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Review
. 2022 Jan 20:13:833227.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.833227. eCollection 2022.

Standardizing Zebrafish Behavioral Paradigms Across Life Stages: An Effort Towards Translational Pharmacology

Barbara Dutra Petersen  1   2 , Kanandra Taisa Bertoncello  2   3 , Carla Denise Bonan  1   2   3
Affiliations
Review

Standardizing Zebrafish Behavioral Paradigms Across Life Stages: An Effort Towards Translational Pharmacology

Barbara Dutra Petersen et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Zebrafish is a prominent vertebrate model, with many of its advantages related to its development, life cycle, and translational ability. While a great number of behavioral phenotypes and tasks to evaluate them are available, longitudinal studies across zebrafish life stages are scarce and made challenging because of the differences between protocols and endpoints assessed at each life stage. In this mini review, we highlight the relevance that longitudinal studies could have for neurobehavioral pharmacology using this model. We also present possible strategies to standardize behavior endpoints in domains related to human diseases throughout the life cycle, especially between larvae and adult fish. Furthermore, we discuss the remaining difficulties of these analyses and explore future advances needed to bridge this knowledge gap.

Keywords: anxiety; behavioral tests; cognition (Min. 5–Max. 8); exploratory behavior; ontology; sociability; zebrafish.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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