Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the gut microbiota affects brain function and
behavior, including depressive behavior. Antidepressants are the main drugs used for …

Handling laboratory animals during test procedures is an important source of stress that may
impair reliability of test responses. Picking up mice by the tail is aversive, stimulating stress …

The etiology of complex psychiatric disorders results from both genetics and the
environment. No definitive environmental factor has been implicated, but studies suggest …

Empathy, as originally defined, refers to an emotional experience that is shared among
individuals. When discomfort or alarm is detected in another, a variety of behavioral …

Abstract Scanning two-photon (2P) fiberscopes (also termed endomicroscopes) have the
potential to transform our understanding of how discrete neural activity patterns result in …

We examined measures of locomotor and anxiety-like behavior in male and female mice of
15 inbred strains on the elevated-plus maze, light/dark transition box and open field. Strain …

Anxiety is one of the most fundamental emotions required to survive or to cope with potential
threatening stimuli. Under certain circumstances, it can change to excessive or maladaptive …

Repetitive behavior, a core symptom of autism, encompasses stereotyped responses,
restricted interests, and resistance to change. These studies investigated whether different …

Life-long brain function and mental health are critically determined by developmental
processes occurring before birth. During mammalian pregnancy, maternal cells are …

Due to their direct inaccessibility, affective states are classically assessed by gathering
concomitant physiological and behavioral measures. Although such a dual approach to …