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Neuromethods, vol. 18: Animal models in psychiatry, part 1
Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 112 (1992) 233-234
233
© 1992 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved 0022-510X/92/$05.00
Book reviews
Neuromethods, Voi. 18: Animal Models in Psychiatry, Part 1, Alan A. Boulton, Glen B. Baker, and Mathew T. Martin-lverson (Eds.), 1991, Humana Press, Clifton, NJ, 411 pages, $80.00, ISBN 0896031985
This volume is the most recent of the Neuromethods series published by Humana Press. This multi-authored text is the first of several promised volumes in the series to cover animal experimentation. The editors' preface acknowledges the need to protect animal rights and to use substitutes whenever possible, but recognizes the importance of animal models in behavioral research in particular. The ten chapters of this volume were written by eight different sets of authors representing Canada, England, Israel, and the United States. The topics covered include a general introduction to animal models of psychopathology, and models of schizophrenia, stimulant psychoses, mania, tardive dyskinesia, anorexia nervosa, and attention deficit. The first general introductory chapter is perhaps the most useful chapter for clinicians who have little laboratory experience. The author, Paul Willner, describes the three yardsticks against which the validity of animal psychopathology models are to be measured: (1) predictive validity, (2) face validity, (3) construct validity. Predictive validity includes the development of animal tests which will predict the performance of new psychopharmacologic drugs in humans. Face validity implies phenomenological similarities between the animal model and the clinical condition. Construct validity means the model is supported by a compelling theory. Willner points out that most animal models do not simultaneously demonstrate predictive, face, and construct validity. A given model may have, for example, predictive validity but not face validity. This and similar disclaimers in this first chapter are humbling for the basic scientist, but make the laboratory-naive clinician better prepared for the following disease-focused chapters. The authors of the subsequent chapters are faced with a formidable task to complete within the limits of their assignment: (1) outline a clinical problem (i.e. schizophrenia) in sufficient detail that a non-clinician can weigh the merits of the animal model, (2) the rationale of the animal model must be described, (3) the model itself must be detailed, and (4) the value and limitations of the animal model vis it vis the human disease process must be explained. The individual chapters meet these challenges with varying degrees of success.
The chapter "Animal models with parallels to schizophrenia" tries to cover too much territory, does not describe any individual models in detail, and is not very readable. In contrast, the chapters on the hippocampal-lesion model of schizophrenia and model of stimulant psychoses give adequate details of the models. The chapter on models of hallucinations has a complete appendix on how to set up an appropriate animal model, but typographical errors detract from the main text. On the other hand, the chapters on activity anorexia and the computerized study of neuroleptic dyskinesia were thought provoking. In particular, the phylogenetic theory of the adaptive advantage of increased activity under starvation conditions provides a good example of construct validity.
Many.. but not all, of the chapters have illustrations of the equipment and procedures used in the described animal models. The volume could have been improved if illustrations had been used more liberally. All the chapters have complete bibliographies to satisfy those needing to know more. In general, this book is insufficiently detailed to serve as a laboratory handbook, but too detailed t,~ Uow a clinician to get a quick, unlabored taste of the field. Instead, this volume (and its companion, see below) is to be recommended to graduate students in pharmacology and the behavioral sciences who desire to have an overview of this topic. W. VAUGHNMCCALL,M.D. Department of Psychiatry Bowman Gray School of Medicine Medical Center Blvd. Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
Neuromethods, Vol. 18: Animal Models in Psychiatry, Part 2, Alan A. Boulton, Glen B. Baker, and Mathew
T. Martin-lverson (Eds.), 1991, Humana Press, Clifton, N3, 386 pages $80.00, ISBN 0896031772 This volume in the Neuromethods series i3 the companion to the immediately preceding issue, Animal Models in Psychiatry, Part 1. This book contains ten more chapters from nine sets of authors and essentially picks up where the previous issue left off. This volume does not contain the general introductory chapter found in the first book and hence is less able to stand alone. While the first book emphasized psychotic and movement disorders, this issue covers animal models of affective disorders, anxiety disorders, aggression, mental retardation, and memory disorders. The first chapter on models of depression suffers from an overload of material and references thus making it dense reading. The next chapter on olfactory bulbectomy gives a succinct presentation of the essentials of the phenomena of clinical depression and also gives an appealing theoretical rationale (i.e., good construct validity) for the olfactory bulbectomized rat as a model of depression. The chapter could have been improved by a more complete description of the behavioral characteristics of buibectomized rats and how their behavior is similar or different from depressed patients (i.e., face validity). The next three chapters on the cholinergic supersensitivity model of depression, methods of assessing circadian rhythms in animal models of depression, and animal models of anxiety are thorough and excellent. The following chapter on pharmacological evaluation of potential animal models of panic disorder has some overlap of content with the prior chapter on models of anxiety, but has some new information as well. Only two of the chapters have drawings of experimental apparatus, and, as with the first book, this volume could have been helped by additional illustrations. The bibliographies of each chapter are complete. In general, this book will be valuable for the graduate student of behavioral science and psychopharmacology. Together, Animal Models in Psychiatry, Parts 1 and 2 provide an up-to-date review of this
