Suffering
When pain is severe, or continues for a longer period, it can cause suffering. Such pain affects the animal physiologically and psychologically. By law, laboratory animals may not be subjected to unnecessary suffering. Suffering is the third level of the pain reaction in the nervous system.
Suffering is a complicated concept that is often, but not always, connected to pain. For example, people who fear going to the dentist can begin suffering long before a dental visit, even though they have not yet experienced any pain.
People with chronic pain suffer from it almost daily. But if they learn how to manage their pain they might avoid suffering despite having the same amount of pain. It may be difficult to know when an animal suffers since we cannot communicate with it. Hence, animal experiments should be designed to stop when suffering is suspected. This is decided with the help of cut-off points, where researchers determine in advance how they will assess the animal´s behaviour.
Text: Karin Nordin
References
- Michael Axelsson, professor in zoology, Göteborgs university.
- Patricia Hedenqvist, veterinarian, Biovitrum AB
- Klas Abelson, research assistant, Uppsala university.
Responsible for content: Mats Ulfendahl, Secretary General of Medicine and health, Swedish Research Council.
Editor: Peter Tillhammar, Swedish Research Council. Contact: Send email to the editorial staff.
Editor: Peter Tillhammar, Swedish Research Council. Contact: Send email to the editorial staff.
