirmed cholinergic influences on sensory responses, there was no additional cholinergic effect on the attentional gain changes. Neither a muscarinic blockage nor a local increase in acetylcholine led to a significant change in the magnitude of spatial attention effects on firing rates. CONCLUSIONS This suggests that the cellular mechanisms of attentional modulation in the extrastriate cortex cannot be directly inferred from those in the primary visual cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Katharina Veith
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Cliodhna Quigley
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.,Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany. .,Faculty for Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany. .,Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany.
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26
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Bates FA, Duncan EH, Simmons M, Robinson T, Samineni S, Strbo N, Villasante E, Bergmann-Leitner E, Wijayalath W. Exposure-related, global alterations in innate and adaptive immunity; a consideration for re-use of non-human primates in research. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10955. [PMID: 33732548 PMCID: PMC7950202 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Non-human primates (NHPs) play an important role in biomedical research, where they are often being re-used in multiple research studies over the course of their life-time. Researchers employ various study-specific screening criteria to reduce potential variables associated with subsequent re-use of NHPs. However, criteria set for NHP re-assignments largely neglect the impact of previous exposures on overall biology. Since the immune system is a key determinant of overall biological outcome, an altered biological state could be predicted by monitoring global changes in the immune profile. We postulate that every different exposure or a condition can generate a unique global immune profile in NHPs. Methods Changes in the global immune profile were evaluated in three different groups of rhesus macaques previously enrolled in dengue or malaria vaccine studies over six months after their last exposure. Naïve animals served as the baseline. Fresh blood samples were stained with various immune cell surface markers and analyzed by multi-color flow-cytometry to study immune cell dynamics in the peripheral blood. Serum cytokine profile in the pre-exposed animals were analyzed by mesoscale assay using a customized U-PLEX NHP biomarker panel of 12 cytokines/chemokines. Results Pre-exposed macaques showed altered dynamics in circulating cytokines and certain innate and adaptive immune cell subsets such as monocytes, HLA-DR+NKT cells, B cells and T cells. Some of these changes were transient, while some lasted for more than six months. Each group seemed to develop a global immune profile unique to their particular exposure. Conclusion Our data strongly suggest that re-used NHPs should be evaluated for long-term, overall immunological changes and randomly assigned to new studies to avoid study bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- François A Bates
- Veterinary Services Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth H Duncan
- Immunology Core/Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Monika Simmons
- Viral and Rickettsial Diseases Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Tanisha Robinson
- Immunology Core/Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America.,Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. (HJF), Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Sridhar Samineni
- Veterinary Services Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America.,SoBran, Inc, Falls Church, VA, United States of America
| | - Natasa Strbo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Miller School of Medicine University of Miami, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Eileen Villasante
- Malaria Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Elke Bergmann-Leitner
- Immunology Core/Malaria Biologics Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America
| | - Wathsala Wijayalath
- Malaria Department, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Spring, MD, United States of America.,CAMRIS International, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
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27
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Poirier C, Hamed SB, Garcia-Saldivar P, Kwok SC, Meguerditchian A, Merchant H, Rogers J, Wells S, Fox AS. Beyond MRI: on the scientific value of combining non-human primate neuroimaging with metadata. Neuroimage 2021; 228:117679. [PMID: 33359343 PMCID: PMC7903159 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sharing and pooling large amounts of non-human primate neuroimaging data offer new exciting opportunities to understand the primate brain. The potential of big data in non-human primate neuroimaging could however be tremendously enhanced by combining such neuroimaging data with other types of information. Here we describe metadata that have been identified as particularly valuable by the non-human primate neuroimaging community, including behavioural, genetic, physiological and phylogenetic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colline Poirier
- Biosciences Institute & Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle 6, UK.
