Behavioral analysis in preclinical neuropsychopharmacology relies on the accurate measurement of animal behavior. Several excellent solutions for computer-assisted behavioral analysis are available for specialized behavioral laboratories wishing to invest significant resources. Herein, we present an open source straightforward software solution aiming at the rapid and easy introduction to an experimental workflow, and at the improvement of training staff members in a better and more reproducible manual scoring of behavioral experiments with the use of visual aids-maps. Currently the program readily supports the Forced Swim Test, Novel Object Recognition test and the Elevated Plus maze test, but with minor modifications can be used for scoring virtually any behavioral test. Additional modules, with predefined templates and scoring parameters, are continuously added. Importantly, the prominent use of visual maps has been shown to improve, in a student-engaging manner, the training and auditing of scoring in behavioral rodent experiments.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the substantia nigra and the gradual depletion of dopamine (DA). Current treatments replenish the DA deficit and improve symptoms but induce dyskinesias over time, and neuroprotective therapies are nonexistent. Here we report that Nuclear receptor-related 1 (Nurr1):Retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) activation has a double therapeutic potential for PD, offering both neuroprotective and symptomatic improvement. We designed BRF110, a unique in vivo active Nurr1:RXRα-selective lead molecule, which prevents DAergic neuron demise and striatal DAergic denervation in vivo against PD-causing toxins in a Nurr1-dependent manner. BRF110 also protects against PD-related genetic mutations in patient induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived DAergic neurons and a genetic mouse PD model. Remarkably, besides neuroprotection, BRF110 up-regulates tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), and GTP cyclohydrolase I (GCH1) transcription; increases striatal DA in vivo; and has symptomatic efficacy in two postneurodegeneration PD models, without inducing dyskinesias on chronic daily treatment. The combined neuroprotective and symptomatic effects of BRF110 identify Nurr1:RXRα activation as a potential monotherapeutic approach for PD.

Women suffer from depression and anxiety disorders more often than men, and as a result they receive antidepressants to a greater extent. Sex differences in antidepressant response in humans have been modestly studied, and results have been controversial. At the same time, preclinical studies on animal models of depression and antidepressant response have provided insights with regard to sex differences that could be useful for the design and interpretation of future clinical trials. This Mini-Review discusses such sex-differentiated findings with regard to the presentation of depression, endophenotypes, and antidepressant response. In particular, men and women differ in symptomatology of depression, and animal models of depression have revealed sex differences in behavioral indices. However, although in experimental studies behavioral indices and models are adjusted to identify sex differences properly, this is not the case in the use of depression rating scales in clinical studies. Accordingly, preclinical studies highlight the importance of sex differences at the baseline behavioral response and the underlying mechanisms that often converge after antidepressant treatment. This is also a neglected issue in human studies. Finally, preclinical research suggests that, in the quest for potential biomarkers for depression, sex should be an important factor to consider. Careful consideration of sex differences in preclinical research could facilitate and ameliorate the design and quality of clinical studies for disease biomarkers and novel fast-acting antidepressants that are so essential for both men and women suffering from depression. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Preclinical psychopharmacology research needs novel behavioral indices and improved animal models for both sexes. The forced swim test (FST) is the most popular test for screening antidepressant potential. Sex differences in FST behaviors, such as immobility and swimming, are not consistent among laboratories. Reliable indices, sensitive to sex differences, are required. We identified a robust sex difference in the frequency of headshakes during the standard two session FST, with male rats exhibiting higher number of head shakes than females. Furthermore, we explored whether strain, ageing, sex- and stress-hormone levels influence this sex difference. Experiments in middle-aged and senescent Wistar rats, as well as in gonadectomized and adrenalectomized with corticosterone replacement young adult males and females, revealed that sex differences in headshakes during FST are not influenced by age or corticosterone, but are abolished following castration of male rats. Interestingly, headshake frequency correlated positively with testosterone, but not corticosterone levels. Finally, testing of Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats in a single 5min FST session revealed that headshake frequency is sensitive to antidepressant treatment with female rats exhibiting opposite responses to treatment than male FSL rats. Mirtazapine, a 5-HT2 antagonist, enhanced headshakes in females and decreased them in male FSL rats. Based on current data and the available literature, sex differences in headshake frequency should be linked to analogous sex differences in serotonin receptors. Headshake frequency during the FST is an additional valuable behavioral index, sensitive to sex differences, gonadal hormones and antidepressants modulating serotonin receptors.

The use of dopamine replacement therapies (DRT) in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) can lead to the development of dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS) and impulse control disorders (ICD), behavioral disturbances characterized by compulsive DRT self-medication and development of impulsive behaviors. However, the mechanisms behind these disturbances are poorly understood. In animal models of PD, the assessment of the rewarding properties of levodopa (LD), one of the most common drugs used in PD, has produced conflicting results, and its ability to promote increased impulsivity is still understudied. Moreover, it is unclear whether acute and chronic LD therapy differently affects reward and impulsivity. In this study we aimed at assessing, in an animal model of PD with bilateral mesostriatal and mesocorticolimbic degeneration, the behavioral effects of LD therapy regarding reward and impulsivity. Animals with either sham or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced bilateral lesions in the (SNc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) were exposed to acute and chronic LD treatment. We used the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm to evaluate the rewarding effects of LD, whereas impulsive behavior was measured with the variable delay-to-signal (VDS) task. Correlation analyses between behavioral measurements of reward or impulsivity and lesion extent in SNc/VTA were performed to pinpoint possible anatomical links of LD-induced behavioral changes. We show that LD, particularly when administered chronically, caused the development of impulsive-like behaviors in 6-OHDA-lesioned animals in the VDS. However, neither acute or chronic LD administration had rewarding effects in 6-OHDA-lesioned animals in the CPP. Our results show that in a bilateral rat model of PD, LD leads to the development of impulsive behaviors, strengthening the association between DRT and DDS/ICD in PD.

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications (SSRIs) are the first lines of treatment for maternal affective disorders, and are prescribed to up to 10% of pregnant women. Concern has been raised about how perinatal exposure to these medications affect offspring neurobehavioral outcomes, particularly those related to social interactions, as recent research has reported conflicting results related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in children prenatally exposed to SSRIs. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the effects of perinatal exposure to the SSRI fluoxetine on social play behaviors and the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system, using a model of pre-gestational maternal stress. We also investigated synaptic proteins in the CA2, CA3, and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, as well as number of immature neurons in the granule cell layer, as both measures of plasticity in the hippocampus have been linked to social behaviors. In pre-adolescent male and female Sprague-Dawley rat offspring, main findings show that perinatal fluoxetine prevents the negative effect of maternal stress on sibling play behavior. However, perinatal fluoxetine increased social aggressive play with a novel conspecific in both sexes and decreased time grooming a novel conspecific in males only. Perinatal fluoxetine also increased serum corticosteroid binding globulin levels, 5-HT levels in the hippocampus, and pre-synaptic density assessed via synaptophysin in the dentate gyrus. Social interaction was significantly correlated with changes in plasticity in the CA2 region of the hippocampus. Pre-gestational maternal stress exposure resulted in significantly decreased rates of hippocampal neurogenesis and synaptophysin density in the dentate gyrus of pre-adolescent males, but not females. Together, these results further characterize the role of perinatal SSRIs, maternal stress prior to conception, and sex/gender on developing social behaviors and related plasticity in the hippocampus of pre-adolescent offspring.