This research was supported by the Israel Science Foundation (grant No. 738/11), by the National Institute for Psychobiology in Israel (NIPI-7-2011-12), and by the Open University Foundation

注:所有的实验方案批准了以色列国际委员会动物护理和使用。所作的所有努力，尽量减少使用动物和他们的痛苦的数量。 1.准备了强迫游泳实验<ol><li>使用两个相邻的房间。使用一个室作为"候车室"用于保持所述动物前行为测试，以及其它用于执行的程序。 </li><li>制备透明圆筒形玻璃容器（集装箱的数目的唯一限制是可用的空间）测定在50厘米的高度和直径为20厘米。 注:可以在同一个房间里同时运行几个动物。如果是这样，彼此用暗幕分开的容器，以使动物将看不到对方的过程中。 </li><li>准备摄像机（多个）在容器的前部，使得每一个照相机的方式，瓦特感知一个或多个容器生病让清晰地观察动物的行为后来在查看录像。 </li><li>准备清洁干燥笼子，热灯和热垫已完成的程序，以避免低温的动物。确保笼子的底部已经吸墨纸，并改变它，当它变湿。不要将笼子的试验室。 注:确保不从不同的家庭笼拌动物，而他们是住在短暂干燥笼子。 </li></ol> 2.动物处理在测试之前<ol><li>房子的动物在一个房间里有12小时的光/暗周期。 </li><li>在实验过程中的日子给予动物自由获得食物和水，除了在过程室花费的具体时间。 </li><li>当用大鼠，每日处理的动物约2分钟，之前的实验程序的开始5天。 </li></ol> 3.培训过程该过程中进行不同地为大鼠和小鼠。 注:对于这两种小鼠和大鼠，观赏动物，而他们中的水在任何时候。如果动物出现严重的困扰（ 如很累，不能熬夜浮动）从水中取出的动物，并从实验中排除。 <ol><li>对于老鼠 - 有一个会话6分钟长，分为前测（前2分钟）和测试（最后4分钟）。 <ol><li>为了使小鼠获得适应于测试环境中，运输动物在其家笼中至少30分钟前行为测试候车室。 </li><li>填用自来水气缸，在25℃，并根据鼠标&#39;大小调整水深度，以便它不能接触容器的底部，其后腿。 </li><li>标记与用于动物的识别为目的的动物的数量的汽缸以后，同时观看的画面。 </li><li>打开摄像机/秒，然后将每只小鼠在充满水的圆筒容器6分钟。 </li><li>经过6分钟过去了，打开相机/ s的关闭，从容器中取出鼠标，并将其放置在干燥瞬间笼的热灯上方和其下的隔热垫。而在此笼子回收小鼠应密切和连续监测。为了这个目的，可以将一个温度计在小鼠的水平，以确保在笼子的温度不超过37℃。此外，将笼子，这样不是所有的在灯或在焊盘下降;这使得如果需要将鼠标移动到较冷的区域。 </li><li>每次会议结束后换水，以避免在接下来的鼠标没有任何影响。 </li></ol></li><li>老鼠 - 有2个时段，24小时分开。第一届是在预试验期（15分钟）和第二会话是在测试阶段（5分钟）。 <ol><li>为了使大鼠获得适应于测试环境，运输动物在其家笼中至少30分钟前行为测试候车室。 </li><li>填用自来水气缸在23±1℃，根据老鼠的大小调节水深，以便它不能接触容器的底部，其后腿。 </li><li>标记与用于动物的识别为目的的动物的数量的汽缸以后，同时观看的画面。 </li><li>放置在装满水的圆筒容器每只大鼠15分钟。 </li><li> 15分钟后，已经经过从容器取出的大鼠，并将其放置在瞬时干燥笼与热灯上方和其下的热垫。而在这个笼子收回大鼠应密切和持续监测。为了这个目的，可以将一个温度计在大鼠的水平，以确保在笼子的温度不超过37℃。此外，将笼，这样不是全部发在灯或在焊盘LLS;这使得如果需要的老鼠移动到较冷的区域。 </li><li>每次会议结束后换水，以避免在接下来的老鼠没有任何影响。 注意:这是预测试阶段的结束。 </li><li>二十四小时后，为了使大鼠获得适应于测试环境中，运输动物在其家笼中至少30分钟前行为测试候车室。 </li><li>填用自来水气缸在23±1℃，根据老鼠的大小调节水深，以便它不能接触容器的底部，其后腿。 </li><li>标记与用于动物的识别为目的的动物的数量的汽缸以后，同时观看的画面。 </li><li>打开摄像机/秒，然后放置在装满水的圆筒容器中的鼠5分钟。确保每只大鼠在相同的容器和位置在房间的前一天进行测试。 </LI&gt; <li> 5分钟后，已经经过关闭相机/ s的关闭时，从容器中取出的大鼠，并将其放置在瞬时干燥笼与热灯上方和其下的热垫。而在这个笼子收回大鼠应密切和持续监测。为了这个目的，可以将一个温度计在大鼠的水平，以确保在笼子的温度不超过37℃。此外，将笼子，这样不是所有的在灯或在焊盘下降;这使得如果需要的老鼠移动到较冷的区域。 </li><li>每次会议结束后换水，以避免在接下来的老鼠没有任何影响。 注意:这是在测试阶段结束。 </li></ol></li></ol> 4.行为编码对于小鼠，编码定义为测试阶段的最后4分钟。老鼠，编写了5分钟的测试阶段。 <ol><li>码的持续时间花费为"不动"，如果鼠标是浮与没有任何运动的除了那些必需保持上述水的鼻子。 </li><li>码的持续时间花费为"挣扎/爬"如果前肢的快速移动的观察，使得前爪打破水的表面上。 </li><li>代码花费的时间为"游泳"，如果前肢的运动或后肢中戏的方式被观察到的持续时间。 注意:可以使用的另一种方式来编码这些行为，这包括一个时间取样的方法。率游泳，挣扎或不动如发作在5秒的间隔在整个测试环节的频率。 </li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

