Induction of psychological death in rhesus monkeys

Harlow, Harry F.; Plubell, P. E.; Baysinger, C. M.

doi:10.1007/bf01538539

Cited by 36 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…[3], [43]and some depressive patients [44]. The backward ears position suggests discomfort/pain or stress [21]–[23] and altered welfare (Fureix et al in prep).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards an Ethological Animal Model of Depression? A Study on Horses

et al. 2012

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BackgroundRecent reviews question current animal models of depression and emphasise the need for ethological models of mood disorders based on animals living under natural conditions. Domestic horses encounter chronic stress, including potential stress at work, which can induce behavioural disorders (e.g. “apathy”). Our pioneering study evaluated the potential of domestic horses in their usual environment to become an ethological model of depression by testing this models’ face validity (i.e. behavioural similarity with descriptions of human depressive states).Methodology/Principal FindingsWe observed the spontaneous behaviour of 59 working horses in their home environment, focusing on immobility bouts of apparent unresponsiveness when horses displayed an atypical posture (termed withdrawn hereafter), evaluated their responsiveness to their environment and their anxiety levels, and analysed cortisol levels. Twenty-four percent of the horses presented the withdrawn posture, also characterized by gaze, head and ears fixity, a profile that suggests a spontaneous expression of “behavioural despair”. When compared with control “non-withdrawn” horses from the same stable, withdrawn horses appeared more indifferent to environmental stimuli in their home environment but reacted more emotionally in more challenging situations. They exhibited lower plasma cortisol levels. Withdrawn horses all belonged to the same breed and females were over-represented.Conclusions/SignificanceHorse might be a useful potential candidate for an animal model of depression. Face validity of this model appeared good, and potential genetic input and high prevalence of these disorders in females add to the convergence. At a time when current animal models of depression are questioned and the need for novel models is expressed, this study suggests that novel models and biomarkers could emerge from ethological approaches in home environments.

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“…[3], [43]and some depressive patients [44]. The backward ears position suggests discomfort/pain or stress [21]–[23] and altered welfare (Fureix et al in prep).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards an Ethological Animal Model of Depression? A Study on Horses

et al. 2012

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“…Some of the findings from these studies are strikingly robust and well-replicated. Overwhelming social and affective deficits first observed under the most stringent deprivation conditions in monkeys (Harlow & Harlow, 1965a;Harlow, Plubell, & Baysinger, 1973;Harlow & Suomi, 1974;Harlow & Zimmermann, 1959;Seay & Harlow, 1965), for example, have been followed by consistent observations of social and affective impairment (albeit less severe) in nursery-reared monkeys given some form of social contact and full sensory stimulation (Capitanio, 1984;Capitanio, 1985;Clarke & Snipes, 1998;Suomi, 1997).…”

Section: Nonhuman Primate Model For Early Childhood Adversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Nonhuman Primate Research Contributions to Understanding Genetic and Environmental Influences on Phenotypic Outcomes across Development

Bennett

Pierre

2010

Handbook of Developmental Science, Behavior, and Genetics

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“…Some of the findings from these studies are strikingly robust and well replicated. Overwhelming social and affective deficits first observed under the most stringent deprivation conditions in monkeys (Harlow & Harlow, 1965;Harlow, Plubell, & Baysinger, 1973;Harlow & Suomi, 1974;Harlow & Zimmermann, 1959), for example, have been followed by consistent observations of social and affective impairment (albeit less severe) in nursery-reared monkeys given some form of social contact and full sensory stimulation (Capitanio, 1984(Capitanio, , 1985Clarke & Snipes, 1998;Suomi, 1997). As well, early maternal separation and subsequent nursery-rearing is associated with increased voluntary alcohol consumption (Higley, Hasert, Suomi, & Linnoila, 1991;Higley, Suomi, & Linnoila, 1996).…”

Section: Animal Models Of Early Childhood Adversitymentioning

confidence: 92%

Gene environment interplay: Nonhuman primate models in the study of resilience and vulnerability

Bennett

2007

Developmental Psychobiology

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Identifying how individual differences in risk for disease emerge is a major target for biomedical research. In many cases, however, the most lightly traversed avenues of this type of basic and clinical research are those that begin with a focus on early development. It appears likely that early influences may be pivotal in lifetime risk of disease and other adverse outcomes. Nonetheless, understanding the constellation of interacting biological, experiential, social factors that influence this risk has proved a relatively elusive target. Better specification of routes of interplay between these factors, as well as definitions of the mechanisms by which they affect change, are essential goals for numerous research areas. Furthermore, progress towards these goals is unlikely without meaningful integration of diverse disciplines, among them biology and developmental science.

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Induction of psychological death in rhesus monkeys

Cited by 36 publications

References 8 publications

Towards an Ethological Animal Model of Depression? A Study on Horses

Towards an Ethological Animal Model of Depression? A Study on Horses

Nonhuman Primate Research Contributions to Understanding Genetic and Environmental Influences on Phenotypic Outcomes across Development

Gene environment interplay: Nonhuman primate models in the study of resilience and vulnerability

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