Too frequently the investigator will provide “scientific” reasons to justify precluding analgesics from experimental procedures that may involve more than momentary pain, often with solid literature citations.  What is too frequently dismissed is the fact that unalleviated pain itself constitutes an uncontrollable experimental variable that may, in many cases, be more impactful than the effect that analgesics could have in the experimental results.  Yes, analgesics may alter immune function as well as certain molecular pathways.  However, pain also alters immune function and has a profound influence on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and therefore the animal’s overall physiology.

Through this presentation, Dr. Perret-Gentil will demonstrate the effect that unmitigated pain may have on research, and by doing so, he hopes to persuade the scientific community to give the issue of pain and analgesics greater consideration before dismissing their use within their study design.  Practical suggestions will be presented for effective control of both physical and mental pain (distress).

Learning Objectives: 

1. Demonstrate the effect that unmitigated pain may have on research outcomes. This effect can be more profound than pain-relieving drugs may have on research data 
2. Provide practical suggestion for the minimization of physical and mental pain