在FST用于监视抑郁样行为并基于该动反射行为绝望3的量度的假设。此过程的主要优点在于它的相对容易的操作和快速的结果。此外，它的一个广泛的抗抑郁药，它使一个合适的筛选试验的灵敏度是最重要的特性，导致其高的预测效度29之一。重要的是，该测试也可以在不旨在用于治疗抑郁症，例如苯二氮类，它已显示出具有抗焦虑作用3,30药物之间区分。在FST中抑郁，这也...

抑郁症是一种威胁生命的精神疾病和重大公共卫生与5％的发病率和15-20％的终生患病率全世界关注。此外，据估计，到2020年，抑郁症将成为前三名贡献者疾病1,2的负担。抑郁症与残疾有关，生活质量下降，增加的与健康相关的费用和被认为是一个主要的危险因素，许多疾病，包括心血管，代谢和神经精神障碍。当前3,4-药理治疗性治疗具有有限的功效，并与相关联许多有害的副作用5,6。因此，更好地了解这种疾病与旁边的创新和改进的治疗的发展的病理生理机制仍然是至关重要的。因此，动物模型是在这一领域研究的推进至关重要。 有用于这种疾病的研究（很多车型&lt;EM&gt;如蔗糖偏爱测试中，悬尾试验）与强迫游泳试验（FST，也被称为该模型7,8的显影剂后Porsolt检验）是最常用的测定法7,9-12之一。 在FST的动物被放置在一个装有水的容器从它无法逃脱。动物会先试图逃跑，但最终还是会表现出不动（ 即浮动没有任何运动，除了那些必要保持露出水面的鼻子）。在FST是一种非常流行的模型在动物研究有许多原因。首先，它涉及到动物的暴露于压力，这显示出具有在倾向作用为主要抑郁12-14。而且抑郁症通常被视为缺乏能力处理压力15-17。第二，与测试前抗抑郁药物治疗已经显示出，以减少不动在FST &lt;SUP&gt; 18-23。因此，它经常被用作用于具有潜在的抗抑郁性质15-17,24新型化合物的筛选测定法。此外，在FST已显示分享一些被影响或在人类中由凹陷改变，如改变食物消耗，睡眠异常和因素药物戒断诱发的快感缺乏15-17,24。这也是为什么这种测试有时用于评价在突变小鼠抑郁样行为，以增加或减少在基底不动的原因（比&#39;野生型&#39;只小鼠）25,26。

