Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Ethical Issues in Behavioral Neuroscience pp 3–15Cite as

Ethical Issues Associated with the Use of Animal Experimentation in Behavioral Neuroscience Research

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences ((CTBN,volume 19))

Abstract

This chapter briefly explores whether there are distinct characteristics in the field of Behavioral Neuroscience that demand specific ethical reflection. We argue that although the ethical issues in animal-based Behavioral Neuroscience are not necessarily distinct from those in other research disciplines using animal experimentation, this field of endeavor makes a number of specific, ethically relevant, questions more explicit and, as a result, may expose to discussion a series of ethical issues that have relevance beyond this field of science. We suggest that innovative research, by its very definition, demands out-of-the-box thinking. At the same time, standardization of animal models and test procedures for the sake of comparability across experiments inhibits the potential and willingness to leave well-established tracks of thinking, and leaves us wondering how open minded research is and whether it is the researcher’s established perspective that drives the research rather than the research that drives the researcher’s perspective. The chapter finishes by introducing subsequent chapters of this book volume on Ethical Issues in Behavioral Neuroscience.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    see https://www.humanbrainproject.eu/.

  2. 2.

    DO.Anything; The Science of Intentional Change, posted by Rob Hutter, January 2013; http://robhutter.com/neuroscience/the-neuroscience-of-behavioral-insight/.

References

  • Bovenkerk B (2012) The biotechnology debate: democracy in the face of intractable disagreement, library of ethics and applied philosophy, vol 29. Springer, Dordrecht

    Google Scholar 

  • Brom FWA (2002) Science and society: different bioethical approaches towards animal experimentation. ALTEX 19(2/02):78–82

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Buller T (2014) Bridging the gap between science and ethics? cambridge quarterly of healthcare ethics, special section: neuroethics and animals animal minds and neuroimaging, vol 23. Cambridge University Press, pp 173–181. doi:10.1017/S0963180113000704

  • Callicott JB (1980) Animal liberation: a triangular affair. Environ Ethics 2–4:311–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carruthers P (1992) The animals issue: moral theory in practice. Cambridge UP, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • De Cock Buning Tj, Meijboom FLB, Swart JAA (2009) Ethiek en Dierproeven. In: van Zutphen LFM (ed) Handboek proefdierkunde. Proefdieren, dierproeven, alternatieven en ethiek. Elsevier, pp. 321–334

    Google Scholar 

  • DeGrazia D (1996) Taking animals seriously. Mental life and moral status. Cambridge UP, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Doktorova TY, Pauwels M, Vinken M et al (2012) Opportunities for an alternative integrating testing strategy for carcinogen hazard assessment? Crit Rev Toxicol 42:91−106

    Google Scholar 

  • EU (2010) Directive 201/63/EU on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes. Official Journal of the European Union L 276/33

    Google Scholar 

  • Franco NH (2013) Animal experiments in biomedical research: a historical perspective. Animals 3:238–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geyer MA, Markou A (1995) Animal models of psychiatric disorders. In: Bloom FE, Kupfer DJ (eds) Psychopharmacology: the fourth generation of progress. Raven, New York, pp 787–798

    Google Scholar 

  • Hagen K, Schnieke A, Thiele F (eds) (2012) Large animals as biomedical models: ethical, societal, legal and biological aspects. Europäische Akademie, Ahrweiler

    Google Scholar 

  • Hendriksen CFM (2009) Replacement, reduction and refinement alternatives to animal use in vaccine potency measurement. Expert Rev Vaccines, 8:313−322

    Google Scholar 

  • Huggins J (2003) Alternatives to animal testing: research, trends, validation, regulatory acceptance. Altex-Alternativen Zu Tierexperimenten 20(Supplement 1):3–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Illes J, Sahakian BJ (eds) (2011) Oxford handbook of neuroethics. Oxford University Press, Oxford Library of Psychology, England

