Abstract
Depression, a debilitating mental illness that affects millions of individuals, is an ever-growing epidemic coinciding with a rise in numerous mental health conditions. Unfortunately, current pharmaceutical treatments, such as SSRI’s, are not always effective when treating a broad range of symptoms nor are therapeutic results observed within short periods of times. As such, ketamine, a glutamatergic targeting antidepressant, has sparked interest within the medical community for its short-acting antidepressive outcomes. Ketamine primarily acts as an NMDA receptor antagonist which is responsible for most of its anesthetic and acute psychoactive properties. However, the mechanisms behind ketamine’s therapeutic results are still unclear. Dextromethorphan, another NMDA receptor antagonist, may help to identify shared therapeutic outcomes in this variety of drug. The aim of this study was to identify dextromethorphan’s antidepressive effects in mice following an inescapable shock learned helplessness model of depression. Following inescapable shock training, subjects were either administered dextromethorphan or saline 48 hours prior to behavioral testing. The forced swim test and sucrose preference test were utilized to assess depressive symptoms between the two groups. The results of this study indicated there was no significant difference in the reduction of depressive-like symptoms between control or dextromethorphan treatment groups in either the forced swim test or the sucrose preference test. The absence of significance may indicate that dextromethorphan does not possess the same effective therapeutic outcome as ketamine, especially in the context of a learned helplessness depression model. While dextromethorphan’s therapeutic potential is still in question, the results of this study indicate that a shared NMDA receptor antagonism is not yet enough to signify antidepressive outcomes in glutamatergic drugs.
Advisor
Zuniga, Alfredo
Department
Neuroscience
Recommended Citation
Romano, Adam, "A Study of Antidepressive Impacts After Dextromethorphan Administration in a Learned Helplessness Rodent Model" (2024). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 11148.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/11148
Disciplines
Behavioral Neurobiology | Biology | Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience | Other Chemicals and Drugs | Other Neuroscience and Neurobiology | Pharmacology | Psychiatric and Mental Health
Keywords
depression, mice, neuroscience, NMDA receptor, glutamate, dextromethorphan
Publication Date
2024
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2024 Adam Romano