Here we present a protocol to induce post-stroke depression in rats by occluding the middle cerebral artery via the internal carotid artery. We use the Porsolt forced swim test and the sucrose preference test to confirm and evaluate induced depressive moods.
Kuts, R., Melamed, I., Shiyntum, H. N., Frank, D., Grinshpun, J., Zlotnik, A., Brotfain, E., Dubilet, M., Natanel, D., Boyko, M. A Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Technique for Inducing Post-stroke Depression in Rats. J. Vis. Exp. (147), e58875, doi:10.3791/58875 (2019).