Animal Models for Investigating the Symptoms of Depression and the Mechanisms of Action of Antidepressant Drugs

摘要: The list of putative animal models depression is now quite extensive. prominent behavioural features are: decreased or increased locomotor activity; motivation; social contact; impulsivity; and sensitivity to rewards (anhedonia). Of these symptoms, only anhedonia realistically a core symptom depression. Most feature single symptom. two psychological procedures most frequently used generate are stress isolation. In rodents, (typically inescapable footshock) causes variety antidepressant-reversible impairments, including anhedonia. Models stress-induced reviewed, evidence presented that may be induced by chronic exposure very mild stressors. This procedure decrease in the consumption rewarding sucrose solutions failure support conditioned place preferences. These impairments reflect dysfunction dopamine transmission nucleus accumbens; antidepressants act this model potentiating at synapses. effects isolation have usually been studied ethologically. However, also impairs performance test cooperative behaviour. impairment, its reversal antidepressants, appears involve serotonergic rather than dopaminergic mechanisms. dissociation important clinical implications.