(Originally published in 2009)
Profiles:
http://cnup.neurobio.pitt.edu/people/peopleDetail.aspx?uid=49
http://www.cnbc.cmu.edu/faculty/olson.shtml
http://www.all-creatures.org/saen/pa/res-fr-pa-upitt-grant-olson-2006.html

The Olson Lab of Carnegie Mellon University does research involving invasive methods of measuring the vision of performing nonhuman primates. In this research, the monkeys are first given intensive surgeries [1,2,3]. They cut open the monkeys’ heads to expose the tops of their skulls, implant screws into the bone, fasten a plastic cap over the skull, in which a head restraint bar is fastened. Coils are then placed on the eyeballs to record their movement. These remain implanted in the animal’s heads for the entirety of their training which can last for months. Cylindrical recording devices are then cemented into place in the animals heads in order to record from cells in their brains. Before every session, new electrodes are inserted into their brains. Olson’s articles tend not to say what happens to the animals when the experiments are finished. Since new surgeries are performed for each experiment, we can assume new animals are brought in for every one. Even if they were not, it would mean a very sad existence for the animals whose lives would be spent in cages for this research.

As we have stated in other entries, these animals are highly intelligent. Nonhuman primates like the rhesus monkeys used in Olson’s experiments have complex emotions, form loving relationships, and recent studies show they plan for the future [4,5] much like humans do. The confinement to cages in unnatural and non-stimulating environments is already extremely cruel and is very stressful for these animals. This often leades to mental health problems including self-injury and stereotypic pacing or circling in their cages. The research carried out on them by laboratories like this one creates even greater suffering.

Furthermore, similar studies can be done ethically in human beings using functional magnetic resonance imaging (or fMRI) and using eye-tracking methods. Functionality of the human brain is studied in this manner by many researchers around the world. There is no need to study monkey brains in order to understand that of humans when we can easily do so in humans themselves without harming humans or any other animals in the process.


Contact Carl Olson at [email protected].

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[1] Mooreman, DE & Olson, CR. (2007). Combination of Neuronal Signals Representing Object-Centered Location and Saccade Direction in Macaque Supplementary Eye Field. J Neurophysiol. 97. 3554–3566,
[2] McMahon, DBT & Olson, CR. (2007). Repetition Suppression in Monkey Inferotemporal Cortex: Relation to Behavioral Priming. J Neurophysiol. 97. 3532-3534.
[3] Mooreman, DE & Olson, CR. (2007). Impact of Experience on the Representation of Object-Centered Space in the Macaque Supplementary Eye Field. 97. J Neurophysiol. 2159-2173.
[4] Researchers say animals plan for the future: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/12/ap/tech/main4798684.shtml
[5] Zoo chimp ‘planned’ stone attacks: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7928996.stm