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Original Article
Neuropsychopharmacology (2000) 22 210-218.10.1038/sj.npp.1395425

CSF 5-HIAA and Nighttime Activity in Free-Ranging Primates

PT Mehlman3 Ph.D, GC Westergaard1,2 Ph.D, BJ Hoos1 BA, FR Sallee4 MD, Ph.D, S Marsh5, SJ Suomi2 Ph.D, M Linnoila3 Ph.D and JD Higley3 Ph.D
1Division of Research and Development, LABS of Virginia, Inc., Yemassee, SC USA
2Laboratory of Comparative Ethology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Polesville, MD USA
3Laboratory of Clinical Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD USA
4Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Charleston, SC USA
5Tao-Tech, Inc., Bedford, MA USA

Correspondence: Dr GC Westergaard, Division of Research, LABS of Virginia, Inc., P.O. Box 557, Yemassee, SC 29945

ABSTRACT

Men with low CNS serotonin turnover, as measured by cerebrospinal fluid 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (CSF 5-HIAA) concentrations, exhibit aberrant circadian activity patterns characterized by disrupted sleep rhythms and daytime hyperactivity. To assess whether similar patterns are found in nonhuman primates we examined the relationship between CSF 5-HIAA and nighttime activity in free-ranging monkeys. CSF samples were obtained from 16 adult male rhesus macaques living on a 475 acre, heavily forested sea island. Each subject was captured, fitted with a radio-telemetry motion-detector collar, and then released back into its group. A receiver placed near the sleeping trees of the study subjects recorded activity between 2100 hrs and 0600 hrs. Trained observers recorded behavioral data during the day. The animals followed a typical diurnal activity pattern, as they were active 74% of the sampled time during the day and 37% of the sampled time during the night. CSF 5-HIAA concentrations were inversely correlated with total duration of nighttime activity as well as mean duration of all active events. Nighttime activity was inversely correlated with daytime activity. CSF 3-methoxy-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) concentrations were positively correlated with total nighttime activity, and inversely correlated with daytime sleep frequency. We conclude that male rhesus with low CSF 5-HIAA concentrations have higher total nighttime activity, longer mean periods of nighttime activity, and sleep more during the day than do males with high CSF 5-HIAA concentrations. This suggests that low serotonergic neurotransmission is associated with aberrant diurnal activity, as evidenced by a disruption of nighttime sleep patterns and a compensatory higher rate of inactivity during the day.

Keywords: Sleep; serotonin; impulsivity; primate; aggression
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