Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019 Dec;107:329-345. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.020. Epub 2019 Sep 12.
Translational neuroscience bridges insights from specific mechanisms in rodents to complex functions in humans and is key to advance our general understanding of central nervous function. A prime example of translational research is the study of cross-species mechanisms that underlie responding to learned threats, by employing Pavlovian fear conditioning protocols in rodents and humans. Hitherto, evidence for (and critique of) these cross-species comparisons in fear conditioning research was based on theoretical viewpoints. Here, we provide a perspective to substantiate these theoretical concepts with empirical considerations of cross-species methodology. This meta-research perspective is expected to foster cross-species comparability and reproducibility to ultimately facilitate successful transfer of results from basic science into clinical applications.
转化神经科学将啮齿动物特定机制的研究成果与人类复杂功能联系起来，是深入了解中枢神经系统功能的关键。转化研究的一个典型范例是研究跨物种机制，通过在啮齿动物和人类中使用巴甫洛夫式恐惧条件反射协议来研究对习得性威胁的反应。迄今为止，对恐惧条件反射研究中这些跨物种比较的证据（和批评）是基于理论观点。在这里，我们提供了一个视角，用跨物种方法学的经验考虑来证实这些理论概念。这种元研究视角有望促进跨物种可比性和可重复性，最终促进将基础科学的成果成功转移到临床应用中。
