Depression: Animal Models

Abstract

Definition Animal models for depression refer to experimental procedures or animal preparations which are used to model aspects of major depressive disorder (MDD) in humans. Animal models of depression are broadly subdivided into screening models, used primarily for identifying potential therapeutic effects of established and novel compounds, and simulation models, where the emphasis is on understanding the theoretical basis for MDD. General reviews of animal models of depression are available (Cryan et al. 2002; Pollak et al. 2010; Willner and Mitchell 2002a, b), and specific models are described in a special issue of