animal models-1 Flashcards
what did descartes think of animals
“automata” - that their behaviour can be reduced to simple reflex actions
what did descartes think of humans (2)
we are gods creations
we are superior (distinct from animals)
which 2 people thought of the theory of evolution through natural section
charles darwin and alfred wallace
what did darwin think of huamns and animals
humans share homologous structures with lower animals
what 4 things did descartes argue about humans and animals
humans have a rational soul
animals are instinctive
human have abstract thought
humans are the only one with minds
what 5 things did darwin argue about humans and animals
animals can inherit instincts
humans are descended from animals
humans develop habits
habits are not inherited
humans inherit instincts and learn habits
what did sir charles sherrington (1900) think
animals act without mind, no evidenced of thought, feeling or perception
what did Wundt (1911) think
basic sensation such as fear may parallel human basic sensations
what did pavlov (1897) discover
that animals can have perception, memory and organized thought (Pavlov’s dogs experiments)
what does an animal model represent
an attempt by the experimenter to imitate certain aspects of a clinical condition (eg. disease)
what do animal models seek to test?
to detect the activity of potential therapeutic drug
what is McKinney’s 4 criteria for validating animal models
- similarity of inducing condition
- similarity of the behavioural state induced
- similarity of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms
- similarity of clinically effective treatments
what does the “similarity of inducing condition” mean in McKinneys 4 criteria
that they administer morphine (for example) to get tolerance and addiction like humans, they make the same inducing conditions
what does the “similarity of the behavioural state induced” mean in McKinneys 4 criteria
you want to make sure you see similar behaviours with the animal compared to human (addiction, withdrawal)
what does the “ similarity of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms” mean in McKinneys 4 criteria
that there is a similar neurochemistry between the animal and human, like in withdrawal
what does the “similarity of clinically effective treatments” mean in McKinneys 4 criteria
that drugs that help humans also help animals (eg. clonidine)
describe some behaviors used to detect morphine addiction
wet dog shakes, mouth movement, diarhhea
what 3 things drive rats’ behaviour
hunger thirst and the need to breed
name 5 benefits of the lab rat
small, clean inexpensive, easily handled, short gestation, 3 year life span
name two benefits of mice over rates
easy to genetically manipulate
smaller and more affordable for labs
name one disadvantage of using mice over rats
behavioural profile is not as complex
what animal was used to discover vitamin C
the guinea pig
what breed of rat did the lab rat come from
Wild Norway Rat - came to North America in ships but eventually the Albino variant were kept as pets and then used for breeding experiments
what is the vision of the wistar rat
bad
what were the first laboratory rats
the “pet” albino rats in european labs, then they were brough to USA for testing, became WISTAR rats by the Wistar Institute
what is the Long-Evans strain of rats
female Wistars mated with wild male
does the long-evans have good vision
yes
how was the Sprague-Dawley rat bred? what are some of its characteristics?
mated hooded rat to a female wistar - rapid growth, vigor, good temperament
does the sprague-dawley rat of good vision
no
which variable is the amount of drug/type
manipulated/independent variable
name one commonly measured dependent variable in pharmacology
behavior
describe the variability within Wistar rats
some do not drink alcohol, some drink 10x the normal amount.
name two rat strains to use in experiments involving visual discrimination (eg. Morris Water Maze)
Long Evans
Hooded
what is a double-blind study for human trials
when neither the subjects nor researchers know what conditions the subjects are in, or the drug administered
what 2 things does a double-blind study reduce
placebo effect and bias
does a double-blind study eliminate subject and experimenter bias
no, but it reduces it
what are the 3 groups in the 3 group design
1-experimental drug being tested
2-placebo/vehicle control
3-established drug with a known therapeutic effect
what question do you ask when you compare the experimental drug vs. placebo
does the new drug cause any improvement?
what question do you ask when you compare the established drug s. placebo
were the research methods sensitive enough to detect improvement?
what question do you ask when you compare the experimental drug vs. established drug
does the new drug have any advantage over the old drug?
