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Animal Models of Affective Behaviors and Drug Addiction

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Biomarkers for Psychiatric Disorders

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Abstract

Psychiatric disorders have a strong heritability, and like most common disorders many gene variants, each with a small effect yize , contribute to the genetic risk. One of the challenges in complex genetics is to determine how different alleles interact with each other and with the environment in the context of disease etiology. Here we discuss mouse models that resemble aspects of syndromes of human psychiatric disorders, with particular emphasis on depression and drug addiction. These disorders rank among the top 10 causes of disability and morbidity worldwide and often occur together, thus resulting in a greater severity of health-related consequences. Mice have become the premier research organism, due to their excellent genetics. We have a large and ever-increasing number of mouse strains with defined genetic backgrounds, and the possibilities of precise genetic manipulations seem almost unlimited. Furthermore, environmental factors that are thought to influence disease outcome can be controlled, thus enabling researchers to study interactions between genes and the environment.

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Abbreviations

CMS:

Chronic mild stress

Cnr1:

Cannabinoid receptor 1

CPP:

Conditioned place preference

DMS:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

DNA:

Deoxyribonucleic acid

F1:

First filial generation

FST:

Forced swim test

kHz:

Kilohertz

OB:

Olfactory bulbectomy

PR:

Progressive ratio

QTL:

Quantitative trait loci

RI:

Recombinant inbred

SSR:

Simple sequence repeats

SSRIs:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

STR:

Short tandem repeats

TST:

Tail suspension test

USV:

Ultrasonic vocalisation

VNTR:

Variable number tandem repeats

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  1. Institute of Molecular Psychiatry, Life & Brain Center, Sigmund-Freud-Straße 25, 53127, Bonn, Germany

    Andreas Zimmer

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  1. Eva Drews
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  2. Astrid Becker
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  3. Andras Bilkei-Gorzo
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  4. Andreas Zimmer
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    Drews, E., Becker, A., Bilkei-Gorzo, A., Zimmer, A. (2008). Animal Models of Affective Behaviors and Drug Addiction. In: Turck, C. (eds) Biomarkers for Psychiatric Disorders. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-79251-4_10

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