<table><tbody><tr><td>Computer</td><td>Dell</td><td></td><td>Intel&amp;#174; Core&amp;#153; i3-2120 cpu @ 3.30 GHz, 4 GB ram</td></tr><tr><td>Camera</td><td>VIDO</td><td>AU-CB422</td><td>B/W CCD CAMERA&amp;nbsp;&lt;br/&gt; http://www.vido-europe.com/products_detail.asp?id=33&amp;amp;pcategory=2</td></tr><tr><td>Coding software</td><td>Biobserve</td><td></td><td>FST Analysis&lt;br/&gt; http://www.biobserve.com/products/fst/index.html</td></tr><tr><td>Heating lamp</td><td>Ikea</td><td>AA-19025-3</td><td>ESPRESSIVIO 400.504.46&amp;nbsp;- 20W G4 Bulb&amp;nbsp;&lt;br/&gt; http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_US/customer_service/assembly/E/E00050467.pdf</td></tr><tr><td>Heating&amp;nbsp;pillow</td><td>Sachs</td><td>EF-188B</td><td>38*38cm Heating&amp;nbsp;pillow&lt;br/&gt; http://www.sachs.co.il/eng/lego_tree.php?instance_id=21&amp;amp;actions=show&amp;amp;id=&lt;br/&gt; 604</td></tr></tbody></table>

the forced swim test as a model of depressive-like behavior

The goal of the present protocol is to describe the forced swim test (FST), which is one of the most commonly used assays for the study of depressive-like behavior in rodents. The FST is based on the assumption that when placing an animal in a container filled with water, it will first make efforts to escape but eventually will exhibit immobility that may be considered to reflect a measure of behavioral despair. This test has been extensively used because it involves the exposure of the animals to stress, which was shown to have a role in the tendency for major depression. Additionally, the FST has been shown to share some of the factors that are influenced or altered by depression in humans, including changes in food consumption, sleep abnormalities and drug-withdrawal-induced anhedonia. The main advantages of this procedure are that it is relatively easy to perform and that its results are easily and quickly analyzed. Moreover, its sensitivity to a broad range of antidepressant drugs that makes it a suitable screening test is one of the most important features leading to its high predictive validity. Despite its appeal, this model has a number of disadvantages. First, the issue of chronic augmentation is problematic in this test because in real life patients need to be treated for at least several weeks before they experience any relief from their symptoms. Last, due to the aversiveness of the FST, it is important to take into account possible influences it might have on brain structure/function if brain analyses are to be carried out following this procedure.

下面的结果是基于从我们的实验室未公布的数据。在该实验中，成年ICR雌性小鼠3周的选择性血清素再摄取抑制剂（SSRI），依他普仑或新的草药抗抑郁和抗焦虑治疗（NHT）的治疗后进行了测试（用于与草药治疗的其他信息，参见第12 ，27,28）。单向方差分析表明，在治疗减压抑郁样行为在FST [F（2.58）= 4.88，P &lt;0.05]。片面邓尼特分析表明，与任一依他普仑或NHT治疗在FST（参照图1A，</s...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior at JoVE.com

The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior

This protocol describes the forced swim test, which is used for the study of depressive-like behavior in rodents. This procedure involves placing an animal in a container filled with water that eventually will lead to the exhibition of immobility behavior, which is considered to reflect behavioral despair.

