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Metabolomics in Psychiatric Disorders: What We Learn from Animal Models, 2020, Humer et al

Discussion in 'Other health news and research' started by Andy, Feb 23, 2020.

  1. Andy

    Andy Committee Member

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    Hampshire, UK
    Open access, https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/10/2/72
     
    spinoza577, Invisible Woman and Trish like this.
  2. Sly Saint

    Sly Saint Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    How Depressed Is That Mouse?
    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/depression-how-depressed-is-mouse/

    [​IMG]
     
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  3. rvallee

    rvallee Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Given the extremely poor track record of properly diagnosing psychiatric disease in humans, who can actually answer complex questions and provide additional information, I would not bet a nickel on a mouse model of any psychiatric disease, especially depression and anxiety, whose diagnoses have basically zero reliability in humans as it is and it is entirely based on asking questions, which as far as I am aware mice struggle to do.

    Especially as by far the biggest problem is in being easily fooled over superficial features, which are the only features that can be used in an animal model. Psychiatry can't even properly use some simple concepts like fatigue in actual humans and redefines their meaning to fit contextual needs.

    Lots of work ahead before this can yield anything of value.
     
  4. alktipping

    alktipping Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    the mouse looks embarrassed by the utter incompetence of the lesser human species it is studying . hitch hikers guide has a lot to do with this lol
     
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  5. Sisyphus

    Sisyphus Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    Feynman said that in science, the easiest person to fool is yourself. Psych seems to be saying "Fool me? Where's the money? Step it up to Fool U!"
     
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  6. Mithriel

    Mithriel Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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    There are animal models for psychiatric diseases. One of the most curious is attention deficit disorder. In Australia they had a breeding programme for police dogs, drug sniffers and the like. They needed working animals who were not easily distracted but they also ended up with dogs who could not concentrate on anything.

    Also with pets it is easy to tell that some animals are timid and some are bold and zoo keepers have done a lot of work in the past decades preventing apathy in their animals.

    I think it is not often done well but there is a place for good research using animal models as it can highlight basic biology as well as proving that it is not all down to bad cognitions in humans. Animals do not hide their symptoms and feeling the way humans do.
     
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