| | - Suliann Ben Hamed
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, UMR 5229, Université de Lyon - CNRS, France
| | - Pamela Garcia-Saldivar
- Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM, Campus Juriquilla. Boulevard Juriquilla No. 3001 Querétaro, Qro. 76230 México
| | - Sze Chai Kwok
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China; Division of Natural and Applied Sciences, Duke Kunshan University, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Kunshan, Jiangsu, China; NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Adrien Meguerditchian
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR7290, Université Aix-Marseille/CNRS, Institut Language, Communication and the Brain 13331 Marseille, France
| | - Hugo Merchant
- Instituto de Neurobiología, UNAM, Campus Juriquilla. Boulevard Juriquilla No. 3001 Querétaro, Qro. 76230 México
| | - Jeffrey Rogers
- Human Genome Sequencing Center and Dept. of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA 77030
| | - Sara Wells
- Centre for Macaques, MRC Harwell Institute, Porton Down, Salisbury, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew S Fox
- California National Primate Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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28
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Sacchetti S, Ceccarelli F, Ferrucci L, Benozzo D, Brunamonti E, Nougaret S, Genovesio A. Macaque monkeys learn and perform a non-match-to-goal task using an automated home cage training procedure. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2700. [PMID: 33514812 PMCID: PMC7846587 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82021-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In neurophysiology, nonhuman primates represent an important model for studying the brain. Typically, monkeys are moved from their home cage to an experimental room daily, where they sit in a primate chair and interact with electronic devices. Refining this procedure would make the researchers' work easier and improve the animals' welfare. To address this issue, we used home-cage training to train two macaque monkeys in a non-match-to-goal task, where each trial required a switch from the choice made in the previous trial to obtain a reward. The monkeys were tested in two versions of the task, one in which they acted as the agent in every trial and one in which some trials were completed by a "ghost agent". We evaluated their involvement in terms of their performance and their interaction with the apparatus. Both monkeys were able to maintain a constant involvement in the task with good, stable performance within sessions in both versions of the task. Our study confirms the feasibility of home-cage training and demonstrates that even with challenging tasks, monkeys can complete a large number of trials at a high performance level, which is a prerequisite for electrophysiological studies of monkey behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Sacchetti
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, SAPIENZA, University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy ,grid.7841.aPhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Ceccarelli
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, SAPIENZA, University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy ,grid.7841.aPhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Ferrucci
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, SAPIENZA, University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Danilo Benozzo
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, SAPIENZA, University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Emiliano Brunamonti
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, SAPIENZA, University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Simon Nougaret
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, SAPIENZA, University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Aldo Genovesio
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Physiology and Pharmacology, SAPIENZA, University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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29
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Parto Dezfouli M, Schwedhelm P, Wibral M, Treue S, Daliri MR, Esghaei M. A neural correlate of visual feature binding in primate lateral prefrontal cortex. Neuroimage 2021; 229:117757. [PMID: 33460801 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We effortlessly perceive visual objects as unified entities, despite the preferential encoding of their various visual features in separate cortical areas. A 'binding' process is assumed to be required for creating this unified percept, but the underlying neural mechanism and specific brain areas are poorly understood. We investigated 'feature-binding' across two feature dimensions, using a novel stimulus configuration, designed to disambiguate whether a given combination of color and motion direction is perceived as bound or unbound. In the "bound" condition, two behaviorally relevant features (color and motion) belong to the same object, while in the "unbound" condition they belong to different objects. We recorded local field potentials from the lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) in macaque monkeys that actively monitored the different stimulus configurations. Our data show a neural representation of visual feature binding especially in the 4-12 Hz frequency band and a transmission of binding information between different lPFC neural subpopulations. This information is linked to the animal's reaction time, suggesting a behavioral relevance of the binding information. Together, our results document the involvement of the prefrontal cortex, targeted by the dorsal and ventral visual streams, in binding visual features from different dimensions, in a process that includes a dynamic modulation of low frequency inter-regional communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Parto Dezfouli
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science & Technology (IUST), 16846-13114 Narmak, Tehran, Iran; School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran; Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Schwedhelm
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Goettingen, Germany; Functional Imaging Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Michael Wibral
- Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Kellnerweg 7, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Goettingen, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Am Fassberg 17, 37077, Goettingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, Wilhelm-Weber-Str. 2, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Mohammad Reza Daliri
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science & Technology (IUST), 16846-13114 Narmak, Tehran, Iran; School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Moein Esghaei
- School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran; Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Goettingen, Germany.
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30
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Griggs DJ, Bloch J, Chavan S, Coubrough KM, Conley W, Morrisroe K, Yazdan-Shahmorad A. Autonomous cage-side system for remote training of non-human primates. J Neurosci Methods 2021; 348:108969. [PMID: 33039414 PMCID: PMC8384435 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Training non-human primates (NHPs) for translational medical experimentation is an essential yet time consuming process. To increase training efficiency, some training systems have been designed for NHPs to use at their home cages. Several autonomous cage-side tablet-based systems have been proposed, but none of these systems allow for remote monitoring and task modification while also being wireless, low-cost, light weight, and portable. NEW METHOD Here we present ACTS: an Autonomous Cage-side Training System which meets all these criteria. ACTS consists of 1) a touchscreen tablet and a speaker attached to the subject's home cage, 2) an inexpensive reward system made from a slightly modified fish feeder, and 3), a laptop operating the system wirelessly and remotely via a router. RESULTS We were able to test the system and wirelessly train two macaques in their home cages. Remote access enabled us to control ACTS from up to 90 m, through up to 3 walls, and through a floor of a building. The device is compatible with different reward pellet sizes and could run about two hours with a ∼4 mm pellet size. The animals were able to generalize the task when transferred to a traditional experimental rig. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS The low cost and modest skill required to build and implement ACTS lowers the barrier for NHP researchers and caregivers to deploy autonomous, remotely controlled tablet-based cage-side systems. CONCLUSION ACTS can be used for low-cost, wireless cage-side training of NHPs being prepared for translational medical experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon J Griggs
- Dept. Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Julien Bloch
- Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States; Dept. of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Shivalika Chavan
