Source Paper
From Struggling (With) Screening Tests to Mouse Models of Depression‐Relevant Neurobehavioral States
Pryce CR
Curr Protoc • 2026
Specific Learned Aversion Uncontrollability Paradigm
Objective: To demonstrate that rodents can learn when a specific aversive environment is controllable or uncontrollable, measuring specific learned aversion uncontrollability
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Protocol Steps
Subject assignment
Assign littermate pairs with one mouse to escapable shock (ES) group and one to inescapable shock (IS) group
View evidence from paper
“In littermate pairs of males (n = 17), one littermate was assigned to ES and the other to IS”
Pre-exposure phase - Session 1
Conduct first daily pre-exposure session with escapable shocks for ES mice and yoked inescapable shocks for IS mice
View evidence from paper
“They underwent three daily pre-exposure sessions, in which ES mice received escapable e-shocks”
Pre-exposure phase - Session 2
Conduct second pre-exposure session with 30 trials of 0.15 mA × 5 sec maximum shocks
View evidence from paper
“Pre-exposure session 2: in 30 trials of 0.15 mA × 5 sec maximum”
Pre-exposure phase - Session 3
Conduct third pre-exposure session with 24 trials of 0.15 mA × 4 sec maximum shocks
View evidence from paper
“Pre-exposure session 3: in 24 trials of 0.15 mA × 4 sec maximum”
Escape test phase
Test both ES and IS mice with 24 trials of escapable 0.15 mA × 4 sec maximum shocks
View evidence from paper
“Escape test: in 24 trials of 0.15 mA × 4 sec maximum, number of transfers by ES and IS mice”
Escape response definition
Define escape as transfer under central divider with head crossing beyond first 70% of opposite compartment
View evidence from paper
“transfer under the central divider and crossing with the head beyond the first 70% of the left compartment constitutes an escape response”