Operant conditioning permits voluntary, noninvasive measurement of blood pressure in conscious, unrestrained baboons (Papio cynocephalus)

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

9-1-1980

Journal

Behavior Research Methods & Instrumentation

Volume

12

Issue

5

DOI

10.3758/BF03201822

Abstract

This report describes a computerized apparatus and procedure for completely automated noninvasive measurement of systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial blood pressure in conscious, unrestrained nonhuman primates. We used a specially constructed, cage-mounted oscillometric blood pressure instrument and operant reward conditioning methods to train adult baboons (Papio cynocephalus) to submit voluntarily to frequent self-initiated determinations of their blood pressures in the absence of a human operator/observer. Details concerning the operant training procedure and illustrative blood pressure data are presented. The accuracy of the method was evaluated by comparing the noninvasive blood pressure readings with simultaneously taken direct measurements obtained by means of chronically indwelling arterial catheters. © 1980 Psychonomic Society, Inc.

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS