This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. In recent years, there has been an increasing awareness of the need for improved pain assessment and management techniques for laboratory animals. Pain scales have been created for various species in an effort to reduce pain and suffering by allowing for timely intervention. However, many of the scoring systems that have been developed were based on one species and adapted to others. This practice may not be appropriate, given that expression of pain often differs across species. The overall goal of this study is to establish and validate useable guidelines for assessing pain in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). While nonhuman primates are common subjects in biomedical studies, there is a paucity of published pain scoring systems for these species. Having such a scoring system would allow primate veterinarians and researchers to refine current acceptable postoperative care practices to reduce pain. In this study, we are monitoring behavior and physiological variables such as heart rate, pupil dilation and activity in adult rhesus monkeys prior to and following a major surgery. We will then correlate these variables with indices that might predict pain levels, including the amount of analgesia (administered by the surgical staff), in an effort to get a better understanding of behavioral and/or physiological manifestations of pain.
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