Scientists at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) have successfully used machine learning, a subset of artificial intelligence (AI), to measure anxiety-related behaviors in monkeys. The study, published in Nature's Translational Psychiatry on March 15, 2024, demonstrated that human ratings of an infant monkey’s nervous temperament were linked to brain activity and behavior measured years later through a machine-learning approach. These findings suggest a connection between nervousness in infancy and the eventual development of anxiety and depressive disorders.
The brains of nonhuman primates respond to gentle, pleasurable touch in the same way as humans, even without awareness, researchers at the California National Primate Research Center have found. This study also revealed age-related differences in the way touch is processed by the brain. The study, conducted by [Ph.D. Candidate] Joey Charbonneau and CNPRC core scientist Eliza Bliss-Moreau’s lab, poses fascinating questions about the role of consciousness in pleasurable touch, as well as age-related changes in the brain’s processing of touch.
Infant monkeys conceived while their mothers were naturally exposed to wildfire smoke show behavioral changes compared to animals conceived days later, according to a new study from researchers at the California National Primate Research Center at the University of California, Davis. The work is published April 1 in Nature Communications.
Translational animal models are a necessary step to uncovering the biological basis of human disorders like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) which affects 1 in every 54 children in the United States. Kate Talbot, Ph.D.
Almost undoubtedly, you can think of five influential and loved women in your life. With those women in mind, consider that one in every five women and one in every ten American men at the age of 45 are at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). As the rates of the disease continue to increase and promising therapies tested in rodents fail in human subjects, it’s clear we need another option. Post-doctoral scholar, Dr. Danielle Beckman in Dr.
(UC Davis) – It’s perhaps one of the most common emotions to feel in a relationship, but one that’s virtually untouched when it comes to studying relationships in monogamous primate species. What scientists have recently discovered about jealousy in pair-bonded titi monkeys at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) offers insight into human emotions and their consequences.
In this edition of "Monkey Talk" we talk with Dr. Jessica Vandeleest about her study on how social rank uncertainty affects the health of rhesus macaques at CNPRC.
(UC DAVIS, Calif.) – He struts to her with much swagger and then comes the moment of truth – he smacks his lips at her. She responds by doing some smacking of her own, but instead she uses her hand. It’s a scene that plays itself out almost daily along with others during mating season at the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) at UC Davis.
Applying a new approach to rhesus macaque groups to realistically model individual, family, and group health across the lifespan in human populations. Humans live in societies full of rich and complex relationships that influence our physical and mental health and well-being. In both human and nonhuman primates, social life, and its interaction with factors such as personality, influence our health in complex ways.
