Excessive Light Sensitivity inPap₁₀ papio: Its Variation with Age, Sex, and Geographic Origin

Abstract

Excessive sensitivity (levels 3 and 4) in a population of 1,122 Papio papio was related with age, sex, and geographical origin. (1) Age. There was no clinical response to intermittent light stimulation under the age of 5 months. These was no difference between animals 6 months to 2 years (J1) and those aged 2 to 4 years (J2). Adult females were less often light sensitive (levels 3 and 4 = 32.9%) than immature females (52.4%). Adult males could usually not be tested, but were probably less often sensitive than immature males. (2) Sex. Immature females (J1 + J2) were more often light sensitive (52.4%) than immature males (38.1%). (3) Geographical origin. No animals from East Senegal (Sansande Region) were very light sensitive. Animals from Casamance were more often light sensitive (56.2%) than those from the Niokolo-Koba National Park (N.K.N.P.) (20%). Of two samples taken at one spot between these two regions, one group resembled the population from Casamance and the second resembled that from the N.K.N.P. This observation raises several questions about the respective roles of genetic, ecological, and ethological factors.

Influence of Ethnic and Geographic Factors on the Classic Photoparoxysmal Response in the Electroencephalogram of Epilepsy Patients

“…Geographic variations in photosensitivity in baboons (Pupio pupio) were reported by Bert and Naquet (1969) and Balzamo et al (1975), who noted animals from the rainforests to be more sensitive to IPS than those living in the sun-rich savannahs of Senegal. Mechanisms involved in the baboon's photosensitivity, however, were at least topographically different from those in humans (Fischer-Williams et al, 1968;Menini, 1976).…”

Photosensitive Epilepsies and Photoconvulsive Responses in Arabs

“…Northeast Senegal was believed to be the underlying mechanism for the lesser prevalence of PCR in Papio papio living in that region (Balzamo et al, 1975). These animal findings were used to support the hypothesis that neuroexcitability is also reduced in humans as a result of excessive sunshine exposure.…”

Baboon model of generalized epilepsy: Continuous intracranial video-EEG monitoring with subdural electrodes

“…The data collected in earlier studies pertained to Papio h. papio collected from Senegal. The animals in this study belonged to Papio h. anubis and its hybrids collected in Kenya and Tanzania, and crossbred in primate colonies in the United States (Balzamo et al, 1975). While phenotypic differences, such as differences in degrees of photosensitivity, could provide a possible explanation, scalp EEG studies demonstrated a surprising stability of the electroclinical phenotypes among the subspecies (Killam et al, 1967; Szabó et al, 2005).…”