在强迫游泳试验作为抑郁样行为的模型

The goal of the present protocol is to describe the forced swim test (FST), which is one of the most commonly used assays for the study of depressive-like ...

the-forced-swim-test-as-a-model-of-depressive-like-behavior

Universidad de Cartagena UDEC

Research

JoVE Journal

Behavior

36.8K 次观看.  Tel-Aviv University. This protocol describes the forced swim test, which is used for the study of depressive-like behavior in rodents. This procedure involves placing an animal in a container filled with water that eventually will lead to the exhibition of immobility behavior, which is considered to reflect behavioral despair.

视频: The Forced Swim Test as a Model of Depressive-like Behavior

A Mouse Model of Subchronic and Mild Social Defeat Stress for Understanding Stress-induced Behavioral and Physiological Deficits

Stressful life events often increase the incidence of depression in humans. To study the mechanisms of depression, the development of animal models of depression is essential. Because there are several types of depression, various animal models are needed for a deeper understanding of the disorder. Previously, a mouse model of subchronic and mild social defeat stress (sCSDS) using a modified chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) paradigm was established. In the paradigm, to reduce physical injuries from aggressors, the duration of physical contact between the aggressor and a subordinate was reduced compared to in the original CSDS paradigm. sCSDS mice showed increased body weight gain, food intake, and water intake during the stress period, and their social behaviors were suppressed after the stress period. In terms of the face validity of the stress-induced overeating and overdrinking following the increased body weight gain, the sCSDS mice may show some features related to atypical depression in humans. Thus, a mouse model of sCSDS may be useful for studying the pathogenic mechanisms underlying depression. This protocol will help establish the sCSDS mouse model, especially for studying the mechanisms underlying stress-induced weight gain and polydipsia- and hyperphagia-like symptoms.

Here, methods for developing a mouse model of subchronic and mild social defeat stress are described and used to investigate the pathogenic features of depression including hyperphagia- and polydipsia-like symptoms following increased body weight.

亚慢性和温和的社会失败应激的小鼠模型理解应激诱导行为和生理赤字

Stressful life events often increase the incidence of depression in humans. To study the mechanisms of depression, the development of animal models of ...

科研

行为学

The Mouse Forced Swim Test

The forced swim test is a rodent behavioral test used for evaluation of antidepressant drugs, antidepressant efficacy of new compounds, and experimental manipulations that are aimed at rendering or preventing depressive-like states. Mice are placed in an inescapable transparent tank that is filled with water and their escape related mobility behavior is measured. The forced swim test is straightforward to conduct reliably and it requires minimal specialized equipment. Successful implementation of the forced swim test requires adherence to certain procedural details and minimization of unwarranted stress to the mice. In the protocol description and the accompanying video, we explain how to conduct the mouse version of this test with emphasis on potential pitfalls that may be detrimental to interpretation of results and how to avoid them. Additionally, we explain how the behaviors manifested in the test are assessed.

The forced swim test is validated as an experimental approach to assess potential antidepressant efficacy in rodents. Experimental animals are placed in a tank of water and escape-related mobility behavior is quantified. The common procedures for the mouse version of this test are described.

小鼠强迫游泳实验

The forced swim test is a rodent behavioral test used for evaluation of antidepressant drugs, antidepressant efficacy of new compounds, and experimental ...

