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Learned Helplessness in Mice

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Book cover Mood and Anxiety Related Phenotypes in Mice

Part of the book series: Neuromethods ((NM,volume 42))

Abstract

Exposure to inescapable shock provokes behavioral disturbances in subsequent shock-escape tests, as well as in other behavioral paradigms, including those that reflect anhedonia. The interference induced by inescapable shock using a yoked (triadic) paradigm has frequently been referred to as a “learned helplessness” paradigm. The interference effect, although attributed to cognitive factors by several investigators, has also been explained on the basis of neurochemical changes induced by the uncontrollable stressor. In the present report, we briefly describe the various theoretical positions concerning the interference effect induced by inescapable hock, describe procedures that can be used to investigate this phenomenon in mice, and provide caveats that might be considered in conducting these experiments.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Hymie Anisman

  2. Institute of Mental Health Research, Royal Ottawa Hospital and the School of Psychology, and Institute of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Zul Merali

Authors
  1. Hymie Anisman
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  2. Zul Merali
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, University of Maryland, W. Baltimore Street 685, Baltimore, 21201, U.S.A.

    Todd D. Gould

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© 2009 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

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Anisman, H., Merali, Z. (2009). Learned Helplessness in Mice. In: Gould, T. (eds) Mood and Anxiety Related Phenotypes in Mice. Neuromethods, vol 42. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-303-9_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-303-9_10

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-60761-302-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60761-303-9

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