Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
An Olfactory Preference Test for Measuring Olfactory Hedonic Biases in Mouse Models of Depression
Published on: July 11, 2025
Effects of anti-depressants on olfactory sensitivity in mice
Sandrine Lombion1, Nadège Morand-Villeneuve, Jean-Louis Millot
1Laboratoire de Neurosciences, Université de Franche-Comté, 1 Place Leclerc, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France.
Rationale And Objectives:
Some studies have underlined a decrease in olfactory sensitivity in patients suffering from depression. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of current anti-depressant drugs on the olfactory sensitivity in mice. METHODS MICE: (N degrees =22) were tested in a Y-maze with a choice between an odorant (butanol) or distilled water before and during 3 weeks of daily intra-peritoneal injection of either citalopram or clomipramine. Their performance was compared with those of a control group (N degrees =11) injected with a saline solution.
Results:
The results showed a significant decrease in olfactory sensitivity with both anti-depressants during the three weeks of treatment.
Conclusion:
The antidepressant induced alteration in serotonin and/or noradrenaline transmission in the olfactory bulb may account for the altered olfactory sensitivity observed in this study.
