A novel animal paradigm of long-term, stress-induced hippocampal atrophy.

Abstract

Long-term hippocampal atrophy is a key feature of major depression. In contrast, in rodents subjected to chronic stress there is reversibly decreased hippocampal volume. We show that exposure to seven days of restraint stress alone or with antidepressant treatment combined with a persistent high-fat diet environment lasting 165 days resulted in long-term, stress-induced hippocampal volume reduction in rats, better reflecting the hippocampal shrinkage that is well documented in patients with major depressive disorder.