- Dept. of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Kali M Coubrough
- Dept. of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - William Conley
- South Kitsap High School, Port Orchard, WA, United States
| | - Kelly Morrisroe
- Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Azadeh Yazdan-Shahmorad
- Dept. Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States; Washington National Primate Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States; Dept. of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
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31
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Parto Dezfouli M, Zarei M, Constantinidis C, Daliri MR. Task-specific modulation of PFC activity for matching-rule governed decision-making. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:443-455. [PMID: 33398431 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02191-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Storing information from incoming stimuli in working memory (WM) is essential for decision-making. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a key role to support this process. Previous studies have characterized different neuronal populations in the PFC for working memory judgements based on whether an originally presented stimulus matches a subsequently presented one (matching-rule decision-making). However, much remains to be understood about this mechanism at the population level of PFC neurons. Here, we hypothesized differences in processing of feature vs. spatial WM within the PFC during a matching-rule decision-making task. To test this hypothesis, the modulation of neural activity within the PFC during two types of decision-making tasks (spatial WM and feature WM) in comparison to a passive fixation task was determined. We discovered that neural population-level activity within the PFC is different for the match vs. non-match condition exclusively in the case of the feature-specific decision-making task. For this task, the non-match condition exhibited a greater firing rate and lower trial-to-trial variability in spike count compared to the feature-match condition. Furthermore, the feature-match condition exhibited lower variability compared to the spatial-match condition. This was accompanied by a faster behavioral response time for the feature-match compared to the spatial-match WM task. We attribute this lower across-trial spiking variability and behavioral response time to a higher task-relevant attentional level in the feature WM compared to the spatial WM task. The findings support our hypothesis for task-specific differences in the processing of feature vs. spatial WM within the PFC. This also confirms the general conclusion that PFC neurons play an important role during the process of matching-rule governed decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Parto Dezfouli
- School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran. .,Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Zarei
- School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran.,School of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Christos Constantinidis
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA
| | - Mohammad Reza Daliri
- School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran. .,Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran.
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32
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Pritchett-Corning KR. Environmental Complexity and Research Outcomes. ILAR J 2020; 60:239-251. [PMID: 32559304 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilaa007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental complexity is an experimental paradigm as well as a potential part of animals' everyday housing experiences. In experimental uses, researchers add complexity to stimulate brain development, delay degenerative brain changes, elicit more naturalistic behaviors, and test learning and memory. Complexity can exacerbate or mitigate behavioral problems, give animals a sense of control, and allow for expression of highly driven, species-typical behaviors that can improve animal welfare. Complex environments should be designed thoughtfully with the animal's natural behaviors in mind, reported faithfully in the literature, and evaluated carefully for unexpected effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen R Pritchett-Corning
- Office of Animal Resources, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Comparative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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33
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Wilson VAD, Kade C, Moeller S, Treue S, Kagan I, Fischer J. Macaque Gaze Responses to the Primatar: A Virtual Macaque Head for Social Cognition Research. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1645. [PMID: 32765373 PMCID: PMC7379899 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Following the expanding use and applications of virtual reality in everyday life, realistic virtual stimuli are of increasing interest in cognitive studies. They allow for control of features such as gaze, expression, appearance, and movement, which may help to overcome limitations of using photographs or video recordings to study social responses. In using virtual stimuli however, one must be careful to avoid the uncanny valley effect, where realistic stimuli can be perceived as eerie, and induce an aversion response. At the same time, it is important to establish whether responses to virtual stimuli mirror responses to depictions of a real conspecific. In the current study, we describe the development of a new virtual monkey head with realistic facial features for experiments with nonhuman primates, the "Primatar." As a first step toward validation, we assessed how monkeys respond to facial images of a prototype of this Primatar compared to images of real monkeys (RMs), and an unrealistic model. We also compared gaze responses between original images and scrambled as well as obfuscated versions of these images. We measured looking time to images in six freely moving long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) and gaze exploration behavior in three rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Both groups showed more signs of overt attention to original images than scrambled or obfuscated images. In addition, we found no evidence for an uncanny valley effect; since for both groups, looking times did not differ between real, realistic, or unrealistic images. These results provide important data for further development of our Primatar for use in social cognition studies and more generally for cognitive research with virtual stimuli in nonhuman primates. Future research on the absence of an uncanny valley effect in macaques is needed, to elucidate the roots of this mechanism in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa A. D. Wilson
- Department of Primate Cognition, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carolin Kade
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Moeller
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
- Georg-Elias-Müller Institute of Psychology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
- Georg-Elias-Müller Institute of Psychology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Igor Kagan
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Fischer
- Department of Primate Cognition, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
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Histological assessment of optogenetic tools to study fronto-visual and fronto-parietal cortical networks in the rhesus macaque. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11051. [PMID: 32632196 PMCID: PMC7338380 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67752-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics offers unprecedented possibilities to investigate cortical networks. Yet, the number of successful optogenetic applications in non-human primates is still low, and the consequences of opsin expression in the primate brain are not well documented. We assessed histologically if we can target cerebrocortical networks with three common optogenetic constructs (AAV2/5-CaMKIIα-eNpHR3.0-mCherry, -ChR2-eYFP, -C1V1-mCherry). The frontal eye field or the dorsal premotor area of rhesus macaques were virally injected, and the resulting transduction spread, expression specificity, and opsin trafficking into axons projecting to parietal and visual areas were examined. After variable periods (2–24 months), expression was robust for all constructs at the injection sites. The CaMKIIα promoter driven-expression was predominant, but not exclusive, in excitatory neurons. In the case of eNpHR3.0-mCherry and ChR2-eYFP, opsins were present in axonal projections to target areas, in which sparse, retrogradely transduced neurons could also be found. Finally, the intracellular distribution of opsins differed: ChR2-eYFP had almost exclusive membrane localization, while eNpHR3.0-mCherry and C1V1-mCherry showed additional intracellular accumulations, which might affect neuronal survival in the long-term. Results indicate that all three constructs can be used for local neuronal modulation, but axonal stimulation and long-term use require additional considerations of construct selection and verification.
