developing-a-rat-model-for-bipolar-disorder

Developing a Rat Model for Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings, including periods of emotional highs (mania) and lows (depression). ...

Ruhr-University Bochum

Mood disorders, including depressive and bipolar disorders, are the group of psychiatric disorders with the highest prevalence and disease burden. However, their pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Animal models are an extremely useful tool for the investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying these disorders. For psychiatric symptom assessment in animals, a meaningful behavioral phenotype is needed. Social behaviors constitute naturally occurring complex behaviors in rodents and can therefore serve as such a phenotype, contributing to insights into disorder related molecular changes. In this narrative review, we give a fundamental overview of social behaviors in laboratory rodents, as well as their underlying neuronal mechanisms and their assessment. Relevant behavioral and molecular changes in models for mood disorders are presented and an outlook on promising future directions is given.

Rodent models for mood disorders - understanding molecular changes by investigating social behavior.

Early puppy development is a crucial period that significantly influences a dog's lifelong health, behavior and personality. In this study, the behavioral development of Kangal puppies was investigated through repeated open-field testing, focusing on exploratory behavior, mobility, and responses to novel stimuli. Thirty-three Kangal puppies (20 males and 13 females) from various breeding centers in Sivas Province, Türkiye, were evaluated. The puppies were tested in a controlled open-field environment at 5, 6, and 8 weeks of age. Tests included a novel environment test at 5 weeks and novel object tests at 6 and 8 weeks. Mobility rate, exploration rate, and total distance parameters were measured using automated tracking software (ToxTrac). Qualitative behavioral assessments (QBAs) were performed to evaluate three distinct behavioral and emotional aspects: curiosity, comfort, and fearfulness. The results of these assessments revealed significant increases in curiosity and comfort scores over the testing weeks, with a concomitant decrease in fearfulness. Additionally, tracking data showed increased mobility and decreased exploration rates throughout the testing weeks. Significant correlations were found between curiosity and exploratory behavior, as well as between mobility and comfort scores. Overall, our findings suggest that Kangal puppies exhibit expected behavioral developments in repeated open field testing, with patterns consistent across multiple analyses. These results provide valuable insights into the behavioral development of Kangal puppies and underscore the importance of considering curiosity and other internal motivations in understanding animal behavior.

Article	Year
Rodent models for mood disorders - understanding molecular changes by investigating social behavior. Biological chemistry\| PubMed ID: 37632729	2023
Tracking puppy development: automated analysis and qualitative behavioral assessment in repeated open field tests. Veterinary research communications\| PubMed ID: 39585512	2024
Correction to: Tracking puppy development: automated analysis and qualitative behavioral assessment in repeated open field tests. Veterinary research communications\| PubMed ID: 39630309	2024

Patrick R. Reinhardt

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