    Google Scholar 

  • Korsgaard C (2005) Fellow creatures: Kantian ethics and our duties to animals. Tanner Lect Human Values 25:77–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Linzey A (ed) (2014) The global guide to animal protection. University of Illinois Press, Illinois

    Google Scholar 

  • Manciocco A, Chiarotti F, Vitale A et al (2009) The application of Russell and Burch 3R principle in rodent models of neurodegenerative disease: the case of Parkinson’s disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 33(1):18–32

    Google Scholar 

  • McGonigle P, Ruggeri B (2014) Animal models of human disease: challenges in enabling translation. Biochem Pharmacol 87(1):162–171. doi:10.1016/j.bcp.2013.08.006

  • Midgley M (1983) Animals and why they matter: a journey around the species barrier. University of Georgia Press, Athens

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray CJ, Lopez AD (1997) Alternative projections of mortality and disability by cause 1990–2020: global burden of disease study. Lancet 349:1498–1504

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nuffield Council on Bioethics (2005) The ethics of research involving animals. Latimer Trend & Company Ltd, London. (www.nuffieldbioethics.org)

  • Nussbaum MC (2006) Frontiers of justice. Disability, nationality, species membership. Harvard University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Penza M, Jeremic M, Montani C et al (2009) Alternatives to animal experimentation for hormonal compounds research. Genes Nutr 4:165–172

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Regan T (2004) The case for animal rights, Updated with a new Preface, The University Press Group Ltd

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodríguez MR, Nuevo R, Chatterji S, Ayuso-Mateos JL (2012) Definitions and factors associated with subthreshold depressive conditions: a systematic review. BMC Psychiatry 12:181

    Google Scholar 

  • Rollin BE, Kessel ML (eds) (1990) The experimental animal in biomedical research. CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton

    Google Scholar 

  • Rollin BE (1981) Animal rights & human morality. Prometheus Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Rollin BE (2011) Animal pain: what it is and why it matters. J Ethics 15:425–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rollin MD, Rollin BE (2014) Crazy like a fox: validity and ethics of animal models of human psychiatric. Disease Cambridge quarterly of healthcare ethics, special section: neuroethics and animals animal minds and neuroimaging, vol 23. Cambridge University Press, pp 173–181. doi:10.1017/S0963180113000704

  • Rowlands M (2002) Animals like us. Verso, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Roskies A (2002) Neuroethics for the New Millenium. Neuron 35:21–23

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Russel W, Burch R (1959) The principles of humane experimental technique

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer P (1975) animal liberation: towards an end to man’s inhumanity to animals. Paladin Books, St Albans

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer P (1995) Practical ethics, 2nd edn. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Stefansson H (2007) The biology of behaviour: scientific and ethical implications. EMBO reports vol 8 (Special Issue)

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor P (1986) Respect for nature. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • van der Staay FJ, Arndt SS, Nordquist RE (2009) Evaluation of animal models of neurobehavioral disorders. Behav Brain Functions 5:11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warren MA (1997) moral status: obligations to persons and other living things. Clarendon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Zutphen LFM, van Baumans V, Beynen AC (eds) (1993) Principles of laboratory animal science: a contribution to the humane use and care of animals and to the quality of experimental results. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Rory Putman for helpful comments on the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department Animals in Science & Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University Utrecht, Yalelaan 2, PO Box 80.166, 3508 TD, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Frauke Ohl & Franck Meijboom

  2. Ethics Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Franck Meijboom

Authors
  1. Frauke Ohl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Franck Meijboom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Frauke Ohl .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. National Core for Neuroethics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Grace Lee

  2. National Core for Neuroethics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

    Judy Illes

  3. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Frauke Ohl

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ohl, F., Meijboom, F. (2014). Ethical Issues Associated with the Use of Animal Experimentation in Behavioral Neuroscience Research. In: Lee, G., Illes, J., Ohl, F. (eds) Ethical Issues in Behavioral Neuroscience. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 19. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2014_328

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation