Chapter 4: Methods of Research Flashcards
What is an example of tests with high/low face validity?
H: blood pressure (tests that closely resemble those in humans)
L: human brain conditions; delusions, altered mood, emotions (do not resemble those in humans)
What are the outcomes scientists are looking for during animals testing?
- have a predictive validity
- sensitive; show a dose-response relationship
- high reliability (same result every time)
- specification; for that particular drug or class being screened
- demonstrate the same rank order of potency
Purpose for the paradigm for analgesia:
- measurement of pain
2. evaluate pain reductions by drugs without loss of consciousness
What is the test utilized in the paradigm for analgesia?
Tail-Flick test
What is the T-F test?
- purpose
- measurement
- conclusion
- a measurement of animal response to pain (heat applied to the tail)
- time between the onset of the stimulus and when the animal removes its tail away from the heat source
- the less pain perception, the longer animals will keep their tail close to the heat source
Purpose for the paradigm for motor function:
measure motor or locomotor activity
What is the task assignment for the motor function paradigm?
open-field test
The effect of drugs on motor function:
impaired locomotion and catalepsy (full rigidity of the body)
Purpose for the paradigm for reward-seeking behavior:
- reward and addiction
2. learning and memory
What is the task assignment for the reward-seeking behavior (L&M)?
operant or instrumental conditioning
Once behavior is learned, the requirements for reinforcement can be altered according to a schedule. What are these variants?
based on ratios or time intervals
- fixed-ratio (FR)
- fixed-interval (FI)
What is the meaning of aversive reinforcers? What is
an example of variants with aversive reinforces?
increased probability of a response that terminates an aversive condition
animal is trained to turn off an electrical shock by pressing the lever
To test reward-seeking behavior of addiction what type of paradigm is used?
self administration
How is the assessment of cognitive function achieved in animals?
evaluation can be done by creating situations for decision making and temporarily holding information
What paradigms are used for the assessment of higher-order cognitive processes of decision making?
T-Maze of Y-Maze
Spatial learning:
learning to navigate your environment
What paradigms are used for spatial learning?
- Morris Water Maze
2. 8-Arm Radial Arm Maze
What happens during the Morris Water Maze?
involves a circular water pool where animals must swim until they find a platform hidden just a couple of cm below the surface
How does spatial learning play a role in the Morris Water Maze?
animals learn the spatial position of the platform relative to visual landmarks in the test room
How does spatial learning play a role in the 8-Arm Radial Arm Maze?
animals need to learn that food is available in alternating arms or a few arms
What paradigms are used for working memory?
Delayed-Response test
What kind of paradigms are based on innate traits?
those that test anxiety
**behavioral phenotypes of anxiety come hard-wired in the brain
List the paradigms used for evaluating anxiety:
- Light-Dark Crossing Task
- Open-Field Test
- Elevated-Plus Maze
Light-Dark Crossing Task measures…
time spent on dark versus lit up compartments
number of crossings
Light-Dark Crossing Task conclusion…
the more rodents spent in (or faster they cross to) the lit-up compartment, the less anxious they are
Open-Field Test (evaluating anxiety) measures…
time spent on periphery versus center
number of crossings through the center
Open-Field Test (evaluating anxiety) conclusions…
the more time rodents pent in the center, the less anxious they are
What are some antianxiety drugs? How would they effect the outcome of an OFT?
- Buspiridone (Buspar)
- Alprazolam (Xanax)
- Clonazepam (Klonopin)
- Diazepam (Valium)
- Lorazepam (Ativan)
these drugs should increase the time spent at the center of the OFT
Elevated-Plus Maze measures…
time spent on closed arms versus opened arms
number of entries into arms
Elevated-Plus Maze conclusions…
the more time rodents spent in the open arms, the less anxious they are
What are the two paradigms for social interaction?
- One-Chamber Social Interaction Tests
2. Three-Chamber Social Interaction Tests
What occurs during the OCSI test?
two rats are place in a cage where neither has established territory and slowly conditions are introduced
OCSI test conclusions…
normal interactions decrease when conditions are introduced
**bright light, increase anxiety, drugs
How is the OCSI relevant to humans?
relevance to disorders characterized by poor social interaction such as ASD (autism spectrum disorders)
Paradigm used for fear:
Pavlovian or Classical Fear Conditioning
Conditioned emotional responses are based on […].
associative learning
Paradigms for depression:
- Forced Swim Test (FST)
2. Tail Suspension Test
Conclusion for paradigms for depression…
the faster they give up the struggle, the more “depressed” they are (“lower mood”)
List the medications that allow the time interval to increase in the depression paradigms:
SSRI
- Prozac (fluoxetine)
- Paxil (paroxetine)
- Zoloft (sertraline)
In the fear paradigms, the cues became…
predictor of an aversive effect
How do we examine the brain?
stereotaxic surgery
What are the benefits of stereotaxic surgery?
- precise implantation
- devices explore patterns of neural activity
- manipulate function
- direct infusion of drugs