Floating Rodents and Stress-Coping Neurobiology

To indicate the forced swim test (FST) as an animal model of depression is an anthropomorphic qualification. While this anthropomorphism excludes validity of the FST as a model of a complex mental disorder, progress has been made in understanding the mechanistic underpinning of the displayed passive coping response. In response to your invitation, we comment on the scientific merit of the forced swim stressor if the focus is on coping mechanisms, rather than on disease modeling.
Source: Biological Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Correspondence Source Type: research