Neglected Factors in Pharmacology and Neuroscience Research (1994)

Claassen, V.

Abstract

Very thorough review and discussion of environmental variables affecting the animal's well-being and the reliability of research data. The physical environment of the experimental animal is in most laboratories determined by long existing, in-house standardized procedures. Already for this reason, many factors do not lend themselves well to variations in experimental design. In addition, in publications the physical environment is often scantily described so that reproduction of experiments in this regard is hampered almost completely. ... In a number of experiments methodological considerations lead to individual housing of the animals. However, this choice of the housing conditions is usually not justified and the consequences on experimental results are seldom evaluated.