Abstract
The Chronic Mild Stress (CMS) model for depression has become central to the empirical literature on depression. There are however inconsistencies in the literature concerning the robustness of the phenomenon of anhedonia following CMS procedures. We report that not only did our procedures (modeled on the original reports) fail to induce an anhedonia, but in fact led to increased sucrose consumption. Furthermore, corticosterone levels following CMS procedures were lower than following control procedures. Given that this is not the first report of such findings, it is important to evaluate whether and which aspects of the experimental methodology are necessary or sufficient to induce the state of anhedonia.
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Murison, R., Hansen, A.L. Reliability of the Chronic Mild Stress paradigm: Implications for research and animal welfare. Integrative Physiological & Behavioral Science 36, 266–274 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02688795
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02688795