Home cage behavior of rhesus monkeys with long-term deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids.

In an observational study with a blind observer, rhesus monkeys deficient in omega-3 (omega-3 or n-3) fatty acids initiated more bouts of stereotyped behavior in their home cages than monkeys fed a matched control diet abundant in omega-3 fatty acids. Locomotion bouts were also more frequent in deficient monkeys, but nonstereotyped locomotion did not differ. Both stereotyped behavior and the sum of all behavioral bouts were more frequent in 4-5-year-old than in 2-3-year-old monkeys, and stereotype decreased after meals in males but not females. The stereotyped behaviors associated with a deficit in omega-3 fatty acids were those typical of rhesus monkeys raised as partial social isolates or those whose surroundings have been disrupted.