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Dear Sir/Madam
In view of your response to my last request for information on the
research that will be conducted on Felix the primate (see: 'Your last
response below') which I felt was non specific even evasive in
nature, I would be grateful to you if you would be more forthcoming
and specific in your reply to my next FOI request. Therefore I would
like to ask the following questions:
1. What specific, referenced non-animal methods were considered by
the authors of this study?
2. Were any of the following non-animal methods considered?
a. Computational modelling (1,2)
b. Non-invasive imaging techniques (3,4,5,6)
References:
1. Miocinovic S et al. J Neurophysiol 2006;96(3):1569-80.
Computational analysis of subthalamic nucleus and lenticular
fasciculus activation during therapeutic deep brain stimulation
2. Sotiropoulos SN, Steinmetz PN. J Neural Eng 2007;4(2):107-19.
Assessing the direct effects of deep brain stimulation using embedded
axon models
3. Schmitt O et al. Anatomy and Embryology 2005;210(5,6):0340-2061.
Three-dimensional cytoarchitectonic analysis of the posterior bank of
the human precentral sulcus
4. Butson CR et al. Med Image Comput Comput Assist Interv Int Conf
Med Image Comput Comput Assist Interv. 2006;9(Pt 2):429-37.
Predicting the effects of deep brain stimulation with diffusion
tensor based electric field models
5. Butson CR et al. 1: Neuroimage. 2007;34(2):661-70.
Patient-specific analysis of the volume of tissue activated during
deep brain stimulation
6. McIntyre CC et al. Clin Neurophysiol. 2004;115(3):589-95. Electric
field and stimulating influence generated by deep brain stimulation
of the subthalamic nucleus.
Your last response:
Q1. Was the use of non-animal methods considered by the authors of
this study?
Yes. All applicants for a Home Office project licence are required to
demonstrate that the research programme cannot be achieved
satisfactorily by methods that do not involve the use of animals.
Q2. If so, what non-animal methods were considered?
Although studies of the genetic, molecular and cellular basis of
Parkinson's disease can be performed in vitro (e.g. by using tissue
cultures), developing and testing potential therapies requires a
living system with a level of complexity similar to humans. The main
objective of this study is to test whether electrical stimulation of
the pedunculopontine nucleus can alleviate the akinesia (loss of
movement) caused by Parkinson's disease, which, for many patients, is
the most debilitating and distressing symptom. It would not be
legally or ethically permissible to do this with humans direct, as
this is still an experimental technique.
Q3. On what grounds were the non-animal methods not applied to the
study?
See the answer to Q2 above.
