1. Physiological and behavioural stress responses in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) to noise associated with construction work.
- Author
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Westlund, K., Fernström, A.-L., Wergard, E.-M., Fredlund, H., Hau, J., and Spångberg, M.
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PHYSIOLOGICAL stress , *KRA , *PHYSIOLOGICAL effects of noise , *BIOLOGICAL research , *NOISE pollution , *LABORATORY animals , *ANIMAL behavior - Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the behavioral and physiological responses to environmental disturbances (live and recorded dynamite explosions) in laboratory non-human primates in preparation for a future tunnel construction underneath our animal facility. In a pilot study (A) on 20 female Macaca fascicularis, a day of test blasts resulted in an increase in faecal cortisol and immunoreactive cortisol metabolites (CICM), and the animals reacted behaviorally with vertical flight and vocalizations. In a follow-up study (B), we assessed the impact of 10 days of exposure to recorded detonations on the behavior and CICM in 16 M. fascicularis. In the latter study we introduced a predictive signal, serving as a conditional stimulus, to half of the animals. We found no significant effects of the noise in the Signal group; while the Control groups' CICM values were affected. The behavior was largely unaffected in the two groups. It was decided not to introduce a research moratorium on biomedical research planned to be conducted during the future tunnel construction, and that a conditional stimulus ('warning signal') will be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
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