The efficacy of diazepam treatment for the management of acute wounding episodes in captive rhesus macaques.
The spontaneous development of self-injurious behavior (SIB) in singly housed monkeys poses a challenge for their management and well-being in captivity. Relatively little information is available on effective treatments for SIB. This study examined the effects of diazepam (Valium) on self-wounding and other abnormal behaviors in eight individually housed male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Each monkey's response to an anxiolytic dose of diazepam (1 mg/kg or greater orally) was compared with the animal's behavior during drug-free periods. When examined across all animals, treatment with diazepam did not significantly alter wounding frequency or rates of self-directed biting without wounding. However, closer examination of the data revealed that four of the animals showed significant decreases in self-biting and wounding frequency (positive responders, PR group), whereas the remaining monkeys showed a trend towards increased wounding frequency (negative responders, NR group). Subsequent examination of colony and veterinary records demonstrated that compared with NR monkeys, PR monkeys had spent significantly more years in individual cage housing and had experienced a greater number of minor veterinary procedures. PR animals also were significantly less likely to have a documented history of self-biting behavior. Our findings suggest that SIB is not a homogeneous disorder in rhesus monkeys; rather, distinct subtypes exist that require different treatment approaches.
Tiefenbacher
Stefan
S
New England Primate Research Center, Harvard Medical School, Southborough, Massachusetts 017721, USA.
Fahey
Michele A
MA
Rowlett
James K
JK
Meyer
Jerrold S
JS
Pouliot
Amber L
AL
Jones
Brenda M
BM
Novak
Melinda A
MA
D000374:Aggression / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D003975:Diazepam / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006799:Housing, Animal; D015994:Incidence; D007756:Laboratory Animal Science; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000145:classification; D008297:Male; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013239:Stereotyped Behavior / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D003975:Diazepam