Refinement of the use of fluid control as a motivational tool for non-human primates in neuroscience research

Behavioural neuroscience is important for understanding how the brain works, and aids the discovery of appropriate treatments for human brain diseases and conditions. Non-human primates have similar neural structures to humans, and are therefore used as a model species in this type of research. They are often motivated to perform in behavioural neuroscience experiments through the use of fluid rewards during the tasks, and an associated control of fluid intake outside of the experimenteg. Fluid control protocols are contentious, and yet there are very few scientific data to inform how these protocols could be refined or replaced. This project is the first to systematically measure how fluid protocols impact on the physiology and behaviour of individual animals, and tests whether more palatable fluids or social rewards might increase motivation, and reduce or eliminate the need for fluid control. In addition, by refining current motivational methods, it may also be possible to reduce the number of non-human primates used in behavioural neuroscientifc studies through improved data collection.

• News: Use of preferred fluid rewards can reduce fluid restriction in macaque neuroscience experiments
• News: Investigating social stimuli as rewards in macaque neuroscience
• News: New study looks at the impact of fluid restriction on primate welfare
• Further Funding: NC3Rs Strategic Grant, Improving biological integration of osseous and dermal tissues in macaque cranial implants, September 2016, £214,565