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A long term restraint device for primates
Physiology and Behavior. Vol. 7, pp. 271-272. Pergamon Press, 1971. Printed in Great Britain
BRIEF COMMUNICATION A Long Term Restraint Device for Primates K E N N E T H R. H E N R Y
Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, U.S.A. AND R O B E R T E. B O W M A N
University of Wisconsin Regional, Primate Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin 75606, U.S.A. (Received 17 March 1971) HENRY, K. R. ANDR. E. BOWMAN. A long term restraint devicefor primates. PHYSIOL.BEHAV.7 (2) 271-272, 1971.IA restraining device for large rhesus monkeys was described. This equipment allowed the animal to self-feed, yet it could not touch its intracranial cannulae. It also reduced tissue necrosis and allowed the animal to stand or sit as it willed, thereby maintaining good leg muscle tonus.
Restraining device
Primates
Intracranial cannula
Necrosis
MANY behavioral and physiological tests with primates require the animal to remain in a relatively fixed position for a long period of time. With few exceptions [1] restraining devices generally result in severe tissue damage after several week's confinement. The design of a recent long term experiment required several conditions which could only be met by the new monkey chair described below. It was necessary to maintain rhesus monkeys for several weeks after surgical implantation of intracranial cannulae. The manipulatory and curious nature of our animals could have resulted in their removing or damaging the cannulae, so we found it necessary to keep their hands away from the top of their heads. WGTA testing required self-feeding, so their hands had to reach their mouths. This problem was solved by placing a collar and bib (Fig. 1, lower) around their necks. The collar could slide in and out to adjust for different sized necks, and the bib could also slide to adjust for different sized arms. Another desirable characteristic in a monkey chair is reduction or elimination of neck necrosis due to friction of the neck with a metal restraining piece. We achieved this end by eliminating contact of the neck with the surrounding metal. Although the collar surrounded the neck, actual contact only occurred between the skin and a nylon restraining strap. This strap was looped around the neck, passed out the back of the chair through a slot (Fig. 1, lower) and maintained in place by wingnut-tightened friction clamps in back (Fig. 1, center). Whenever the nylon webbing became dirty, the friction clamps were released and a clean surface was pulled through the slot. This could be done without removing the animal from the chair. The waist restraint was of the same nature. The use Of nylon webbing here reduced the dangers of necrosis in the abdominal region and permitted much
Muscletonus
finer adjustment than could have been otherwise obtained. The distance between the waist and neck bands was adjusted by raising or lowering the waist device (Fig. 1, center). It was essential to eliminate physical contact between animals chaired beside each other, as well as to greatly reduce the danger of the chair tipping over. Since we used very large male rhesus monkeys (up to 13 kg), this end was achieved by building a ~ x 30 × 50 in. steel base (Fig. 1, upper) to which the chair was welded. Ball bearing roller wheels facilitated easy movement of the devices. The perpendicular frame of the chair was made of 1 in. anglo iron welded to the base, through which ~ in. holes were drilled every 1.½ in. Previous experiments in which large volumes of blood were repeatedly drawn from the legs of rhesus monkeys had pointed out another drawback of conventional restraining devices: inactivity of the legs for several days resulted in a collapse of blood vessels and loss of muscle tonus. This apparatus reduced these effects by allowing the monkey to stand or sit whenever he so desired. This was done by floating the chair above the base. At a height appropriate for the size of the monkey, bolts were passed through the 3/8 in. holes in the two perpendicular angle irons, and moveable parallel bars were attached on each side (Fig. 1, upper). These parallel bars were attached via joints to the back of the chair, and the two parallel bars on each side had coil expansion springs placed between them. These float springs were adjusted by hooking their ends in one of a series of holes in the parallel bars, so that the chair floated above the base. In this manner, the chair was effectively made weightless, and the monkey could have more freedom of movement than would be allowed by other restraining devices. 271
272
HENRY AND BOWMAN
,PRINGS
SIDE
FOOD FRICTIONCLAMPFORHOLDN IG NECKRESTRAN IN I GBAND ~;~ ~
~
OR
::<';":~":~~""~' ~~SLO~TSFORADJUST N IGWAT ST R EAY ......~::~.;!;.~!i~ ~
~._]~
WAIST DEVICE
SLOT FOR NECK RES" PIECE
COLLAF COLLARADJUST
LBADJUST 31B FIG. 1
REFERENCE
1. Braun, R. G., T. L. Wolfe and J. A. Chisum. A footrestleg exercise device for long-term restraint studies with primates. J. exp. Analysis Behav. 11: 69-70, 1968.
