Jun 09, 2023
Tail suspension test to assess depression/anxiety behavior in parkinsonian mice
- 1Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Neurology Department
Protocol Citation: natalia.lopezgonzalezdelrey 2023. Tail suspension test to assess depression/anxiety behavior in parkinsonian mice. protocols.io https://dx.doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.n2bvj3odxlk5/v1
License: This is an open access protocol distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited
Protocol status: Working
We use this protocol and it's working
Created: June 09, 2023
Last Modified: May 31, 2024
Protocol Integer ID: 83163
Keywords: ASAPCRN, behavior test, tail suspension test, depression, anxiety
Funders Acknowledgement:
Aligning Science Across Parkinson's [ASAP-020600] through the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF)
Grant ID: ASAP-020600
Abstract
The Tail Suspension Test is a mouse behavioral paradigm measuring behavioral despair or “depression-like” behavior and learned helplessness.
Guidelines
All mice should be carefully monitored for any adverse effects during the test and are quickly removed if they display signs of unusual distress (i.e. constant vocalization or damage to their tails).
Materials
Adhesive tape
Tail Suspension Test
Tail Suspension Test
The mouse must be suspended using a piece of adhesive tape. The tape should be strong enough to prevent the mouse from falling and should not damage the skin of the tail. Tape length may vary with specific systems) and should only be applied to the very end of the tail (with 2-3 millimeters of tail remaining outside of the tape).
Total duration: 3 days.
Total test duration per day: 6 min
3d
Protocol
Protocol
6m
6m
The test lasts for 6 min and the immobility time is usually measured during the final 4 minutes as nearly all mice attempt to escape in the first 2 minutes, but immobility scores can be reported for the entire time of suspension.
6m
Video record for 6 min.
If a mouse climbs up his/her tail, they will be gently guided back down with a probe by the investigator and the trial is continued. Mice that climb up their tails for approximately more than 20% of the total trial time should be removed from the analysis.
All mice should be carefully monitored for any adverse effects during the test and are quickly removed if they display signs of unusual distress (i.e. constant vocalization or damage to their tails).
The chambers are cleaned with approved disinfectant at the start and end of the day and before and after each animal is tested.
Analysis
Analysis
The total amount of immobility time (defined as the time during which the animal is hanging passively and motionless) is measured for each animal, and considered as an index of “depression-like” behavior.
Protocol references
1. Can A, Blackwell RA, Piantadosi SC, Dao DT, O'Donnell KC, Gould TD. Antidepressant-like responses to lithium in genetically diverse mouse strains. Genes Brain Behav. 2011;10(4):434-443.
2. Can A, Dao DT, Terrillion CE, Piantadosi SC, Bhat S, Gould TD. The tail suspension test. J Vis Exp. 2012;(59)
3. Steru L, Chermat R, Thierry B, Simon P. The tail suspension test: a new method for screening antidepressants in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1985;85(3):367-70.