Forced Swim Test (CAT#: STEM-AE-0012-WXH)

Introduction

The forced swim test, developed by Porsolt and his colleagues in 1978, is widely used in basic research and screening of potential antidepressant drugs, and is also one of the most commonly used tests for evaluating depressive-like behaviors in rodent models. Placing experimental animals in a confined environment (such as water) in which the animal struggles desperately to escape but cannot escape, thereby providing an inescapable and stressful environment. After a period of experimentation, the animals exhibited a typical "immobility state," reflecting a state known as "behavioral hopelessness." This behavioral hopelessness model is similar to depression, and is sensitive to most antidepressants, and its efficacy is significantly correlated with clinical efficacy, so it is widely used in the primary selection of antidepressants.