How was brain and behaviour linked?
- observation and case studies
- using different approaches e.g. KO vs brain in action
What is Broca’s area?
part of the inferior frontal cortex responsible for speech
What allows perception of different angles and shapes?
different parts of the visual area responding to different orientations of light bursts
What is an animal model?
a non-human species that provides an in vivo environment to study aspects of human biology and/or disease, which cannot be otherwise studied in humans due to ethical reasons
What does the use of animal models do?
- increase our understanding of how the brain works
- uncover the general principles whereby neurochemical mechanisms control behaviour
- identify genetic basis of neuropsychiatric disease states
- develop new treatments for neuropsychiatric diseases
What is the 4 step approach to use animal models?
- research question
- hypothesis
- choose animal model based on question
- obtain approval
Why are mice the most used animal model?
- they share 98% of human genome
- common diseases
- easy to manipulate
- can be inbred to yield genetically identical strains
- accelerated lifespan
- cost effective
Give examples of common diseases between mice and humans
- cancer
- diabetes
- stimming during autism
What is stimming?
repetitive behaviours or motions that you may use to help cope with emotions
Give examples of methods used to generate rodent models
- selective breeding
- random mutation and screening
- transgenic animals
- administration of neurotransmitter agonists or antagonists
- chronic social or physical stress
- anatomical lesions
What are limitations of using mice as animal models?
- short lifespan
- small size
- some human disease conditions cannot be mimicked in rodents
- lack the ability to vomit and respiratory responses, such as coughing and sneezing
What are difficulties when modelling a neuropsychiatric disorder?
- rarely one gene per one disease
- trying to replicate diseases that are likely due to environmental stressors
- trying to replicate certain behaviours exhibited in patients e.g. hallucinations, delusion, suicide
What does a mouse model created based on single genes implicated in familial AD show?
not all of the phenotypes seen in humans e.g. . cognitive impairment is mild with little neuronal death
What are the 3 types of validity?
- face
- construct
- predictive
What is face validity?
how well the model replicates the disease phenotype
What is construct validity?
how similarly the mutation in the model recapitulates the genetic state in the patients
What is predictive validity?
how well the model can predict unknown aspects of the disease in humans, or response to therapeutics
