Behavioral aspects of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Acute inflammation is known to induce a depressive-like sickness behavior s yndrome in humans and in experimental animals. In the present study, we sou ght to determine whether a chronic neuroautoimmune inflammation is also ass ociated with a similar behavioral syndrome. Experimental autoimmune encepha lomyelitis (EAE) was induced in SJL/J female mice by adoptive transfer of l ymph node cells, and sickness behavior symptoms, including anorexia, loss o f body weight, reduced social exploration, and decreased preference for suc rose solution were measured. We report that these components of sickness be havior were induced during the acute phase of the disease, and recovered in later phases. Moreover, the onset and recovery of the behavioral symptoms preceded the onset and recovery of the neurological signs, respectively. Si nce EAE is considered a model for:multiple sclerosis (MS), it is suggested that EAF-induced behavioral changes may serve as a model for the depressive symptomatology that characterizes most MS patients. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.