Validity of forced swimming as an animal model of depression
Izumi, T.; Yoshioka, M.
Nihon Shinkei Seishin Yakurigaku Zasshi 29(2): 41-46
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 1340-2544 PMID: 19562940 Document Number: 635016
Forced swimming is a brief and excellent assessment method for antidepressant drugs. However, a complete animal model of depression does not exist, because (1) we can not make sure the existence of psychiatric symptoms by interview, (2) individual clinical symptoms of depression were not disease-specific, and (3) there are few reliable biological markers of depression. We tried to summarize these issues by evaluating the validity of forced swimming as an animal model of depression.