Translational Research in Behavioural Pharmacology

Increasing knowledge about disorders of the central nervous system in humans – better understanding pathophysiology, developing more effective treatments, or both is long-term goal a substantial portion our animal studies. For that reason, translatability experimental findings utmost importance. This translation, course, can go ways; either emulating human situation nonhuman subjects, using results studies to inform research humans. In this Special Issue, we are deeply pleased present 13 articles 4 reviews and 9 empirical papers deal with important matter. The first article issue review by Cox Reichel addresses topic has received much attention last decade, empathy animals. That is, do animals have empathic capacities comparable humans? If so, how these be experimentally investigated does help us understand mental characterized social impairment introduces theories provides an excellent summary recent progress on empathy, including underlying neural mechanisms relevance for disorders. second review, Gipson Bimonte-Nelson synthesizes two fields interest rarely considered combination, aging addiction, close sex-related differences. Focusing smoking women, discusses age, hormonal influences, tobacco use may affect normal pathological neurodegenerative diseases--identifying points convergence areas future third Chaves Filho et al., neuroinflammatory processes contribute psychiatric particular, authors summarize preclinical clinical investigating efficacy tetracyclines neuroprotective anti-inflammatory properties (such as doxycycline minocycline) treatment schizophrenia mood disorders, thus providing new perspective treatment. four reviews, Kandasamy Morgan, proposes home-cage wheel running used assay development novel analgesic drugs. idea based mismatch between pain, whereby restoration function former, inhibition pain responses latter. importance models identify analgesics increasing years, represents step forward field. These highlight breadth topics addressed field translational behavioural pharmacology, ranging from aging, fundamental questions innovative drug development. Following up series nine original papers, again highlighting diversity which approaches pharmacology timely, work anxiety, depression addiction. these, Craft investigates sex differences non-steroidal Importantly, experiments demonstrate sex- time-dependent effects ibuprofen, ketoprofen celecoxib inflammation. Next investigation Fogaça Rosado who show depression-like behaviour cognitive impairments induced chronic stress ameliorated glibenclamide, type 2 diabetes. multiple targets and, study, appears exert its normalizing stress-induced dysfunction hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. following also Batista al. introduce model study panic disorder rats. They administration respiratory stimulant doxapram, addition producing known respiration, decreased heart rate, increased blood pressure, evoked cellular activity periaqueductal gray. However, doxapram did not result conditioned place avoidance, suggesting intriguing disconnect measures associated anxiety and/or expected conditioning. further comprehensive Lockington Hughes second-generation antipsychotic olanzapine anxiety. they assessed whether depend dose, length, different tests found was anxiolytic but, illustrating complexity attend studies, were preceded anxiogenic dose- sex-dependent. final Issue addictive behaviour. first, Butler includes complementary demonstrates species reinforcing strength nicotine predicts vulnerability cue-induced relapse, only clues but lends credibility proposition addiction-related paradigms rodents clear value addiction next article, Oinio opioid neurotransmission differentially modulates cost-benefit decision making strain rats bred high levels alcohol intake versus non-selected, outbred Wistar Thus, link opioid-related form related gambling followed fascinating Pallarés employ technology typically brain humans, vivo neuroimaging, investigate drinking-induced activation strains alcohol-preferring divergent patterns cortico-limbic structures, limited overlap strains. indicate individuals at risk consumption, very distinct, implications pathophysiology general. penultimate Laverde shows N-acetylcysteine, that, among other actions, interferes glutamate neurotransmission, blocked alcohol-induced preference mice altered forebrain dopaminergic revealing potential mechanism blockade. expression reinstatement changed after N-acetylcysteine closes report Minnaard tested three candidate drugs drinking Their data baclofen naltrexone, reduce voluntary naltrexone baseline even though widely diverged their drinking, perhaps individual We think thirteen manuscripts represent steps pharmacology. Among exciting developments, technologies applied animals, models, propose disorder, problem assess therapeutic side antipsychotic. addition, there addressing analgesia well illustrate awareness comparison sexes imperative moving forward. thoroughly enjoyed editing hope you will enjoy reading them.