233
© 1992 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. All rights reserved 0022-510X/92/$05.00
Book reviews
Neuromethods, Voi. 18: Animal Models in Psychiatry, Part 1, Alan A. Boulton, Glen B. Baker, and Mathew T. Martin-lverson (Eds.), 1991, Humana Press, Clifton, NJ, 411 pages, $80.00, ISBN 0896031985
This volume is the most recent of the Neuromethods series published by Humana Press. This multi-authored text is the first of several promised volumes in the series to cover animal experimentation. The editors' preface acknowledges the need to protect animal rights and to use substitutes whenever possible, but recognizes the importance of animal models in behavioral research in particular. The ten chapters of this volume were written by eight different sets of authors representing Canada, England, Israel, and the United States. The topics covered include a general introduction to animal models of psychopathology, and models of schizophrenia, stimulant psychoses, mania, tardive dyskinesia, anorexia nervosa, and attention deficit. The first general introductory chapter is perhaps the most useful chapter for clinicians who have little laboratory experience. The author, Paul Willner, describes the three yardsticks against which the validity of animal psychopathology models are to be measured: (1) predictive validity, (2) face validity, (3) construct validity. Predictive validity includes the development of animal tests which will predict the performance of new psychopharmacologic drugs in humans. Face validity implies phenomenological similarities between the animal model and the clinical condition. Construct validity means the model is supported by a compelling theory. Willner points out that most animal models do not simultaneously demonstrate predictive, face, and construct validity. A given model may have, for example, predictive validity but not face validity. This and similar disclaimers in this first chapter are humbling for the basic scientist, but make the laboratory-naive clinician better prepared for the following disease-focused chapters. The authors of the subsequent chapters are faced with a formidable task to complete within the limits of their assignment: (1) outline a clinical problem (i.e. schizophrenia) in sufficient detail that a non-clinician can weigh the merits of the animal model, (2) the rationale of the animal model must be described, (3) the model itself must be detailed, and (4) the value and limitations of the animal model vis it vis the human disease process must be explained. The individual chapters meet these challenges with varying degrees of success.
The chapter "Animal models with parallels to schizophrenia" tries to cover too much territory, does not describe any individual models in detail, and is not very readable. In contrast, the chapters on the hippocampal-lesion model of schizophrenia and model of stimulant psychoses give adequate details of the models. The chapter on models of hallucinations has a complete appendix on how to set up an appropriate animal model, but typographical errors detract from the main text. On the other hand, the chapters on activity anorexia and the computerized study of neuroleptic dyskinesia were thought provoking. In particular, the phylogenetic theory of the adaptive advantage of increased activity under starvation conditions provides a good example of construct validity.
Many.. but not all, of the chapters have illustrations of the equipment and procedures used in the described animal models. The volume could have been improved if illustrations had been used more liberally. All the chapters have complete bibliographies to satisfy those needing to know more. In general, this book is insufficiently detailed to serve as a laboratory handbook, but too detailed t,~ Uow a clinician to get a quick, unlabored taste of the field. Instead, this volume (and its companion, see below) is to be recommended to graduate students in pharmacology and the behavioral sciences who desire to have an overview of this topic. W. VAUGHNMCCALL,M.D. Department of Psychiatry Bowman Gray School of Medicine Medical Center Blvd. Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
Neuromethods, Vol. 18: Animal Models in Psychiatry, Part 2, Alan A. Boulton, Glen B. Baker, and Mathew
T. Martin-lverson (Eds.), 1991, Humana Press, Clifton, N3, 386 pages $80.00, ISBN 0896031772 This volume in the Neuromethods series i3 the companion to the immediately preceding issue, Animal Models in Psychiatry, Part 1. This book contains ten more chapters from nine sets of authors and essentially picks up where the previous issue left off. This volume does not contain the general introductory chapter found in the first book and hence is less able to stand alone. While the first book emphasized psychotic and movement disorders, this issue covers animal models of affective disorders, anxiety disorders, aggression, mental retardation, and memory disorders. The first chapter on models of depression suffers from an overload of material and references thus making it dense reading. The next chapter on olfactory bulbectomy gives a succinct presentation of the essentials of the phenomena of clinical depression and also gives an appealing theoretical rationale (i.e., good construct validity) for the olfactory bulbectomized rat as a model of depression. The chapter could have been improved by a more complete description of the behavioral characteristics of buibectomized rats and how their behavior is similar or different from depressed patients (i.e., face validity). The next three chapters on the cholinergic supersensitivity model of depression, methods of assessing circadian rhythms in animal models of depression, and animal models of anxiety are thorough and excellent. The following chapter on pharmacological evaluation of potential animal models of panic disorder has some overlap of content with the prior chapter on models of anxiety, but has some new information as well. Only two of the chapters have drawings of experimental apparatus, and, as with the first book, this volume could have been helped by additional illustrations. The bibliographies of each chapter are complete. In general, this book will be valuable for the graduate student of behavioral science and psychopharmacology. Together, Animal Models in Psychiatry, Parts 1 and 2 provide an up-to-date review of this