Animal Research Psychology

A critique of “Ehrlich, David E, and Donald G Rainnie. 'Prenatal Stress Alters The Development Of Socioemotional Behavior And Amygdala Neuron Excitability In Rats '.

Brain research like this generally requires a live subject whether it is to be an animal or a human. Any experimental medical testing is always an ethical issue because of the potential risks that it poses such as pain, discomfort, death, or altercations to the subjects current state. There are many risks with brain research involving what might happen in the present and what could happen in the future.

The Use of Non-Human Animals in Psychological Research Animals used in research have proved to be an important factor for the uses of medicine, for example Flemming found the use of penicillin was an effective antibiotic when it was used on mice. Since 1822, legislation has limited how scientists use animals. In the UK, the use of animals in psychological investigations has been constrained by ethical and moral guidelines. Current UK legislation in the Animals Scientific Procedures Act 1986 states that all animal research must only take place in a laboratory that are institutionally licensed for animal research. It must be apart of an approved research project.

Around the world, millions of scientists conduct their studies by testing their research on animals. Many people believe that experimenting on animals is crucial to the advancement of medical discoveries. Studies show however, that animal experimentation is brutal and unnecessary. There are alternatives though: “replacement, reduction, and refinement” (Howard 2).

The prefrontal cortex is known to develop in the later periods of the prenatal stages when relating to myelination, cell growth and synaptic density (Kolb et al. 2012). Since it has a prolonged development with the expression of glucocorticoid (GC) receptors, the prefrontal cortex may be prone to early insults (Kolb et al. 2012). This study was also concluded in rats that showcased a relationship between maternal stress during pregnancy and reductions of dendritic spine densities in the prefrontal cortex (Kolb et al.

The brain develops in such a way that it leaves itself vulnerable to these negative influences. The prenatal brain develops an overabundance of neurons, some of which are then carefully eliminated before age 4 (5). In a process similar to this, the amount of synapses between neurons is built up during early childhood and then pruned back for the next 30 years of life (5). These two processes are both disturbed by elevated levels of stress hormones (5). The two centers of the brain with the most postnatal changes, including the growth of new neurons after birth, are the hippocampus, which is part of the limbic system, and the cerebellar vermis (6). The hippocampus is in charge of creating and retrieving memories, working together with the other parts of the limbic system, such as the amygdala, which records the emotions for each memory. The vermis controls the production and release of two of the catecholamine neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine (6). Both the vermis and the limbic system have higher concentrations of receptors for the stress hormone cortisol than anywhere else in the brain (6). Due to this fact, these still-developing areas are the most vulnerable to the damage done by elevated levels of stress hormones.

In order to enhance the quality of life and serve humanity, the scientific-research studies in human subjects have been increased. The human-neuroscience research is one of the most fundamental areas that studies the correlation between the human brain and the nervous system. The research studies in human neuroscience have been rapidly increased, and also most biological processes of the human brain have been identified. Accordingly, neurotherapies have been developed to analyze and stimulate the human brain for many purposes. Although, the rapid progression in the human- neuroscience studies has incredibly increased many ethical issues and concerns in regard the harmful effect of these studies on human and society have increased. (Fuchs, 2006)

Animal testing has risen as an extremely controversial topic among scientists and animal rights activists. Many see it as a necessary part of finding cures for thousands of diseases. On the other hand, animal rights activists believe it is an inhumane, harsh, and unnecessary flaw in science. The argument can go back and forth but I believe animal testing should not be used in today’s technically advanced era. The laws are flawed, the failures are evident, and the available alternatives prove that animal testing should be indefinitely banned for future science experiments.

Heart attacks, bladder failure, and lack of medical cures are all very serious problems that are killing people today. How can doctors learn more about these medical difficulties? Through animal testing doctors can obtain valid results regarding these medical problems and create cures for people with many other medical difficulties. The progression of medicine and the day to day life styles of the general population rely on the ethical practice of animal testing. The alternatives to animal testing are not very valid. “Artificial testing with computer simulations, have not reached a technological level at which these simulations can be trusted to give a valid results to experiments(3).” Also, human testing has many restrictions and

The idea of volunteering, giving one’s free time in exchange for a warm feeling of accomplishment or satisfaction in the selfless act of doing good. Whatever our motivations, most of us have ideals we are willing to stand up for and do something about. I care for a great many things; the well-being of dogs (animals in general) and our environment are amongst the most important to me. Let us focus on the volunteer opportunities available at Orange County Animal Services as compared to those offered locally by a non-partisan group called the Citizen’s Climate Lobby. Although both are worthy causes, saving dogs and protecting the environment differ in the skill set, the varying levels of commitment, and the scope of impact involved.

As of 2015, 200 to 225 million animals are said to used in laboratory research for the biomedical industry annually worldwide. Typically defended by arguments of reliability and human health benefits, recently the question of ethics and values placed on animal testing have caused it to become a relevant and pressing topic that has been more widely discussed and debated. First off, the laboratory conditions that are instigated upon millions of animal models for the sake of medical research has been said to be unethical and cruel. Additionally, it has been debated that the results of animal experimentation are unreliable across a wide range of areas. Lastly, animal testing not only leads away from the direction of resources from more effective testing methods but also prolongs the duration of time humans may need to wait for an effective cure. Therefore, the potential benefits of animal experimentation are greatly outweighed by the risks and collective harm of humans and animals which is why resources should be directed towards more human-based testing procedures.

Using lab animals is needed to determine the toxicity of chemicals but there are pros and cons. Lab animals are used to save human lives. Animals are used because they are similar in ways to humans. Animals lives are saved by testing. Testing on animals helps with the safety of products. The life of an animal is considered less than a human. Some cons of testing animals are that some animals be mistreated. Not all animals are similar to humans. Testing some animals may lead to false readings which threaten humans. Some alternatives have been created to take the place of animal testing but we still use animals. Testing animals are not well

I am currently studying the discipline of Psychology and I am interested in the animal psychology field. I found many sources that study the relationship between human and animal. However, the most intriguing research is the one that they study about primate since they are the closest living relative to human. The Bonobo and Chimpanzee are some of the examples of the primate, about 99% of our DNA are identical. The researcher from the University of St Andrews and the University of Kyoto suggested that “By studying both of our closest living relatives, we may be better able to understand the evolution of human language” (Graham, Furuichi, & Byrne, 2016, p. 172).

“The ‘stress hormone’ cortisol is believed to create a domino effect that hard-wires pathways between the hippocampus and amygdala in a way that might create a vicious cycle by creating a brain that becomes predisposed to be in a constant state of fight-or-flight” (Bergland, 2014).

Animal experimentation by scientists can be cruel and unjust, but at the same time it can provide long term benefits for humanity. Animals used in research and experiments have been going on for 2,000 years and keep is going strong. It is a widely debated about topic all over the world. Some say it is inhuman while others say it’s for the good of human kind. There are many different reasons why people perform experiments and why others total disagree with it.