Animal models of human disease-related behaviors are powerful tools for translational research. Indeed, the use of such behavioral approaches can result in the development of new therapeutics with a shorter latency to clinical implementation and a higher conversion rate as compared to therapeutics developed using other preclinical research strategies. In addition to being powerful, animal models are as complex, sensitive, and precise as the symptoms they attempt to mimic and therefore they require careful consideration, calibration, and application to yield valid results. No behavioral procedure is inherently better or worse for the discovery of disease-relevant biological factors. When attempting to draw conclusions about the neurobiological mechanisms of specific disease-related behaviors, however, it is imperative that the chosen procedure accurately models the behavior of interest. Therefore, special attention needs to be given when developing and/or applying such models to ensure they are able to address the defined scientific question accurately.
Animal behavioral procedures are analogies to human behaviors, and thus they are prone to biases and limitations. Moreover, neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders, and the myriad of behaviors that are expressed in humans within each disorder, are complex, often with overlapping or unknown etiology and/or biomarkers. Altogether, this makes maintaining ecological validity in modeling disease-related behaviors challenging. Publications in this Research Topic will discuss or highlight animal behavioral procedures and their ability to model specific human disease-related behaviors, along with the efforts involved in the development and modification of procedures to model human behaviors in animals, with an emphasis on replication and reproduction.
The special issue welcomes scientific literature reviews, opinion articles, and original findings that focus on animal modeling of neurological- and psychiatric disorder-related behaviors, such as behaviors relevant to Alzheimer’s disease, substance use disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, Tourette syndrome, neuropathic pain, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Experimental duplication, replication, and reconstruction of animal modeling are particularly relevant for this issue. Authors are encouraged to discuss the validity, strengths, and limitations of animal models. Consequently, rigorous original research resulting in data that cannot reject the null hypothesis are welcome and help define the best scope of use of any given animal model.
Animal models of human disease-related behaviors are powerful tools for translational research. Indeed, the use of such behavioral approaches can result in the development of new therapeutics with a shorter latency to clinical implementation and a higher conversion rate as compared to therapeutics developed using other preclinical research strategies. In addition to being powerful, animal models are as complex, sensitive, and precise as the symptoms they attempt to mimic and therefore they require careful consideration, calibration, and application to yield valid results. No behavioral procedure is inherently better or worse for the discovery of disease-relevant biological factors. When attempting to draw conclusions about the neurobiological mechanisms of specific disease-related behaviors, however, it is imperative that the chosen procedure accurately models the behavior of interest. Therefore, special attention needs to be given when developing and/or applying such models to ensure they are able to address the defined scientific question accurately.
Animal behavioral procedures are analogies to human behaviors, and thus they are prone to biases and limitations. Moreover, neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders, and the myriad of behaviors that are expressed in humans within each disorder, are complex, often with overlapping or unknown etiology and/or biomarkers. Altogether, this makes maintaining ecological validity in modeling disease-related behaviors challenging. Publications in this Research Topic will discuss or highlight animal behavioral procedures and their ability to model specific human disease-related behaviors, along with the efforts involved in the development and modification of procedures to model human behaviors in animals, with an emphasis on replication and reproduction.
The special issue welcomes scientific literature reviews, opinion articles, and original findings that focus on animal modeling of neurological- and psychiatric disorder-related behaviors, such as behaviors relevant to Alzheimer’s disease, substance use disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, Tourette syndrome, neuropathic pain, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Experimental duplication, replication, and reconstruction of animal modeling are particularly relevant for this issue. Authors are encouraged to discuss the validity, strengths, and limitations of animal models. Consequently, rigorous original research resulting in data that cannot reject the null hypothesis are welcome and help define the best scope of use of any given animal model.