Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
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Neuropsychopharmacology · Jul 2003
Withdrawal from chronic amphetamine induces depressive-like behavioral effects in rodents.
Amphetamine withdrawal and major depression share many behavioral commonalities in humans. Therefore, the examination of the behavioral effects of amphetamine withdrawal in rodents may provide insights into the neurobiological mechanisms underlying both disorders and aid in the development of animal models of depression that are sensitive to antidepressant agents. ⋯ Withdrawal from chronic amphetamine administration results in behavioral changes that may be analogous to some aspects of depression in humans, such as reward deficits (i.e., elevations in brain reward thresholds) and behaviors opposite to those seen after treatment with antidepressant drugs, such as decreased immobility in the forced swim test and the tail suspension test.