The Activity-Based Anorexia Mouse Model
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Animals housed with running wheels and subjected to daily food restriction show paradoxical reductions in food intake and
increases in running wheel activity. This phenomenon, known as activity-based anorexia (ABA), leads to marked reductions in
body weight that can ultimately lead to death. Recently, ABA has been proposed as a model of anorexia nervosa (AN). AN affects
about 8 per 100,000 females and has the highest mortality rate among all psychiatric illnesses. Given the reductions in quality
of life, high mortality rate, and the lack of pharmacological treatments for AN, a better understanding of the mechanisms
underlying AN-like behavior is greatly needed. This chapter provides basic guidelines for conducting ABA experiments using
mice. The ABA mouse model provides an important tool for investigating the neurobiological underpinnings of AN-like behavior
and identifying novel treatments.