Depression’s Two Faces Revealed by Switching Off Symptoms

In a lab at Stanford University, a mouse is showing signs of depression. For around 10 weeks, it has experienced a series of irritations, from bouts without food or water, to erratic sleep patterns. Now, its motivation is low—when picked up by the tail, it makes few attempts to escape, and it doesn’t try to explore new spaces. It’s also less willing to sip from a sugary liquid– a sign that it gets less pleasure from normally pleasurable activities. It is never easy to assess the mental health of an animal, but this mouse is clearly showing some of the classic symptoms of depression.

But not for long.

Earlier, Kay Tye and Julie Mirzabekov altered the mouse so that

Unlock this story for free
Create an account to read the full story and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles.

Unlock this story for free

Want the full story? Sign up to keep reading and unlock hundreds of Nat Geo articles for free.
Already have an account?
SIGN IN

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet