Animal Model 1

Question 1

What was Descartes’ main belief about animal models?

Answer 1

humans have a rational soul and animals are instinctive (i.e. only humans have a mind)

Question 2

What was Darwin’s main belief about animal models?

Answer 2

• humans are descended from animals
• animals can inherit instincts
• humans inherit instincts and learn habits

Question 3

What was Sherrington’s main belief about animal models?

Answer 3

animals show no thought, feelings, perception

Question 4

What was Wundt’s main belief about animal models?

Answer 4

human basic sensations parallel animal basic sensations (e.g. fear)

Question 5

What was Pavlov’s main belief about animal models?

Answer 5

dog salivation experiment –> indicate animals have perception, memory, organized thought

Question 6

What is the McKinney criteria for what makes a good animal model?

Answer 6

similarity of:
1) inducing conditions
2) behavioural state induced
3) underlying neurobiological mechanisms
4) clinically effective treatments

Question 7

What are the 3 groups of the 3 group design?

Answer 7

group 1: experimental drug being tested
group 2: placebo/vehicle control
group 3: established drug with known therapeutic effect

Question 8

What 3 questions should be asked when using the 3 group design?

Answer 8

1) experimental vs placebo: does the new drug cause improvement?
2) established vs placebo: do research methods detect improvement using the established drug?
3) experimental vs established: is the new drug better than the old drug?

Question 9

Explain the opioid dependence experimental model.

Answer 9

1) morphine administered to rats slowly via subcutaneous capsule
2) rats tolerate and find it rewarding
3) precipitate withdrawal by removing morphine or administering NALOXONE (opioid antagonist)
4) observe behaviour of rats on saline (control) vs drugs to alleviate withdrawal
5) CLONIDINE treats addiction/withdrawal

Question 10

Which drug is commonly used to treat addiction/withdrawal?

Answer 10

clonidine

Question 11

What advantages do mice have over rats in animal model experiements?

Answer 11

• easier to do genetic manipulation
• smaller
• cheaper

Question 12

Which rodent model has a more complex behaviour profile? Rats or mice?

Answer 12

rats = more complex behaviour profile

Question 13

Which rodent model was used to discover vitamin C?

Answer 13

guinea pig

Question 14

What was the first lab rat?

Answer 14

“pet” albino rat

Question 15

What was the first commercial lab rat?

Answer 15

wistar rat

Question 16

Which rat comes from breeding a wistar female with a wild male?

Answer 16

long evans rat

Question 17

Which rat comes from breeding the offspring of a wistar female and a hooded male rat?

Answer 17

sprague dawley rat

Question 18

Which rats have good eyesight? bad eyesight?

Answer 18

good vision: long evans, hooded rat
bad vision: wistar, sprague dawley

Question 19

What is the implication of using a rat model with bad vision?

Answer 19

cannot use this model for visual discrimination experiments

Question 20

What is the most important control for animal behavioural studies?

Answer 20

blind experimenter