TY - JOUR
T1 - Cognitive and neural correlates of depression-like behaviour in socially defeated mice
T2 - An animal model of depression with cognitive dysfunction
AU - Yu, Tao
AU - Guo, Ming
AU - Garza, Jacob
AU - Rendon, Samantha
AU - Sun, Xue Li
AU - Zhang, Wei
AU - Lu, Xinyun
PY - 2011/4
Y1 - 2011/4
N2 - Human depression is associated with cognitive deficits. It is critical to have valid animal models in order to investigate mechanisms and treatment strategies for these associated conditions. The goal of this study was to determine the association of cognitive dysfunction with depression-like behaviour in an animal model of depression and investigate the neural circuits underlying the behaviour. Mice that were exposed to social defeat for 14 d developed depression-like behaviour, i.e. anhedonia and social avoidance as indicated by reduced sucrose preference and decreased social interaction. The assessment of cognitive performance of defeated mice demonstrated impaired working memory in the T-maze continuous alternation task and enhanced fear memory in the contextual and cued fear-conditioning tests. In contrast, reference learning and memory in the Morris water maze test were intact in defeated mice. Neuronal activation following chronic social defeat was investigated by c-fosin-situ hybridization. Defeated mice exhibited preferential neural activity in the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, hippocampal formation, septum, amygdala, and hypothalamic nuclei. Taken together, our results suggest that the chronic social defeat mouse model could serve as a valid animal model to study depression with cognitive impairments. The patterns of neuronal activation provide a neural basis for social defeat-induced changes in behaviour.
AB - Human depression is associated with cognitive deficits. It is critical to have valid animal models in order to investigate mechanisms and treatment strategies for these associated conditions. The goal of this study was to determine the association of cognitive dysfunction with depression-like behaviour in an animal model of depression and investigate the neural circuits underlying the behaviour. Mice that were exposed to social defeat for 14 d developed depression-like behaviour, i.e. anhedonia and social avoidance as indicated by reduced sucrose preference and decreased social interaction. The assessment of cognitive performance of defeated mice demonstrated impaired working memory in the T-maze continuous alternation task and enhanced fear memory in the contextual and cued fear-conditioning tests. In contrast, reference learning and memory in the Morris water maze test were intact in defeated mice. Neuronal activation following chronic social defeat was investigated by c-fosin-situ hybridization. Defeated mice exhibited preferential neural activity in the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, hippocampal formation, septum, amygdala, and hypothalamic nuclei. Taken together, our results suggest that the chronic social defeat mouse model could serve as a valid animal model to study depression with cognitive impairments. The patterns of neuronal activation provide a neural basis for social defeat-induced changes in behaviour.
KW - c-fos mRNA expression
KW - chronic social defeat
KW - cognition
KW - depression
KW - fear memory
KW - working memory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79960352242&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79960352242&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S1461145710000945
DO - 10.1017/S1461145710000945
M3 - Article
C2 - 20735879
AN - SCOPUS:79960352242
SN - 1461-1457
VL - 14
SP - 303
EP - 317
JO - International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
JF - International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology
IS - 3
ER -