瞳瞳孔反射（PLR）是瞳孔对光刺激产生的生理反应，并且可以作为心理状态指标，检测PLR能够作为有效的技术手段检验如人类抑郁等心理问题。我们在前期研究中发现群养母猪的瞳孔反射时间显著快于限位饲养的母猪。可以推测瞳孔反射可能成为潜在的检验动物心理状态的手段。有鉴于此，本项目意在探究瞳孔反射延迟的生理与遗传机理，探寻是否存在心理抑郁与瞳孔反射延迟的内在关系。如果能够证明该相关性，我们就找到了临床检测因慢性应激引发心理疾病的方法，为动物福利研究创建新的检验方法。本项目拟利用脑神经及生理学手段，直接地观察长期限位饲养的繁殖母猪是否存在抑郁症或慢性应激现象，并从遗传角度、行为心理角度、生理角度综合讨论母猪瞳孔光反射延迟的相关问题，为瞳孔反射时长作为检测指标能够家畜进行临床检查，开展心理学研究提供了科学依据，并在技术创新方面为家畜动物福利学的检测方法创新开辟一条新的途径。

Pupillary light reflex(PLR) is a physiological reflection of pupil to light stimulation and a very useful psychological indicator. In human detecting PLR is a method providing information of depresssion. In our earlier studies we found a phenomenon f prolonged PLR of confined sows. This has provided a evidence for developing a possible method to detect psychological problem in farm animals. Thus, the purpose of the project is to explore the neuro-physiological and immune mechanisms in relation to the prolonged PLR, in order to find internal relationships between depression and PLR. If such relations exist, we can estabilish a new method to detect psychological problems in farm animals by examining PLR,and estabilsh a clinical method for animal welfare study. The project is going to study brain tissue structure, immunity, steroetyped behaviour, neurontransmitters and cytokines to understand the basis of the prolonged PLR, and the related results will provide scientific ground for PLR as a new method to clinically detect pupil in examination of psychological problems of farm animals.