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Stephan M, Volkmann P, Rossner MJ. Assessing behavior and cognition in rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans: where are the limits of translation?
. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2020; 21:249-259. [PMID: 31749649 PMCID: PMC6829167 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2019.21.3/mrossner] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
New psychopharmacological treatments are needed for affective and nonaffective
psychoses, especially for the associated negative and cognitive symptoms. Earlier
developments mostly failed, probably partly because of limitations in behavioral models
used for validation. Now, deeper understanding of the genetics underlying disease
pathogenesis and progress in genetic engineering will generate many rodent models with
increased construct validity. To improve these models’ translational value, we need
complementary data from nonhuman primates. We also have to improve and streamline
behavioral test systems to cope with increased demand. Here, we propose a comprehensive
neurocognitive test battery that should overcome the disadvantages of single tests and
yield cognitive/behavioral profiles for modeling subsets of patient symptoms. Further,
we delineate a concept for classifying disease-relevant cognitive endophenotypes to
balance between face and construct validity and clinical diagnostics. In summary, this
review discusses new concepts and the limitations and future potential of translational
research on cognition in psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Stephan
- Molecular and Behavioural Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
| | - Paul Volkmann
- Molecular and Behavioural Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
| | - Moritz J Rossner
- Molecular and Behavioural Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Germany
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Berger M, Agha NS, Gail A. Wireless recording from unrestrained monkeys reveals motor goal encoding beyond immediate reach in frontoparietal cortex. eLife 2020; 9:e51322. [PMID: 32364495 PMCID: PMC7228770 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
System neuroscience of motor cognition regarding the space beyond immediate reach mandates free, yet experimentally controlled movements. We present an experimental environment (Reach Cage) and a versatile visuo-haptic interaction system (MaCaQuE) for investigating goal-directed whole-body movements of unrestrained monkeys. Two rhesus monkeys conducted instructed walk-and-reach movements towards targets flexibly positioned in the cage. We tracked 3D multi-joint arm and head movements using markerless motion capture. Movements show small trial-to-trial variability despite being unrestrained. We wirelessly recorded 192 broad-band neural signals from three cortical sensorimotor areas simultaneously. Single unit activity is selective for different reach and walk-and-reach movements. Walk-and-reach targets could be decoded from premotor and parietal but not motor cortical activity during movement planning. The Reach Cage allows systems-level sensorimotor neuroscience studies with full-body movements in a configurable 3D spatial setting with unrestrained monkeys. We conclude that the primate frontoparietal network encodes reach goals beyond immediate reach during movement planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Berger
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz-Institute for Primate ResearchGoettingenGermany
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
| | - Naubahar Shahryar Agha
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz-Institute for Primate ResearchGoettingenGermany
| | - Alexander Gail
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center – Leibniz-Institute for Primate ResearchGoettingenGermany
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate CognitionGoettingenGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational NeuroscienceGoettingenGermany
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Khamechian MB, Daliri MR. Decoding Adaptive Visuomotor Behavior Mediated by Non-linear Phase Coupling in Macaque Area MT. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:230. [PMID: 32317912 PMCID: PMC7147352 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The idea that a flexible behavior relies on synchronous neural activity within intra- and inter-associated cortical areas has been a matter of intense research in human and animal neuroscience. The neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this behavioral correlate of the synchronous activity are still unknown. It has been suggested that the strength of neural synchrony at the level of population is an important neural code to guide an efficient transformation of the sensory input into the behavioral action. In this study, we have examined the non-linear synchronization between neural ensembles in area MT of the macaque visual cortex by employing a non-linear cross-frequency coupling technique, namely bicoherence. We trained a macaque monkey to detect a brief change in the cued stimulus during a visuomotor detection task. The results show that the non-linear phase synchronization in the high-gamma frequency band (100-250 Hz) predicts the animal's reaction time. The strength of non-linear phase synchronization is selective to the target stimulus location. In addition, the non-linearity characteristics of neural synchronization are selectively modulated when the monkey covertly attends to the stimulus inside the neuron's receptive field. This additional evidence indicates that non-linear neuronal synchronization may be affected by a cognitive function like spatial attention. Our neural and behavioral observations reflect that two crucial processes may be involved in processing of visuomotor information in area MT: (I) a non-linear cortical process (measured by the bicoherence) and (II) a linear process (measured by the spectral power).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Bagher Khamechian
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science & Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Daliri
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab, Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science & Technology, Tehran, Iran
- Cognitive Neurobiology Laboratory, School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
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Zareian B, Maboudi K, Daliri MR, Abrishami Moghaddam H, Treue S, Esghaei M. Attention strengthens across-trial pre-stimulus phase coherence in visual cortex, enhancing stimulus processing. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4837. [PMID: 32179777 PMCID: PMC7076023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61359-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention selectively routes the most behaviorally relevant information from the stream of sensory inputs through the hierarchy of cortical areas. Previous studies have shown that visual attention depends on the phase of oscillatory brain activities. These studies mainly focused on the stimulus presentation period, rather than the pre-stimulus period. Here, we hypothesize that selective attention controls the phase of oscillatory neural activities to efficiently process relevant information. We document an attentional modulation of pre-stimulus inter-trial phase coherence (a measure of deviation between instantaneous phases of trials) of low frequency local field potentials (LFP) in visual area MT of macaque monkeys. Our data reveal that phase coherence increases following a spatial cue deploying attention towards the receptive field of the recorded neural population. We further show that the attentional enhancement of phase coherence is positively correlated with the modulation of the stimulus-induced firing rate, and importantly, a higher phase coherence is associated with a faster behavioral response. These results suggest a functional utilization of intrinsic neural oscillatory activities for an enhanced processing of upcoming stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behzad Zareian
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, USA
| | - Kourosh Maboudi
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, USA
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Daliri
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Laboratory, Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, 16846-13114, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Abrishami Moghaddam
- Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Khajeh Nasir Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Moein Esghaei
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.
- Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
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The lateral prefrontal cortex of primates encodes stimulus colors and their behavioral relevance during a match-to-sample task. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4216. [PMID: 32144331 PMCID: PMC7060344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61171-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The lateral prefrontal cortex of primates (lPFC) plays a central role in complex cognitive behavior, in decision-making as well as in guiding top-down attention. However, how and where in lPFC such behaviorally relevant signals are computed is poorly understood. We analyzed neural recordings from chronic microelectrode arrays implanted in lPFC region 8Av/45 of two rhesus macaques. The animals performed a feature match-to-sample task requiring them to match both motion and color information in a test stimulus. This task allowed to separate the encoding of stimulus motion and color from their current behavioral relevance on a trial-by-trial basis. We found that upcoming motor behavior can be robustly predicted from lPFC activity. In addition, we show that 8Av/45 encodes the color of a visual stimulus, regardless of its behavioral relevance. Most notably, whether a color matches the searched-for color can be decoded independent of a trial's motor outcome and while subjects detect unique feature conjunctions of color and motion. Thus, macaque area 8Av/45 computes, among other task-relevant information, the behavioral relevance of visual color features. Such a signal is most critical for both the selection of responses as well as the deployment of top-down modulatory signals, like feature-based attention.
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Abstract
Training nonhuman primates (NHPs) to perform cognitive tasks is essential for many neuroscientific investigations, yet laboratory training is a time-consuming process with inherent limitations. Habituating NHPs to the laboratory staff and experimental equipment can take months before NHPs are ready to proceed to the primary tasks. Laboratory training also necessarily separates NHPs from their home-room social group and typically involves some form of restraint or limited mobility, and data collection is often limited to a few hours per day so that multiple NHPs can be trained on the same equipment. Consequently, it can often take a year to train NHPs on complex cognitive tasks. To overcome these issues, we developed a low-cost, open-source, wireless touchscreen training system that can be installed in the home-room environment. The automated device can run continuously all day, including over weekends, without experimenter intervention. The system utilizes real-time facial recognition to initiate subject-specific tasks and provide accurate data logging, without the need for implanted microchips or separation of the NHPs. The system allows NHPs to select their preferred reward on each trial and to work when and for as long as they desire, and it can analyze task performance in real time and adapt the task parameters in order to expedite training. We demonstrate that NHPs consistently use this system on a daily basis to quickly learn complex behavioral tasks. The system therefore addresses many of the welfare and experimental limitations of laboratory-based training of NHPs and provides a platform for wireless electrophysiological investigations in more naturalistic, freely moving environments.
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Hasenau JJ. Reproducibility and Comparative aspects of Terrestrial Housing Systems and Husbandry Procedures in Animal Research Facilities on Study Data. ILAR J 2020; 60:228-238. [DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilz021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
As mentioned in other chapters, reproducibility of research data is very complicated and has numerous contributors for concerns. This chapter will discuss the animal housing systems and corresponding husbandry practices in regard to current practices and known and potential confounders in the research environment. This area has a very high impact for reproducibility and comparability of study data outcomes.
