Source Paper
Dopamine neurons modulate neural encoding and expression of depression-related behaviour
Kay M. Tye, Julie J. Mirzabekov, Melissa R. Warden, Emily A. Ferenczi, Hsing-Chen Tsai et al.
Nature • 2012
Behavioral Assessment of Depression Symptoms
Objective: Measurement of multiple independent depression-like symptoms including hopelessness and anhedonia in stressed rodents using behavioral, pharmacological, optogenetic and electrophysiological methods
Protocol Steps
Chronic Mild Stress Induction
Induce depression-like phenotypes in rodents through chronic mild stress protocol
Note: Chronic mild stress is used to generate multidimensional depression-like phenotypes
View evidence from paper
“multidimensional depression-like phenotypes induced by chronic mild stress, by integrating behavioural, pharmacological, optogenetic and electrophysiological methods in freely moving rodents”
Behavioral Assessment
Measure multiple independent depression-like symptoms including hopelessness and anhedonia in stressed rodents
Note: Multiple independent depression symptoms are assessed
View evidence from paper
“Major depression is characterized by diverse debilitating symptoms that include hopelessness and anhedonia”
Optogenetic Manipulation
Apply bidirectional control (inhibition or excitation) of specified midbrain dopamine neurons to modulate depression-related behaviors
Note: Bidirectional control immediately and bidirectionally modulates depression symptoms
View evidence from paper
“bidirectional control (inhibition or excitation) of specified midbrain dopamine neurons immediately and bidirectionally modulates (induces or relieves) multiple independent depression symptoms”
Neural Encoding Analysis
Probe circuit implementation by measuring how optogenetic recruitment of dopamine neurons alters neural encoding of depression-related behaviors in nucleus accumbens
Note: Recording conducted in freely moving rodents
View evidence from paper
“optogenetic recruitment of these dopamine neurons potently alters the neural encoding of depression-related behaviours in the downstream nucleus accumbens of freely moving rodents”