Tail Suspension Test

Description

This is an additional procedure for assessing depression-like behavior and for screening potential antidepressants. In the test, a rodent (usually a mouse) is suspended by the tail from a lever and the struggling movements are recorded. The total duration of the test (usually 5- 6 min) can be divided into periods of agitation and immobility. Antidepressant drugs decrease the duration of immobility, as do some stimulant drugs and the anticholinergic agent, atropine. If coupled with measurements of locomotor activity in different conditions, the test can separate the locomotor stimulant doses from antidepressant doses. 

Purpose

The main advantages of this procedure are that it is simple, and objective and the concordance of the results can be validated with the Forced Swim Test.