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Burton JA, Valero MD, Hackett TA, Ramachandran R. The use of nonhuman primates in studies of noise injury and treatment. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 146:3770. [PMID: 31795680 PMCID: PMC6881191 DOI: 10.1121/1.5132709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to prolonged or high intensity noise increases the risk for permanent hearing impairment. Over several decades, researchers characterized the nature of harmful noise exposures and worked to establish guidelines for effective protection. Recent laboratory studies, primarily conducted in rodent models, indicate that the auditory system may be more vulnerable to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) than previously thought, driving renewed inquiries into the harmful effects of noise in humans. To bridge the translational gaps between rodents and humans, nonhuman primates (NHPs) may serve as key animal models. The phylogenetic proximity of NHPs to humans underlies tremendous similarity in many features of the auditory system (genomic, anatomical, physiological, behavioral), all of which are important considerations in the assessment and treatment of NIHL. This review summarizes the literature pertaining to NHPs as models of hearing and noise-induced hearing loss, discusses factors relevant to the translation of diagnostics and therapeutics from animals to humans, and concludes with some of the practical considerations involved in conducting NHP research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane A Burton
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, USA
| | - Michelle D Valero
- Eaton Peabody Laboratories at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
| | - Troy A Hackett
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
| | - Ramnarayan Ramachandran
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA
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Kozyrev V, Daliri MR, Schwedhelm P, Treue S. Strategic deployment of feature-based attentional gain in primate visual cortex. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000387. [PMID: 31386656 PMCID: PMC6684042 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Attending to visual stimuli enhances the gain of those neurons in primate visual cortex that preferentially respond to the matching locations and features (on-target gain). Although this is well suited to enhance the neuronal representation of attended stimuli, it is nonoptimal under difficult discrimination conditions, as in the presence of similar distractors. In such cases, directing attention to neighboring neuronal populations (off-target gain) has been shown to be the most efficient strategy, but although such a strategic deployment of attention has been shown behaviorally, its underlying neural mechanisms are unknown. Here, we investigated how attention affects the population responses of neurons in the middle temporal (MT) visual area of rhesus monkeys to bidirectional movement inside the neurons' receptive field (RF). The monkeys were trained to focus their attention onto the fixation spot or to detect a direction or speed change in one of the motion directions (the "target"), ignoring the distractor motion. Population activity profiles were determined by systematically varying the patterns' directions while maintaining a constant angle between them. As expected, the response profiles show a peak for each of the 2 motion directions. Switching spatial attention from the fixation spot into the RF enhanced the peak representing the attended stimulus and suppressed the distractor representation. Importantly, the population data show a direction-dependent attentional modulation that does not peak at the target feature but rather along the slopes of the activity profile representing the target direction. Our results show that attentional gains are strategically deployed to optimize the discriminability of target stimuli, in line with an optimal gain mechanism proposed by Navalpakkam and Itti.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav Kozyrev
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Goettingen, Germany.,Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience and Imaging in Psychiatry (SNIP), University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany.,Department of Cognitive Neurology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany
| | - Mohammad Reza Daliri
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Goettingen, Germany.,Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran, Iran.,Cognitive Neurobiology Lab., School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Niavaran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Philipp Schwedhelm
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.,Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.,Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), Switzerland.,Functional Imaging Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Goettingen, Germany.,Leibniz ScienceCampus PrimateCognition, Goettingen, Germany.,Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, Germany
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44
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Single-Trial Decoding from Local Field Potential Using Bag of Word Representation. Brain Topogr 2019; 33:10-21. [PMID: 31363879 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-019-00726-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Neural decoding allows us to study the brain functions by investigating the relationship between a stimulus and the corresponding response. Recently, the local field potential (LFP) has been targeted as a hallmark of brain activity for neural decoding. Despite several decoding methods, there is still a lack of a comprehensive framework to decode cognitive functions in an integrated structure. Here, we addressed this issue by developing a dictionary-based method to represent the LFP signals via a bag-of-words (BOW) approach. First, we defined a general dictionary consisting of various Gabor wavelets as the words which enabled us to represent LFPs in word domain. For each trial, the LFP signal was convolved with the dictionary words. The integral of the absolute value and the mean phase of the complex output were considered as histogram weights. In the next step, using cross-validation leave-one-out method, the trials were split into the training and test sets. The weights of each individual word were swapped across trials within a certain category of the training set while the sequential order was maintained. Finally, the test trial was classified using label voting in the k-nearest training trials. We conducted the proposed method on two independent LFP data sets, recorded from the rat primary auditory cortex (A1) and monkey middle temporal area in order to evaluate its efficiency. In addition to the chance level, the proposed method was compared with a standard BOW approach that has been extended recently for biomedical signals classification. Results show a high efficiency (~ 15% improvement in decoding accuracy) of the proposed method. Together, the aforementioned method provides a comprehensive framework for single-trial decoding from short-length electrophysiological signals.
