Journal
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
Volume 16, Issue 1, Pages 7-16Publisher
SPRINGERNATURE
DOI: 10.1038/mp.2010.35
Keywords
animal model; psychiatry; C. elegans; Drosophila; Apis; Danio
Funding
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- Australian Research Council
- Queensland Brain Institute
Ask authors/readers for more resources
While the research community has accepted the value of rodent models as informative research platforms, there is less awareness of the utility of other small vertebrate and invertebrate animal models. Neuroscience is increasingly turning to smaller, non-rodent models to understand mechanisms related to neuropsychiatric disorders. Although they can never replace clinical research, there is much to be learnt from 'small brains'. In particular, these species can offer flexible genetic 'tool kits' that can be used to explore the expression and function of candidate genes in different brain regions. Very small animals also offer efficiencies with respect to high-throughput screening programs. This review provides a concise overview of the utility of models based on worm, fruit fly, honeybee and zebrafish. Although these species may have small brains, they offer the neuropsychiatric research community opportunities to explore some of the most important research questions in our field. Molecular Psychiatry (2011) 16, 7-16; doi:10.1038/mp.2010.35; published online 30 March 2010
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available