In concert with neuropeptides and transmitters, the end products of the hypothalamus-
pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the glucocorticoid hormones cortisol and corticosterone …

The ventral tegmental area dopamine (VTA-DA) mesolimbic circuit processes emotional,
motivational, and social reward associations together with their more demanding cognitive …

The locus coeruleus (LC) supplies norepinephrine (NE) to the entire forebrain and regulates
many fundamental brain functions. Studies in humans have suggested that strong LC …

The forced swim test (FST) for rodents does not model despair or helplessness. It also is not
a read-out for depression, anxiety, psychomotor retardation or autism, because these are …

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) represents a remarkable form of neuroplasticity that
has increasingly been linked to the stress response in recent years. However, the …

Preclinical imaging studies offer a unique access to the rat brain, allowing investigations that
go beyond what is possible in human studies. Unfortunately, these techniques still suffer …

Exposure to acute and chronic stress has a broad range of structural effects on the brain.
The brain areas commonly targeted in the stress response models include the …

The goal of this review article is to provide a resource for longitudinal studies, using animal
models, directed at understanding and modifying the relationship between cognition and …

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe illness imposing an increasing social and
economic burden worldwide. Numerous rodent models have been developed to investigate …

Prior research suggests that the neurobiological underpinnings of depression include
aberrant brain functional connectivity, neurometabolite levels, and hippocampal volume …