brain evolution and animal models

Question 1

Triune brain theory

Answer 1

• developed by Paul D. Maclean in 1960s
• three distinct brains emerged through evolution which co-inhabit the human skulls:
  1. reptillian brain
  2. limbic brain
  3. neocortex

Question 2

reptillian brain

Answer 2

• oldest part
• main structures: brainstem and cerebellum
• regulating and surviving
• basic behaviours
• instinctive and automatic

Question 3

Limbic brain

Answer 3

• emerged in the first mammals
• main strucutres: hippocampus, amygdala
• helps to keep internal state of body constant
• controls emotions

Question 4

neocortex

Answer 4

-emerged in primates
- the thinking brain
- responsible for the development of language, imagination and consciousness

Question 5

three brains

Answer 5

• brain didnt evolve in successive stages
• 3 brains dont operate independently
• interconnections through which the regions influence each other

Question 6

animal studies

Answer 6

• development of new surgical techniques, vaccines, medicines and treatment
• 20 million animal subjects/year

Question 7

problems with animal research

Answer 7

1. study desdign and data analysis
2. heterogenediity of animals and humans
3. translation of preclinical animal trials to human clinical

Question 8

study design issues

Answer 8

• inconsistent designs
• lack of randomisation
• lack of blind studies
• inadequate or absent use of inferential statistics
• many trials concurrent or even after human studies