神经科学

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

Contagious depression is a phenomenon that is yet to be fully recognized and this stems from insufficient material on the subject. At the moment, there is no existing format for studying the mechanism of action, prevention, containment, and treatment of contagious depression. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to establish the first animal model of contagious depression.
Healthy rats can contract depressive behaviors if exposed to depressed rats. Depression is induced in rats by subjecting them to several manipulations of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) over 5 weeks, as described in the protocol. A successful sucrose preference test confirmed the development of depression in the rats. The CUS-exposed rats were then caged with na&#239;ve rats from the contagion group (1 na&#239;ve rat/2 depressed rats in a cage) for an additional 5 weeks. 30 social groups were created from the combination of CUS-exposed rats and na&#239;ve rats.
This proposed depression-contagion protocol in animals consists mainly of cohabiting CUS-exposed and healthy rats for 5 weeks. To ensure that this method works, a series of tests are carried out - first, the sucrose preference test upon inducing depression to rats, then, the sucrose preference test, alongside the open field and forced-swim tests at the end of the cohabitation period. Throughout the experiment, rats are given tags and are always returned to their cages after each test.
A few limitations to this method are the weak differences recorded between the experimental and control groups in the sucrose preference test and the irreversible traumatic outcome of the forced swim test. These may be worth considering for suitability before any future application of the protocol. Nonetheless, following the experiment, na&#239;ve rats developed contagion depression after 5 weeks of sharing the same cage with the CUS-exposed rats.

This protocol describes a new model by which healthy rats could contract depression over a given time periodthrough contagion by exposure to chronic unpredictable stressed (CUS) rats.

一种诱导大鼠抑郁症状行为的新方法

Contagious depression is a phenomenon that is yet to be fully recognized and this stems from insufficient material on the subject. At the moment, there is ...

The Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress Protocol for Inducing Anhedonia in Mice

Depression is a highly prevalent and debilitating condition, only partially addressed by current pharmacotherapies. The lack of response to treatment by many patients prompts the need to develop new therapeutic alternatives and to better understand the etiology of the disorder. Pre-clinical models with translational merits are rudimentary for this task. Here we present a protocol for the unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) method in mice. In this protocol, adolescent mice are chronically exposed to interchanging unpredictable mild stressors. Resembling the pathogenesis of depression in humans, stress exposure during the sensitive period of mice adolescence instigates a depressive-like phenotype evident in adulthood. UCMS can be used for screenings of antidepressants on the variety of depressive-like behaviors and neuromolecular indices. Among the more prominent tests to assess depressive-like behavior in rodents is the sucrose preference test (SPT), which reflects anhedonia (core symptom of depression). The SPT will also be presented in this protocol. The ability of UCMS to induce anhedonia, instigate long-term behavioral deficits and enable reversal of these deficits via chronic (but not acute) treatment with antidepressants strengthens the protocol&#39;s validity compared to other animal protocols for inducing depressive-like behaviors.

Here we present the unpredictable chronic mild stress protocol in mice. This protocol induces a long-term depressive-like phenotype and enables to assess the efficacy of putative antidepressants in reversing the behavioral and neuromolecular depressive-like deficits.

诱导小鼠快感缺失的不可预测慢性轻度应力协议

Depression is a highly prevalent and debilitating condition, only partially addressed by current pharmacotherapies. The lack of response to treatment by ...

Evaluating the Anti-depression Effect of Xiaoyaosan on Chronically-stressed Mice

In addition to the standardized use of antidepressant medications and psychotherapy, the usage of traditional Chinese medicine has lead to an overall improvement of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish the mouse depressive model, observe the behavior changes associated with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and then evaluate the anti-depression effect of Xiaoyaosan. Mice were randomly divided into four groups: a control group, a model group, a treatment group with Xiaoyaosan, and a treatment group with fluoxetine. All mice were individually kept in cages, and depression was induced in the mice by exposing them to several designed manipulations of CUMS for 21 days, as described in the protocol. Mice in the control group and model group received 0.5 mL of distilled water, while mice in the treatment groups received either Xiaoyaosan (0.25 g/kg/day) or fluoxetine (2.6 mg/kg/day). The drugs used in the study were given intragastrically daily during the entire three weeks. To estimate the depressive-like behaviors, a series of parameters including the coat state, body weight, open field test score, and sucrose preference test score were recorded. Data analysis showed that behaviors of model mice were significantly changed compared to behaviors of mice in the control group, which were improved by the treatment of Xiaoyaosan and fluoxetine. The current findings demonstrated the anti-depression effects of Xiaoyaosan on the behaviors of CUMS-induced mice and revealed that compounds from the Xiaoyaosan prescription may be worthwhile for treating depression, considering their beneficial effects on depressive-like behaviors.

