Models of Depression: Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress in Mice

Major depression is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by affective, cognitive, and physiological impairments that lead to maladaptive behavior. The high lifetime prevalence of this disabling condition, coupled with limitations existing medications, make necessary the development improved therapeutics. This requires animal models allow investigation key biological correlates disorder. Described in article unpredictable chronic mild stress mouse model can be used screen for antidepressant drug candidates. Originally designed rats, has been adapted mice capitalize on advantages species as an experimental model, including inter-strain variability, which permits exploration contribution genetic background; ability create transgenic animals; lower cost. Thus, because it combines features socio-environmental stressful events, relevant valuable paradigm gain insight into etiological developmental components major depression, well identify novel treatments condition. © 2021 Authors. Current Protocols published Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Unpredictable Chronic Mild Stress (UCMS) Test Mice 2: Assessment Of Self-Directed Activity And Anhedonia