BRIEF COMMUNICATION A Long Term Restraint Device for Primates K E N N E T H R. H E N R Y
Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, U.S.A. AND R O B E R T E. B O W M A N
University of Wisconsin Regional, Primate Laboratory, Madison, Wisconsin 75606, U.S.A. (Received 17 March 1971) HENRY, K. R. ANDR. E. BOWMAN. A long term restraint devicefor primates. PHYSIOL.BEHAV.7 (2) 271-272, 1971.IA restraining device for large rhesus monkeys was described. This equipment allowed the animal to self-feed, yet it could not touch its intracranial cannulae. It also reduced tissue necrosis and allowed the animal to stand or sit as it willed, thereby maintaining good leg muscle tonus.
Restraining device
Primates
Intracranial cannula
Necrosis
MANY behavioral and physiological tests with primates require the animal to remain in a relatively fixed position for a long period of time. With few exceptions [1] restraining devices generally result in severe tissue damage after several week's confinement. The design of a recent long term experiment required several conditions which could only be met by the new monkey chair described below. It was necessary to maintain rhesus monkeys for several weeks after surgical implantation of intracranial cannulae. The manipulatory and curious nature of our animals could have resulted in their removing or damaging the cannulae, so we found it necessary to keep their hands away from the top of their heads. WGTA testing required self-feeding, so their hands had to reach their mouths. This problem was solved by placing a collar and bib (Fig. 1, lower) around their necks. The collar could slide in and out to adjust for different sized necks, and the bib could also slide to adjust for different sized arms. Another desirable characteristic in a monkey chair is reduction or elimination of neck necrosis due to friction of the neck with a metal restraining piece. We achieved this end by eliminating contact of the neck with the surrounding metal. Although the collar surrounded the neck, actual contact only occurred between the skin and a nylon restraining strap. This strap was looped around the neck, passed out the back of the chair through a slot (Fig. 1, lower) and maintained in place by wingnut-tightened friction clamps in back (Fig. 1, center). Whenever the nylon webbing became dirty, the friction clamps were released and a clean surface was pulled through the slot. This could be done without removing the animal from the chair. The waist restraint was of the same nature. The use Of nylon webbing here reduced the dangers of necrosis in the abdominal region and permitted much
Muscletonus
finer adjustment than could have been otherwise obtained. The distance between the waist and neck bands was adjusted by raising or lowering the waist device (Fig. 1, center). It was essential to eliminate physical contact between animals chaired beside each other, as well as to greatly reduce the danger of the chair tipping over. Since we used very large male rhesus monkeys (up to 13 kg), this end was achieved by building a ~ x 30 × 50 in. steel base (Fig. 1, upper) to which the chair was welded. Ball bearing roller wheels facilitated easy movement of the devices. The perpendicular frame of the chair was made of 1 in. anglo iron welded to the base, through which ~ in. holes were drilled every 1.½ in. Previous experiments in which large volumes of blood were repeatedly drawn from the legs of rhesus monkeys had pointed out another drawback of conventional restraining devices: inactivity of the legs for several days resulted in a collapse of blood vessels and loss of muscle tonus. This apparatus reduced these effects by allowing the monkey to stand or sit whenever he so desired. This was done by floating the chair above the base. At a height appropriate for the size of the monkey, bolts were passed through the 3/8 in. holes in the two perpendicular angle irons, and moveable parallel bars were attached on each side (Fig. 1, upper). These parallel bars were attached via joints to the back of the chair, and the two parallel bars on each side had coil expansion springs placed between them. These float springs were adjusted by hooking their ends in one of a series of holes in the parallel bars, so that the chair floated above the base. In this manner, the chair was effectively made weightless, and the monkey could have more freedom of movement than would be allowed by other restraining devices. 271
272
HENRY AND BOWMAN
,PRINGS
SIDE
FOOD FRICTIONCLAMPFORHOLDN IG NECKRESTRAN IN I GBAND ~;~ ~
~
OR
::<';":~":~~""~' ~~SLO~TSFORADJUST N IGWAT ST R EAY ......~::~.;!;.~!i~ ~
~._]~
WAIST DEVICE
SLOT FOR NECK RES" PIECE
COLLAF COLLARADJUST
LBADJUST 31B FIG. 1
REFERENCE
1. Braun, R. G., T. L. Wolfe and J. A. Chisum. A footrestleg exercise device for long-term restraint studies with primates. J. exp. Analysis Behav. 11: 69-70, 1968.