Here, we present a protocol to establish the mouse depressive model, observe the behavior changes associated with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS), and evaluate the anti-depression effect of Xiaoyaosan.

消炎散对慢性应激小鼠的抗抑郁作用评价

In addition to the standardized use of antidepressant medications and psychotherapy, the usage of traditional Chinese medicine has lead to an overall ...

A Behavioral Test Battery for the Repeated Assessment of Motor Skills, Mood, and Cognition in Mice

Pharmacological and toxicological studies in neurodegeneration require comprehensive behavioral analysis in mice because motor dysfunctions and dysfunctions in mood and cognition are common and often shared symptoms in neurodegenerative diseases. Shown here is a behavioral test battery for motor, mood, and cognition, which can be repeatedly tested in a longitudinal study. This battery assesses the overall behavioral phenotype in mice by examining each domain of behavior with at least two independent well-accepted tests (i.e., open-field test and rotarod test for motor function, social interaction test, elevated plus maze test, and forced swim test for emotional function, and Morris water maze test and novel object recognition test for cognitive function). Therefore, this sensitive and comprehensive test battery is a powerful tool for the study of behavioral alternation in neurodegeneration.

A comprehensive behavioral test battery of motor skills, mood&#8212;including social interaction, depression, and anxiety&#8212;and cognition is designed for the repeated assessment of neurodegeneration-related behavioral changes in mice.

一种用于小鼠运动技能、情绪和认知重复评估的行为测试电池

Pharmacological and toxicological studies in neurodegeneration require comprehensive behavioral analysis in mice because motor dysfunctions and ...

A Chronic Immobilization Stress Protocol for Inducing Depression-Like Behavior in Mice

Depression is not yet fully understood, but various causative factors have been reported. Recently, the prevalence of depression has increased. However, therapeutic treatments for depression or research on depression is scarce. Thus, in the present paper, we propose a mouse model of depression induced by movement restriction. Chronic mild stress (CMS) is a well-known technique to induce depressive-like behavior. However, it necessitates a complex procedure consisting of a combination of various mild stresses. In contrast, chronic immobilization stress (CIS) is a readily accessible chronic stress model, modified from a restraint model that induces depressive behavior by restricting movement using a restrainer for a certain period. To evaluate the depressive-like behaviors, the sucrose preference test (SPT), the tail suspension test (TST), and the ELISA assay to measure stress marker corticosterone levels are combined in the present experiment. The described protocols illustrate the induction of CIS and evaluation of the changes in behavior and physiological factors for the validation of depression.

This article provides a simplified and standardized protocol for induction of depressive-like behavior in chronically immobilized mice by using a restrainer. In addition, behavior and physiological techniques to verify induction of depression are explained.

诱导小鼠抑郁行为的慢性固定性压力协议

Depression is not yet fully understood, but various causative factors have been reported. Recently, the prevalence of depression has increased. However, ...

A Chronic Sleep Fragmentation Model using Vibrating Orbital Rotor to Induce Cognitive Deficit and Anxiety-Like Behavior in Young Wild-Type Mice

Sleep disturbance is generally common in populations as a chronic disease or a complained event. Chronic sleep disturbance is proposed to be closely linked to the pathogenesis of diseases, especially neurodegenerative diseases. We recently found that 2 months of sleep fragmentation initiated Alzheimer&#8217;s disease (AD)-like behavioral and pathological changes in young wild-type mice. Herein, we present a standardized protocol to achieve chronic sleep fragmentation (CSF). Briefly, CSF was induced by an orbital rotor vibrating at 110 rpm and operating with a repetitive cycle of 10 s-on, 110 s-off, during light-ON phase (8:00 AM&#8211;8:00 PM) continuously for up to 2 months. Impairments of spatial learning and memory, anxiety-like but not depression-like behavior in mice as consequences of CSF modeling, were evaluated with Morris water maze (MWM), Novel object recognition (NOR), Open field test (OFT) and Forced swimming test (FST). In comparison with other sleep manipulations, this protocol minimizes the handling labors and maximizes the modeling efficiency. It produces stable phenotypes in young wild-type mice and can be potentially generated for a variety of research purposes.

