The fact that neurobiological research is reliant upon laboratory-reared rodents is well known. The following paper discusses this topic broadly, but also aims to highlight other species used in the study of the nervous system and the evolution of animal species usage from the end of World War II through recent investigations. Attention is drawn to the dramatic reduction in the diversity of species used in neuroscience, with a significant shift toward two species, the mouse (Mus musculus) and rat (Rattus norvegicus). Such a limitation in animal species causes many difficulties in the development of new therapies for various neuropsychiatric diseases. Based on numerous scientific publications, the advantages of using a greater diversity of species in neuroscience and the disadvantages of focusing on mice and rats are presented.

神经生物学研究依赖实验室饲养的啮齿动物这一事实是众所周知的。下面的文章广泛地讨论了这个主题，但同时也旨在强调从第二次世界大战结束以来通过最近的研究，在神经系统研究中使用的其他物种以及动物物种使用的演变。引起人们注意的是，神经科学中所用物种的多样性急剧下降，并且向着两种物种（鼠（Mus musculus）和大鼠（Rattus norvegicus）显着转移）。动物物种的这种局限性为各种神经精神疾病的新疗法的开发带来了许多困难。基于大量的科学出版物，介绍了在神经科学中使用更大种类的物种的优势以及专注于小鼠和大鼠的劣势。