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Behavioral Assessment of Manual Dexterity in Non-Human Primates
Published on: November 11, 2011
Aging and physical mobility in group-housed Old World monkeys
Carol A Shively1, Stephanie L Willard, Thomas C Register
1Department of Pathology, Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1040, USA. cshively@wfubmc.edu
Age (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
|December 29, 2011
Summary
Older monkeys show slower walking speeds and less climbing, indicating reduced physical mobility. Gait speed is a sensitive, cost-effective measure for aging primate studies.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Primatology
- Animal Behavior
Background:
- Physical mobility decline is linked to health issues in the elderly.
- Understanding the mechanisms requires suitable animal models.
- Old World monkeys offer a potential model for aging research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate measures of physical mobility in aging Old World monkeys.
- To assess age-related changes in activity levels and gait speed.
- To identify reliable indicators of physical decline in primate models.
Main Methods:
- Observed locomotor behaviors in young (9 years) and old (20 years) adult female monkeys of three species.
- Utilized focal sampling and ad libitum observation techniques.
- Measured self-motivated walking speed and frequency of climbing, leaping, and jumping.
Main Results:
- Older monkeys walked 17% slower than younger adults.
- Younger adults exhibited more frequent climbing behavior.
- Overall activity levels and leaping/jumping did not significantly differ by age.
Conclusions:
- Gait speed is a sensitive indicator of age-related decline in physical mobility in Old World monkeys.
- Walking speed is a practical and cost-effective measure, minimally affected by housing.
- Gait speed in nonhuman primates may serve as a valuable biomarker for aging studies.
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