{"title":"The Impact of Social and Behavioral Factors on Reproducibility in Terrestrial Vertebrate Models.","authors":"Alexandra L Whittaker, Debra L Hickman","doi":"10.1093/ilar/ilaa005","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The use of animal models remains critical in preclinical and translational research. The reliability of the animal models and aspects of their validity is likely key to effective translation of findings to medicine. However, despite considerable uniformity in animal models brought about by control of genetics, there remain a number of social as well as innate and acquired behavioral characteristics of laboratory animals that may impact on research outcomes. These include the effects of strain and genetics, age and development, sex, personality and affective states, and social factors largely brought about by housing and husbandry. In addition, aspects of the testing environment may also influence research findings. A number of considerations resulting from the animals' innate and acquired behavioral characteristics as well as their social structures are described. Suggestions for minimizing the impact of these factors on research are provided.</p>","PeriodicalId":56299,"journal":{"name":"Ilar Journal","volume":"60 2","pages":"252-269"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1000,"publicationDate":"2020-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1093/ilar/ilaa005","citationCount":"5","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ilar Journal","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/ilar/ilaa005","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"VETERINARY SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 5
Abstract
The use of animal models remains critical in preclinical and translational research. The reliability of the animal models and aspects of their validity is likely key to effective translation of findings to medicine. However, despite considerable uniformity in animal models brought about by control of genetics, there remain a number of social as well as innate and acquired behavioral characteristics of laboratory animals that may impact on research outcomes. These include the effects of strain and genetics, age and development, sex, personality and affective states, and social factors largely brought about by housing and husbandry. In addition, aspects of the testing environment may also influence research findings. A number of considerations resulting from the animals' innate and acquired behavioral characteristics as well as their social structures are described. Suggestions for minimizing the impact of these factors on research are provided.
期刊介绍:
The ILAR Journal is the peer-reviewed, theme-oriented publication of the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR), which provides timely information for all who study, use, care for, and oversee the use of animals in research. The journal publishes original articles that review research on animals either as direct subjects or as surrogates for humans. According to policy, any previously unpublished animal research reported in the ILAR Journal will have been conducted according to the scientific, technical, and humanely appropriate guidelines current at the time the research was conducted in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals or other guidance provided by taxonomically-oriented professional societies (e.g., American Society of Mammalogy) as referenced in the Guide.