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45
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Parto Dezfouli M, Zarei M, Jahed M, Daliri MR. Stimulus-Specific Adaptation Decreases the Coupling of Spikes to LFP Phase. Front Neural Circuits 2019; 13:44. [PMID: 31333419 PMCID: PMC6616079 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2019.00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulus repetition suppresses the neural activity in different sensory areas of the brain. This mechanism of so-called stimulus-specific adaptation (SSA) has been observed in both spiking activity and local field potential (LFP) responses. However, much remains to be known about the effect of SSA on the spike–LFP relation. In this study, we approached this issue by investigating the spike-phase coupling (SPC) in control and adapting paradigms. For the control paradigm, pure tones were presented in a random unbiased sequence. In the adapting paradigm, the same stimuli were presented in a random pattern but it was biased to an adapter stimulus. In fact, the adapter occupied 80% of the adapting sequence. During the tasks, LFP and multi-unit activity were recorded simultaneously from the primary auditory cortex of 15 anesthetized rats. To clarify the effect of adaptation on the relation between spike and LFP responses, the SPC of the adapter stimulus in these two paradigms was evaluated. Here, we employed phase locking value method for calculating the SPC. Our data show a strong coupling of spikes to LFP phase most prominently in beta band. This coupling was observed to decrease in the adapting condition compared to the control one. Importantly, we found that adaptation reduces spikes dominantly from the preferred phase of LFP in which spikes are more likely to be present there. As a result, the preferred phase of LFP may play a key role in coordinating neuronal spiking activity in neural adaptation mechanism. This finding is important for interpretation of the underlying neural mechanism of adaptation and also can be used in the context of the network and related connectivity models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Parto Dezfouli
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Laboratory, Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Zarei
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehran Jahed
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Daliri
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Laboratory, Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
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Routing information flow by separate neural synchrony frequencies allows for "functionally labeled lines" in higher primate cortex. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:12506-12515. [PMID: 31147468 PMCID: PMC6589668 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1819827116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamical coordination of the neural activity between individual neurons is known to have a key role in the efficient transfer of sensory information to associative areas. Here, we report a role of interneuronal synchrony within the high-gamma (180 to 220 Hz) frequency range of activity in macaque area MT (a visual area in the dorsal visual pathway) in determining behavioral performance. This is, however, in contrast to previous reports for the ventral visual pathway (such as area V4), where only gamma range (40 to 70 Hz) was observed to play a role. We propose that such a difference between the functional coordination in different visual pathways might be used to unambiguously identify the source of input to the higher areas. Efficient transfer of sensory information to higher (motor or associative) areas in primate visual cortical areas is crucial for transforming sensory input into behavioral actions. Dynamically increasing the level of coordination between single neurons has been suggested as an important contributor to this efficiency. We propose that differences between the functional coordination in different visual pathways might be used to unambiguously identify the source of input to the higher areas, ensuring a proper routing of the information flow. Here we determined the level of coordination between neurons in area MT in macaque visual cortex in a visual attention task via the strength of synchronization between the neurons’ spike timing relative to the phase of oscillatory activities in local field potentials. In contrast to reports on the ventral visual pathway, we observed the synchrony of spikes only in the range of high gamma (180 to 220 Hz), rather than gamma (40 to 70 Hz) (as reported previously) to predict the animal’s reaction speed. This supports a mechanistic role of the phase of high-gamma oscillatory activity in dynamically modulating the efficiency of neuronal information transfer. In addition, for inputs to higher cortical areas converging from the dorsal and ventral pathway, the distinct frequency bands of these inputs can be leveraged to preserve the identity of the input source. In this way source-specific oscillatory activity in primate cortex can serve to establish and maintain “functionally labeled lines” for dynamically adjusting cortical information transfer and multiplexing converging sensory signals.
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Bethell EJ, Cassidy LC, Brockhausen RR, Pfefferle D. Toward a Standardized Test of Fearful Temperament in Primates: A Sensitive Alternative to the Human Intruder Task for Laboratory-Housed Rhesus Macaques ( Macaca mulatta). Front Psychol 2019; 10:1051. [PMID: 31139115 PMCID: PMC6527799 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Standardized and sensitive tests to assess differences in temperament among primates housed in captivity are essential for monitoring welfare and improving science outcomes through reduced noise in data. Fearful temperament in primates has traditionally been assessed using the Human Intruder Test (HIT) in which duration of bodily freeze in response to approach by an unknown human is measured. The HIT is susceptible to variation between facilities in execution, interpretation of data and could be stressful for animals with more fearful temperaments. We tested the applicability of a touch-screen task with putatively negative stimuli as a more standardizable and sensitive tool for measuring fearful temperament in laboratory primates. Seventeen adult male rhesus macaques were assessed for fearfulness using the HIT. They were then tested on a touch-screen task designed to measure two behavioral indices of fearfulness: behavioral inhibition and response-slowing. We predicted monkeys assessed as having more fearful temperament in the HIT, would show the greatest degree of behavioral inhibition and response-slowing to negative pictures in the touch-screen task. In Study 1, monkeys were rewarded with juice for touching gray squares on the screen (control trials). On test trials a picture of an unknown male conspecific face with direct-gaze (signaling threat) was shown. Monkeys were less likely to touch direct-gaze faces than control trials, indicating behavioral inhibition to threat. Behavioral inhibition was greatest amongst monkeys scored with most fearful temperament in the HIT. This primary result indicates the touch-screen task may be sensitive to a more subtle form of the bodily freeze behavior measured using the HIT. In Study 2, we tested whether these findings generalized to other classes of putatively negative stimuli; monkeys were shown pictures of the human intruder and objects associated with veterinary and husbandry procedures, interspersed with control trials (gray squares). There was no evidence of behavioral inhibition in Study 2. There was some evidence for response-slowing, which was greater for pictures of objects than pictures of the human intruder, and occurred independently of fearfulness in the HIT. We propose touch-screen tasks provide a more standardized and sensitive approach for assessing fearful temperament in laboratory primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily J. Bethell
