SummaryThe study reported here demonstrates the feasibility of presenting cognitive tests from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) to either marmosets or rhesus monkeys in their home cages. This location of testing offers opportunities for the measurement of additional indices, for example spontaneous behaviour (Prowse et al. 1995) and electrophysiology (Pearce et al. 19981as well as facilitating repeated test presentation. Results from 12 marmosets and 4 rhesus monkeys which have completed several sequences of an eight-stage discrimination task involving simple discriminations, compound discriminations and reversals are reported. The paradigm developed has application in longterm studies. Tests from CANTAB have been used extensively in normal humans (Robbins et al. 19941as well as a range of patient groups (Owen et al. 1992, Elliott et al. 1995 and to assess drug effects (Coull et al. 1996). Additionally some of these tests have been presented to marmosets (Roberts et al. 1988) to examine neuropsychological functioning. This comparative approach facilitates meaningful cross species comparison, particularly in the study of the effects of pharmacological intervention.

The compatibility of both bulk and porous silicon at the subcutaneous site has been assessed for the first time, following ISO standard procedures. The in-vivo responses to implantation were monitored in the guinea pig and histopathological reactions evaluated at 1, 4, 12 and 26 weeks. Attention is focused here on the histological assessment protocols used, and the results demonstrating in-vivo evidence for good tissue compatibility, and porous Si bioactivity with regards calcification.

A combination of physostigmine and scopolamine, which is known to protect against nerve-agent lethality, offers protection against the effects of soman and sarin on behavioural performance, as measured by a discrimination reversal task. The improved performance observed following nerve agent requires further investigation.

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