Porsolt Forced Swim Test

The Porsolt Forced Swim Test (FST) apparatus and Tail Suspension Test (TST) apparatus are gold-standard tools for rodent depression behavioral research.

In the Porsolt forced swim test, a mouse or rat is placed in a water-filled cylinder where escape is impossible.

After initial struggling, the animal exhibits a state of immobility, reflecting behavioral despair - a widely accepted model for screening antidepressant drugs.

Similarly, the tail suspension test measures immobility when a mouse is suspended by its tail, providing a rapid and sensitive method for TST behavioral test studies.

Both methods are highly sensitive to most antidepressants, with strong correlation to clinical efficacy, making them essential in preclinical neurobehavioral pharmacology.