Huang Ying, Wang Hong, Yang Chen, Luo Yuchong, Ding Yongyan, Jin Hongjun, Wen Shenglin
Department of Psychology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China.
Hong Kong and Macao Central Nervous Regeneration Research Institute, Ji'nan University, Guangzhou, China.
Front Neurosci. 2022 Oct 31;16:959174. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2022.959174. eCollection 2022.
Stress in life is ubiquitous and unavoidable. Prolonged exposure to severe stress can lead to physical intolerance and impair cognitive function. Non-human primates are considered to be the best animal model for studying cognitive function, especially memory and attention. The finger maze test, with the advantages of short training time and lower cost, is recommended to evaluate learning and memory in non-human primates. In this study, we modified the finger maze test method to evaluate the cognitive function of single-housed cynomolgus monkeys. The flexibility and attention of cynomolgus monkeys were assessed by performing the complex task test and the stranger intrusion interference test, respectively, which increased the difficulty of obtaining rewards, and the ability of long-term memory was also evaluated by the memory test. Furthermore, the changes in cognitive function of the cynomolgus monkeys were tested by using the finger maze test after audio-visual stimulation, and the changes in the cortisol levels during stimulation were also analyzed. We found that, after completing the learning test, there was no significant decrease in their success rate when monkeys processed multitasks at the same time. In the stranger intrusion interference test, all subjects were distracted, but the accuracy did not decrease. The monkeys completed the memory tests in the 1st and 2nd months after the learning tests, with a high success rate. However, the success rate decreased significantly at the end of the 4th month. During audio-visual stimulation, the plasma cortisol level significantly increased in the first 2 months and was maintained at a high level thereafter. One month after audio-visual stimulation, the accuracy of the memory test was significantly reduced, and the total time of distraction was significantly prolonged. In conclusion, chronic audio-visual stimulation can increase blood cortisol levels and impair cognitive function. The modified finger maze test can evaluate many aspects of cognitive function and assess the changes in the cognitive function of adult cynomolgus monkeys under stress.
生活中的压力无处不在且不可避免。长期暴露于严重压力下会导致身体不耐受并损害认知功能。非人灵长类动物被认为是研究认知功能，尤其是记忆和注意力的最佳动物模型。手指迷宫测试具有训练时间短和成本较低的优点，被推荐用于评估非人灵长类动物的学习和记忆。在本研究中，我们修改了手指迷宫测试方法以评估单笼饲养食蟹猴的认知功能。分别通过执行复杂任务测试和陌生人侵入干扰测试来评估食蟹猴的灵活性和注意力，这增加了获得奖励的难度，并且还通过记忆测试评估了长期记忆能力。此外，通过视听刺激后使用手指迷宫测试来检测食蟹猴认知功能的变化，并分析刺激期间皮质醇水平的变化。我们发现，在完成学习测试后，猴子同时处理多项任务时其成功率没有显著下降。在陌生人侵入干扰测试中，所有受试者均被分散注意力，但准确性并未降低。猴子在学习测试后的第1个月和第2个月完成了记忆测试，成功率很高。然而，在第4个月末成功率显著下降。在视听刺激期间，血浆皮质醇水平在前2个月显著升高，此后维持在高水平。视听刺激1个月后，记忆测试的准确性显著降低，分心总时间显著延长。总之，慢性视听刺激可增加血液皮质醇水平并损害认知功能。修改后的手指迷宫测试可以评估认知功能的多个方面，并评估成年食蟹猴在压力下认知功能的变化。
