Researchers have taken further steps toward developing a superior animal model of neurological conditions such as traumatic brain injury and epilepsy, according to a study of miniature pigs published in eNeuro. The results establish the pig as a promising preclinical research model for hippocampal-dependent human memory disorders.
The structure and function of hippocampus has been extensively studied in rodents and non-human primates, animals that together enable experimental manipulation and a way to address species differences. Domesticated miniature pigs—developed as laboratory animals for their smaller size and comparative anatomy—have recently emerged as a middle ground model with potential to bridge the gap between rodents and non-human primates in a single, behaviorally complex organism.
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