title: Cephalopods in neuroscience: regulations, research and the 3Rs.
abstract: Cephalopods have been utilised in neuroscience research for more than 100 years particularly because of their phenotypic plasticity, complex and centralised nervous system, tractability for studies of learning and cellular mechanisms of memory (e.g. long-term potentiation) and anatomical features facilitating physiological studies (e.g. squid giant axon and synapse). On 1 January 2013, research using any of the about 700 extant species of "live cephalopods" became regulated within the European Union by Directive 2010/63/EU on the "Protection of Animals used for Scientific Purposes", giving cephalopods the same EU legal protection as previously afforded only to vertebrates. The Directive has a number of implications, particularly for neuroscience research. These include: (1) projects will need justification, authorisation from local competent authorities, and be subject to review including a harm-benefit assessment and adherence to the 3Rs principles (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction). (2) To support project evaluation and compliance with the new EU law, guidelines specific to cephalopods will need to be developed, covering capture, transport, handling, housing, care, maintenance, health monitoring, humane anaesthesia, analgesia and euthanasia. (3) Objective criteria need to be developed to identify signs of pain, suffering, distress and lasting harm particularly in the context of their induction by an experimental procedure. Despite diversity of views existing on some of these topics, this paper reviews the above topics and describes the approaches being taken by the cephalopod research community (represented by the authorship) to produce "guidelines" and the potential contribution of neuroscience research to cephalopod welfare.
authors.affiliation: Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, Naples, Italy, cephres@cephalopodresearch.org.
authors.forename: Graziano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fiorito
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Affuso
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Basil
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonnaud
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Botta
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cole
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Girolamo
authors.forename: Ngaire
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dennison
authors.forename: Ludovic
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dickel
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Cosmo
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Cristo
authors.forename: Camino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gestal
authors.forename: Rute
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grasso
authors.forename: Tore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kristiansen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuba
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maffucci
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manciocco
authors.forename: Felix Christopher
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Melillo
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Osorio
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: Kerry
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Perkins
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ponte
authors.forename: Marcello
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raspa
authors.forename: Nadav
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shashar
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: António
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sykes
authors.forename: Roger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Villanueva
authors.forename: Nathan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tublitz
authors.forename: Letizia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zullo
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Andrews
mesh_terms: D032761:Animal Experimentation / Q000592:standards*; D000827:Animal Welfare / Q000592:standards*; D000818:Animals; D049830:Cephalopoda; D005062:European Union; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D009488:Neurosciences / Q000592:standards*