- Centre for Research in Brain and Behaviour, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Biological Anthropology Research Centre, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren C. Cassidy
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center–Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Behavior and Cognition, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center–University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ralf R. Brockhausen
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center–Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dana Pfefferle
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center–Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center–University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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48
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Mason S, Premereur E, Pelekanos V, Emberton A, Honess P, Mitchell AS. Effective chair training methods for neuroscience research involving rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). J Neurosci Methods 2019; 317:82-93. [PMID: 30738106 PMCID: PMC6401980 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroscience research using macaques remains fundamental in our endeavours to understand how the human brain functions. Applying the refinement principle of the 3Rs is essential to optimise the monkeys' welfare and still produces high quality science. NEW METHOD Here we document refinements in our training methods for acclimation to transport devices (i.e. primate chair or transport box) while working with 46 male rhesus macaques. Our training methods always used positive reinforcement training (PRT). However, PRT was sometimes combined with negative reinforcement training (NRT), but not pole and collar techniques, to successfully transfer each monkey from its home enclosure to its transport device. RESULTS AND COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Training monkeys in pairs or groups, and starting their PRT training upon arrival within the unit reduced the days required to acclimate them. While the use of PRT is essential to establish a positive relationship with monkeys, NRT techniques are sometimes necessary, and are most effective when withdrawn immediately once the monkey makes the desired response, to reduce the days of acclimation. Once acclimatised to their chair, monkeys succeeded within 10 days to present their head voluntarily for neck-plating using PRT. Space reducers inside the chairs also facilitated head presentations for some monkeys. CONCLUSIONS Acclimating (shaping) the monkeys to transport devices can be a stressful experience for monkeys and trainers. The adaptations to our training substantially reduced the days spent on this stage. We view this reduction in days as an effective implementation of the 3Rs (refinement) in monkey neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart Mason
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SR, United Kingdom
| | - Elsie Premereur
- Laboratory for Neuro- and Psychophysiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Vassilis Pelekanos
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SR, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Emberton
- Biomedical Services, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Honess
- Biomedical Services, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; Animal Welfare and Behaviour Consultant, United Kingdom
| | - Anna S Mitchell
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SR, United Kingdom.
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49
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Parto Dezfouli M, Khamechian MB, Treue S, Esghaei M, Daliri MR. Neural Activity Predicts Reaction in Primates Long Before a Behavioral Response. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:207. [PMID: 30271333 PMCID: PMC6146178 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
How neural activity is linked to behavior is a critical question in neural engineering and cognitive neurosciences. It is crucial to predict behavior as early as possible, to plan a machine response in real-time brain computer interactions. However, previous studies have studied the neural readout of behavior only within a short time before the action is performed. This leaves unclear, if the neural activity long before a decision could predict the upcoming behavior. By recording extracellular neural activities from the visual cortex of behaving rhesus monkeys, we show that: (1) both, local field potentials (LFPs) and the rate of neural spikes long before (>2 s) a monkey responds to a change, foretell its behavioral performance in a spatially selective manner; (2) LFPs, the more accessible component of extracellular activity, are a stronger predictor of behavior; and (3) LFP amplitude is positively correlated while spiking activity is negatively correlated with behavioral reaction time (RT). These results suggest that field potentials could be used to predict behavior way before it is performed, an observation that could potentially be useful for brain computer interface applications, and that they contribute to the sensory neural circuit’s speed in information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Parto Dezfouli
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Bagher Khamechian
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.,Faculty of Biology and Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany.,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Goettingen, Germany.,Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Moein Esghaei
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.,Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany.,Cognitive Neurobiology Laboratory, School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Daliri
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran.,Cognitive Neurobiology Laboratory, School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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50
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Unakafov AM, Möller S, Kagan I, Gail A, Treue S, Wolf F. Using imaging photoplethysmography for heart rate estimation in non-human primates. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202581. [PMID: 30169537 PMCID: PMC6118383 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
For humans and for non-human primates heart rate is a reliable indicator of an individual's current physiological state, with applications ranging from health checks to experimental studies of cognitive and emotional state. In humans, changes in the optical properties of the skin tissue correlated with cardiac cycles (imaging photoplethysmogram, iPPG) allow non-contact estimation of heart rate by its proxy, pulse rate. Yet, there is no established simple and non-invasive technique for pulse rate measurements in awake and behaving animals. Using iPPG, we here demonstrate that pulse rate in rhesus monkeys can be accurately estimated from facial videos. We computed iPPGs from eight color facial videos of four awake head-stabilized rhesus monkeys. Pulse rate estimated from iPPGs was in good agreement with reference data from a contact pulse-oximeter: the error of pulse rate estimation was below 5% of the individual average pulse rate in 83% of the epochs; the error was below 10% for 98% of the epochs. We conclude that iPPG allows non-invasive and non-contact estimation of pulse rate in non-human primates, which is useful for physiological studies and can be used toward welfare-assessment of non-human primates in research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton M. Unakafov
- Georg-Elias-Müller-Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Möller
- Georg-Elias-Müller-Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Igor Kagan
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Alexander Gail
- Georg-Elias-Müller-Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Georg-Elias-Müller-Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Fred Wolf
- Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Goettingen, Germany
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