A NEW GUSTOMETER FOR TESTING TASTE DISCRIMINATION IN THE MONKEY

A fully automated, 10-channel gustometer for use with nonhuman primate s is described. The system, constructed primarily from commercially av ailable components, includes an intelligence panel (containing sample spout, reward spout, and two operant response keys) that attaches to t he door of a standard primate cage. The novel feature of the gustomete r is a sample delivery spout that can be hushed, rinsed, and refilled within a specially designed rinsing chamber. All wetted surfaces of th e gustometer are either Teflon, glass, or stainless steel. Flame photo metric analysis confirmed the absence of cross-contamination between t rials. Behavioral data collected from one rhesus monkey using a shock- suppression procedure demonstrates the detection threshold for sodium chloride. Improvements to the design, including the addition of pressu rized sample delivery triggered by a lickometer circuit, are discussed .