Animal models and methods
All animal experiments described here are approved by the State Office for Consumer Protection and Food Safety (LAVES) after consultation with an Ethics Committee.
Examples of animal models used in our working group:
- 6-hydroxydopamine Parkinson's disease model
- Structural or pharmacologically-induced models for neuropsychiatric diseases
- Intracranial glioma model
- Developmental biology models of neuronal development disorders after neurosurgical procedures to remove midbrain tumors in children
- Animal models with induced hearing deficits
Methods:
- Behavioral studies of simple and complex motor performance (open-field, rotarod)
- Investigations of cognitive and emotional behavior (Radial Maze, Elevated Plus Maze, Skinner boxes, 5-choice boxes, Startle Response System)
- Intracranial stereotactic interventions for electrode implantation and ablation
- Deep brain stimulation (DBS)
- Electrophysiological recording of single cell activity and local field potentials in awake and anaesthetized animals
- Local injection of neuroactive substances to develop possible therapeutic approaches to inhibit tumor growth
- Neuroanatomical methods (immunohistochemistry)
Are there alternative methods?
Currently available alternative methods, such as neuronal cell cultures or organoids, are not suitable for our research questions, as we are dependent on an intact neuronal system for all questions investigated in our research group. This includes in particular the preserved complex interconnection between different brain regions. Rodents have many biological and physiological similarities with humans. The use of rodents in biomedical research is therefore an important tool to better understand life processes and diseases and to develop and optimize new medical techniques and procedures before they are applied to humans. In addition, the use of animals enables a fundamental understanding of the safety and efficacy of a new method to be gained. This helps to minimize the risk of harm and undesirable side effects when the method is finally tested on humans.