In neurophysiological studies with awake non-human primates (NHP), it is typically necessary to train the animals over a prolonged period of time on a behavioral paradigm before the actual data collection takes place. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) are the most widely used primate animal models in system neuroscience. Inspired by existing joystick- or touch-screen-based systems designed for a variety of monkey species, we built and successfully employed a stand-alone cage-based training and testing system for rhesus monkeys (eXperimental Behavioral Intrument, XBI). The XBI is mobile and easy to handle by both experts and non-experts; animals can work with only minimal physical restraints, yet the ergonomic design successfully encourages stereotypical postures with a consistent positioning of the head relative to the screen. The XBI allows computer-controlled training of the monkeys with a large variety of behavioral tasks and reward protocols typically used in systems and cognitive neuroscience research.
CITATION STYLE
Calapai, A., Berger, M., Niessing, M., Heisig, K., Brockhausen, R., Treue, S., & Gail, A. (2017). A cage-based training, cognitive testing and enrichment system optimized for rhesus macaques in neuroscience research. Behavior Research Methods, 49(1), 35–45. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-016-0707-3
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