Banca de DEFESA: MARIANA VIANA SIQUEIRA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : MARIANA VIANA SIQUEIRA
DATE: 31/07/2025
TIME: 14:30
LOCAL: Plataforma Teams
TITLE:

“Effects of the familiarization phase on recognition memoy in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.) assessed using different spontaneous object exploration tests.”

KEY WORDS:

capuchin monkey; memory; object recognition; spatial recognition; familiarization time

PAGES: 100
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Medicina
SUMMARY:

“Recognition memory is the ability to discriminate between new and familiar stimuli in the environment. It plays a key role in the decision-making process and helps plan future behaviors. The Spontaneous Object Recognition (SOR) and the Spontaneous Object-Location (ROL) tests are tools commonly used to assess this type of memory in animals. Although these tests have been traditionally performed in rodents, their use in non-human primates is currently increasing. The latter are viewed as a more translational model due to their greater neuroanatomical and behavioral similarity with humans. Given that these behavioral tasks can be influenced by several aspects, such as the time spent becoming familiarized with the stimulus, more studies are needed in monkeys. The present study thus aimed to assess the influence of the initial familiarization phase on the recognition memory of adult capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.). The SOR and SOL tests were used, as well as different retention intervals (RI). All subjects were individually tested in their own home-cages. Each test consisted of a sample trial that lasted until a pre-established familiarization time was attained (5 s or 20 s), followed by a RI (10 min or 24 h) and a 5 min test trial. Thus, each subject was submitted to four SOR tests and four SOL tests, one for each familiarization time and RI. For the SOR tests, the subject was exposed to two identical copies of a same object during the sample trial, while in the test trial there was a copy of the familiar item alongside a new object. For the SOL tests, the subject was exposed to two identical copies of a same object during both trials. However, in the test trial, one object was placed in a different location from where it had been previously seen. A distinct set of objects was used for each test. In the SOR test, the subjects demonstrated a recognition memory. When the sample trial required a 5 s object familiarization time, they spent more time exploring the new object than the familiar item, but only after the 24 h RI. When the familiarization time was set at 20 s, the same novelty preference was seen, yet after both RI (10 min and 24 h). In the SOL test, the capuchin monkeys spent more time exploring the displaced object than the item that remained stationary, thus demonstrating a spatial recognition memory. However, this effect was seen only when the sample trial had a 20 s object familiarization time, regardless of the RI (10 min and 24 h). Duration of the sample trial and total object exploration time in the test trial did not differ between the four versions of the SOR test or the SOL test that were held. These results suggest that a 20 s versus 5 s familiarity time with a stimulus facilitates both short- and longer-term recognition memory in adult capuchin monkeys, particularly for the tasks that have a greater cognitive demand, such as spatial recognition.”

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externa à Instituição - ANDRESSA RADISKE - ISD
Externo à Instituição - CARLOS ALBERTO BEZERRA TOMAZ - UNIEURO
Externo ao Programa - 1646309 - JORGE LUIS LOPES ZEREDO - nullPresidente - 2440127 - MARILIA BARROS