Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38051824›Full record

ReviewLaboratory animals2024

Pain management in zebrafish : Report from a FELASA Working Group.

Lynne U Sneddon, Paul Schroeder, Ana Roque, Karin Finger-Baier, Angeleen Fleming, Simon Tinman, Bertrand Collet

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Laboratory animals, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Aquatic Advancements: Refining and Validating a Zebrafish Survival Blood Collection Technique.Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Zebrafish: A Versatile and Powerful Model for Biomedical Research.BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology · 2025
    Review
  5. Advancing Zebrafish (Veterinary sciences · 2025
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Lynne U SneddonDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-9787-3948
Paul SchroederRed Kite Veterinary Consultants, 30 Upper High Street, Thame, Oxon, OX9 3EZ, UK.
Ana RoqueIRTA-SCR, C/al Poblenou, Spain.
Karin Finger-BaierMax Planck Institute of Neurobiology (now: Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence), Department Genes - Circuits - Behaviour, Martinsried, Germany.
Angeleen FlemingDepartment of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3721-7126
Simon TinmanThe Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University Ramat Gan, Israel.
Bertrand ColletUniversité Paris-Saclay, INRAE, UVSQ, VIM, France.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Empirical evidence suggests fishes meet the criteria for experiencing pain beyond a reasonable doubt and zebrafish are being increasingly used in studies of pain and nociception. Zebrafish are adopted across a wide range of experimental fields and their use is growing particularly in biomedical studies. Many laboratory procedures in zebrafish involve tissue damage and this may give rise to pain. Therefore, this FELASA Working Group reviewed the evidence for pain in zebrafish, the indicators used to assess pain and the impact of a range of drugs with pain-relieving properties. We report that there are several behavioural indicators that can be used to determine pain, including reduced activity, space use and distance travelled. Pain-relieving drugs prevent these responses, and we highlight the dose and administration route. To minimise or avoid pain, several refinements are suggested for common laboratory procedures. Finally, practical suggestions are made for the management and alleviation of pain in laboratory zebrafish, including recommendations for analgesia. Pain management is an important refinement in experimental animal use and so our report has the potential to improve zebrafish welfare during and after invasive procedures in laboratories across the globe.

Indexed as

Pain ManagementZebrafishAnalgesicsAnimalsAnimal WelfarePainAnalgesicsAnaesthesiaanalgesiaethics and welfarefishlaboratory animal welfareorganisms and modelspain measurement

Identifiers

PMID38051824
PMCPMC11264547

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.