Excerpt

In an effort to provide information and guidance on the use of mammals in neuroscience and behavioral research, the Committee on Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research was appointed under the auspices of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) of The National Academies. The committee was composed of 15 members, both researchers and laboratory animal veterinarians, and were drawn from academia and industry. This committee was funded by the National Institutes of Health and was asked to address the following four items: 1. Identify common research themes in contemporary neuroscience and behavioral research based on input from neuroscience and behavioral researchers most familiar with current standards of practice and veterinarian specialists in laboratory animal medicine. 2. Exercise collective, professional judgment in applying current animal care and best use practices to procedures in these areas of research. 3. Obtain information about new scientific and responsible use developments used to maintain animals during these experiments. 4. Prepare a report to serve as an informational resource to assist researchers, laboratory animal medicine veterinarians, and institutional animal care and use committee (IACUC) members in the interpretation and implementation of current standards of practice and promote the training of animal care specialists in this area.

Contents

• The National Academies
• Committee on Guidelines for the Use of Animals in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research
• Institute for Laboratory Animal Research Council
• Preface
• Introduction
• I. General Animal Care and Use Principles and Considerations
  • 1. Regulatory and Ethical Considerations
    • US ANIMAL WELFARE ACT
    • PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE POLICY ON HUMANE CARE AND USE OF LABORATORY ANIMALS
    • GUIDE FOR THE CARE AND USE OF LABORATORY ANIMALS
    • US GOVERNMENT PRINCIPLES FOR THE UTILIZATION AND CARE OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS USED IN TESTING, RESEARCH, AND TRAINING
    • ASSOCIATION FOR ASSESSMENT AND ACCREDITATION OF LABORATORY ANIMAL CARE INTERNATIONAL
    • THE 3 Rs
  • 2. Protocol-Development Strategies
    • TEAM APPROACH AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITIES
    • PILOT STUDIES
    • SAMPLE SIZE
    • PAIN AND DISTRESS
    • USING ANIMAL BEHAVIOR TO MONITOR ANIMAL HEALTH
    • HUMANE ENDPOINTS
    • EUTHANASIA
    • EXPERIMENTAL HAZARDS
  • 3. General Animal-Care Concerns
    • TRAINING AND SUPERVISION
    • MONITORING EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED CONSEQUENCES
    • ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND NURSING CARE
    • SPECIAL ENVIRONMENTS AND ENCLOSURES AND HOUSING OF MULTIPLE SPECIES
    • SURGERY AND PROCEDURES
    • PHYSICAL RESTRAINT
    • FOOD AND FLUID REGULATION
    • GENETICALLY MODIFIED ANIMALS
• II. Applications to Common Research Themes in Neuroscience and Behavioral Research
  • 4. Survival Studies
    • ANATOMIC STUDIES
    • NEUROPHYSIOLOGY STUDIES
    • IMAGING STUDIES
    • STEM CELL AND GENE-THERAPY STUDIES
  • 5. Prolonged Nonsurvival Studies
  • 6. Studies of Neural Injury and Disease
    • DISEASE MODELS
    • LESIONS
    • ANIMAL MODELS INVOLVING PAIN
  • 7. Perinatal Studies
    • DEVELOPMENT OF PAIN PERCEPTION
    • ANESTHESIA AND ANALGESIA
    • SURGERY, POSTOPERATIVE MONITORING, CANNIBALISM, AND NEGLECT
    • IDENTIFICATION, TAGGING, TATTOOING, AND TOE CLIPPING
    • REGULATORY CONSIDERATIONS IN FETAL SURGERY
    • EUTHANASIA
  • 8. Agents and Treatments
    • PHARMACOLOGICAL AND TOXICOLOGICAL AGENTS
    • ADDICTIVE AGENTS
    • PHYSICAL AGENTS
    • MODIFICATION OF DIETARY NUTRIENTS
    • EXERCISE
    • SLEEP DEPRIVATION
  • 9. Behavioral Studies
    • USE OF APPETITIVE AND AVERSIVE STIMULI
    • BEHAVIORAL SCREENING TESTS
    • NEUROPHYSIOLOGIC RECORDING IN AWAKE, BEHAVING ANIMALS
    • MOOD-DISORDER MODELS
    • BEHAVIORAL STRESSORS
• References
• Appendixes
  • A Sample Size Determination
  • B Estimating Animal Numbers
  • C Biographical Sketches of Authoring Committee

This study was supported by Contract/Grant No. N01-OD-4-2139 Task Order 90 between the National Academy of Sciences and the National Institutes of Health.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Health and Human Services, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.