Behavioral Testing Battery
Objective: Assessment of antidepressant-like effects, general locomotor activity, anxiety-like behaviors, and social memory in optogenetically stimulated mice
Gather these items before starting the experiment. Check off items as you prepare.
Equipment1
Not specified • Not specified • Not specified • Not specified
Materials2
Software1
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Protocol Steps
Chronic social defeat stress induction
Mice subjected to chronic social defeat stress as a mouse model of depression
Note: Results in distinction between susceptible animals (strong depressive-like phenotype) and resilient animals (escape deleterious consequences)
View evidence from paper
“Mice subjected to chronic social defeat stress, a mouse model of depression”
Viral vector injection and channel rhodopsin 2 expression
Viral vectors used to overexpress channel rhodopsin 2 in mouse medial prefrontal cortex
Note: Allows for optogenetic control of mPFC neuronal activity
View evidence from paper
“viral vectors to overexpress channel rhodopsin 2 (a light-activated cation channel) in mouse mPFC”
Optogenetic stimulation of medial prefrontal cortex
Light-activated stimulation of mPFC to drive burst patterns of cortical firing in vivo
Note: Applied to susceptible animals expressing strong depressive-like phenotype
View evidence from paper
“optogenetically drive burst patterns of cortical firing in vivo and examine the behavioral consequences”
Behavioral testing battery
Assessment of antidepressant-like effects, general locomotor activity, anxiety-like behaviors, and social memory
Note: Conducted following optogenetic stimulation
View evidence from paper
“optogenetic stimulation of mPFC exerted potent antidepressant-like effects, without affecting general locomotor activity, anxiety-like behaviors, or social memory”