Presented here is a protocol for chronic sleep fragmentation (CSF) model achieved by an electrically controlled orbital rotor, which could induce confirmed cognitive deficit and anxiety-like behavior in young wild-type mice. This model can be applied to explore the pathogenesis of chronic sleep disturbance and related disorders.

使用振动轨道转子诱导年轻野生型小鼠认知缺陷和焦虑样行为的慢性睡眠碎片模型

Sleep disturbance is generally common in populations as a chronic disease or a complained event. Chronic sleep disturbance is proposed to be closely ...

A Complex Diving-For-Food Task to Investigate Social Organization and Interactions in Rats

For many species, where status is a vital motivator that can affect health, social hierarchies influence behavior. Social hierarchies that include dominant-submissive relationships are common in both animal and human societies. These relationships can be affected by interactions with others and with their environment, making them difficult to analyze in a controlled study. Rather than a simple dominance hierarchy, this formation has a complicated presentation that allows rats to avoid aggression. Status can be stagnant or mutable, and results in complex societal stratifications. Here we describe a complex diving-for-food task to investigate rodent social hierarchy and behavioral interactions. This animal model may allow us to assess the relationship between a wide range of mental illnesses and social organization, as well as to study the effectiveness of therapy on social dysfunction.

This protocol describes a method of examining social hierarchy in a rat model. Rats perform a complex diving-for-food task in which they form a distinct hierarchy according to their willingness to dive underwater and swim to obtain a food pellet. This method is used to understand decision making and social relationships among highly social animals in small groups.

调查大鼠社会组织和互动的复杂潜水换食物任务

For many species, where status is a vital motivator that can affect health, social hierarchies influence behavior. Social hierarchies that include ...

Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model (CDM)

Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent forms of mental illnesses and causes tremendous individual suffering and socioeconomic burden. Despite its importance, current pharmacological treatment is limited, and novel treatment options are urgently needed. One key factor in the search for potential new drugs is evaluating their anti-depressive potency in appropriate animal models. The classical Porsolt forced swim test was used for this purpose for decades to induce and assess a depressive-like state. It consists of two short periods of forced swimming: the first to induce a depressed state and the second on the following day to evaluate the antidepressant effect of the agent given in between the two swim sessions. This model might be suitable as a screening tool for potential antidepressive agents but ignores the delayed onset of action of many antidepressants. The CDM was recently established and represented a modification of the classical test with notable differences. Mice are forced to swim for 5 consecutive days, following the idea that in humans, depression is induced by chronic rather than by acute stress. In a resting period of several days (1-3 weeks), animals develop sustained behavioral despair. The standard read-out method is the measurement of immobility time in an additional delayed swim session, but several alternative methods are proposed to get a broader view of the mood status of the animal. Multiple analysis tools can be used targeting behavioral, molecular, and electrophysiological changes. The depressed phenotype is stable for at least 4 weeks, providing a time window for rapid but also subchronic antidepressant treatment strategies. Furthermore, alterations in the development of a depressive-like state can be addressed using this approach. CDM, therefore, represents a useful tool to better understand depression and to develop novel treatment interventions.

Animal Models of Depression - Chronic Despair Model CDM

The chronic despair mouse model (CDM) of depression consists of repetitive forced swim sessions and another delayed swim phase as a read-out. It represents a suitable model for induction of a chronic depressive-like state stable for at least 4 weeks, amendable to evaluate subchronic and acute treatment interventions.

抑郁症的动物模型 - 慢性绝望模型（CDM）

Major depressive disorder is one of the most prevalent forms of mental illnesses and causes tremendous individual suffering and socioeconomic burden. ...