LY-228729

The Open Field Test is a rodent behavioral assay that measures spontaneous locomotion, exploratory behavior, and anxiety-like behavior when an animal is placed in a novel open arena. The main readouts are total distance traveled, movement time, velocity, center-zone entries, center-zone time, peripheral-zone time, and thigmotaxis. The assay is based on the conflict between exploration of a novel environment and avoidance of exposed open areas; higher center exploration is commonly interpreted as lower anxiety-like behavior, whereas increased wall-following or peripheral occupancy is interpreted as higher anxiety-like behavior.

The Forced Swim Test is a rodent behavioral assay in which a mouse or rat is placed in an inescapable cylinder of water, and the main readout is the time spent immobile versus active escape-related behaviors such as swimming or climbing. Reduced immobility after treatment has historically been interpreted as antidepressant-like activity, but the assay should be interpreted as a behavioral response to acute inescapable stress rather than a complete model of human depression.