title: Take the monkey and run.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a small, New World primate that is used extensively in biomedical and behavioral research. This short-lived primate, with its small body size, ease of handling, and docile temperament, has emerged as a valuable model for aging and neurodegenerative research. A growing body of research has indicated exercise, aerobic exercise especially, imparts beneficial effects to normal aging. Understanding the mechanisms underlying these positive effects of exercise, and the degree to which exercise has neurotherapeutic effects, is an important research focus. Thus, developing techniques to engage marmosets in aerobic exercise would have great advantages.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here we describe the marmoset exercise ball (MEB) paradigm: a safe (for both experimenter and subjects), novel and effective means to engage marmosets in aerobic exercise. We trained young adult male marmosets to run on treadmills for 30 min a day, 3 days a week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our training procedures allowed us to engage male marmosets in this aerobic exercise within 4 weeks, and subjects maintained this frequency of exercise for 3 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  To our knowledge, this is the first described method to engage marmosets in aerobic exercise. A major advantage of this exercise paradigm is that while it was technically forced exercise, it did not appear to induce stress in the marmosets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These techniques should be useful to researchers wishing to address physiological responses of exercise in a marmoset model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, United States; Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States. Electronic address: kimberley.phillips@trinity.edu.
authors.forename: Kimberley A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Sciences, College of Coastal Georgia, Brunswick, GA 31520, United States.
authors.forename: M Karen
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Hambright
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, United States.
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hewes
authors.affiliation: Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Schilder
authors.affiliation: Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States; Department of Biology, Texas A&M University San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Corinna N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States; Department of Cellular & Structural Biology, Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78245, United States.
authors.forename: Suzette D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Tardif
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002144:Callithrix; D003672:Defecation; D008297:Male; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: Aging research; Exercise; Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus); Primate models
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