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Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Determining Pain Detection and Tolerance Thresholds Using an Integrated, Multi-Modal Pain Task Battery
Published on: April 14, 2016
The necessity of animal models in pain research
Jeffrey S Mogil1, Karen D Davis, Stuart W Derbyshire
1Department of Psychology and Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 1B1 Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour-Systems Neuroscience, Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada Department of Surgery and Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada M5T 2S8 School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Abstract:
There exists currently a fair degree of introspection in the pain research community about the value of animal research. This review represents a defense of animal research in pain. We discuss the inherent advantage of animal models over human research as well as the crucial complementary roles animal studies play vis-à-vis human imaging and genetic studies. Finally, we discuss recent developments in animal models of pain that should improve the relevance and translatability of findings using laboratory animals. We believe that pain research using animal models is a continuing necessity-to understand fundamental mechanisms, identify new analgesic targets, and inform, guide and follow up human studies-if novel analgesics are to be developed for the treatment of chronic pain.
