Decerebrate mammalian preparations: unalleviated or fully alleviated pain? A review and opinion.
In experimental decerebration of mammals, the cerebral cortex and thalamus are surgically or otherwise inactivated under traditional (pharmacologic) general anesthesia. Once the effects of the pharmacologic anesthesia have dissipated, the animal remains alive, but there is neither pain sensation nor consciousness. Because the Animal Welfare Act and its regulations recognize drugs as the only means to alleviate pain, it is unclear whether a decerebrate animal should be placed in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pain and distress category D (pain or distress alleviated by drugs) or E (unalleviated pain or distress). We present a rationale for including decerebrate animals in USDA category D. We also provide a general review of decerebration and suggestions for institutional animal care and use committees having to evaluate decerebration protocols.
Silverman
Jerald
J
Department of Animal Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts 01655, USA.
Garnett
Nelson L
NL
Giszter
Simon F
SF
Heckman
Charles J
CJ
Kulpa-Eddy
Jodie A
JA
Lemay
Michel A
MA
Perry
Constance K
CK
Pinter
Martin
M
D035661:Animal Care Committees; D032761:Animal Experimentation; D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000592:standards*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000601:surgery*; D003655:Decerebrate State / Q000662:veterinary*; D007756:Laboratory Animal Science / Q000379:methods*; D008322:Mammals; D010146:Pain / Q000145:classification / Q000662:veterinary*; D014481:United States; D016885:United States Department of Agriculture / Q000592:standards