A group of researchers from the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems, Moscow, assesses adaptation capabilities of monkeys in various stress situations likely to occur during space flights.

When placed before a monitor, the monkey starts moving the joystick aimlessly. The movements make an image appear on the screen. Sooner or later the cursor hits a certain spot that triggers a whistling sound followed by a banana-smelling dragee dropping into a tray placed near the joystick. This reinforcer makes the monkey seek conditions that have led to it and repeat the rewarding movements of the cursor.

As the animal masters the method, assignments get more complicated: it is offered to capture a moving image by predicting its direction after it bounces off the screen border, or it has to wade through a maze or choose the option, out of two available, which delivers a food reinforcer.

Although under normal conditions all the ten monkeys were successful in over 90 per cent of computer game experiments, under stress –as experienced in space flight– they behaved differently. Some of them got adapted to limited manoeuvrability early and played actively. Others needed more time for adaptation as they seemed to learn from scratch. The third group subjects got aggressive, moving the joystick disorderly and ignoring the reward even if they accidentally got it.

On the ground, zero-gravity is imitated by submersion, monkeys wearing watertight suits are put to sit in a warm bath. Not every animal can cope with tasks assigned. In a situation where the primate feels uneasy, its brain activity is inhibited and its capability for work is low, adaptation varies from monkey to monkey.

According to the Russian researchers, the technique may be adapted to test the intellectual ability of handicapped children and develop their capabilities.

From Pravda.
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