Sucrose Preference Test to Measure Anhedonic Behaviour in Mice

Abstract

The sucrose preference test (SPT) is a reward-based test, used as in indicator of anhedonia. Anhedonia, or the decreased ability to experience pleasure, represents one of the core symptoms of depression. Rodents are born with an interest in sweet foods or solutions. Reduced preference for sweet solution in SPT represents anhedonia, while this reduction can be reversed by treatment with antidepressants. SPT is carried out in the animal’s home cage. For the SPT, mice are presented with 2 dual bearing sipper tubes. One tube contains plain drinking water, and the second contains a sucrose solution. Water and sucrose solution intake is measured daily, and the positions of two bottles is switched daily to reduce any confound produced by a side bias. Sucrose preference is calculated as a percentage of the volume of sucrose intake over the total volume of fluid intake and averaged over the testing period. Here, we present our protocol that has been able to detect anhedonia in mice subjected to a chronic depression model.