Scopolamine-Induced Amnesia in Zebrafish: Behavioral Characterization and Pharmacological Reversal

Simple Summary The use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become increasingly common in the experimental pharmacology field due to their viability as an in vivo model. Behavioral assessment in this species offers a practical and cost-effective approach for experimental design. In this study, our objective was to assess whether donepezil or haloperidol, after a 10-day training period, could inhibit inhibitory avoidance and alter learned behavior. For this purpose, we characterized the baseline behavior of zebrafish and their behavioral response in the presence of an amnestic agent, such as scopolamine, in a light/dark tank test. The results show that a standardized behavioral model in this species allows for the efficient evaluation of a larger number of pharmacological compounds. It facilitates the identification of specific therapeutic targets that can later be validated in higher-order animals, such as rodents. Preclinical pharmacological screening in non-mammalian vertebrates contributes to the reduction in the use of mammals in research, in alignment with the ethical principles of replacement, reduction, and refinement (3Rs), while enabling the identification of molecular targets with specific activity. Behavioral quantification represents a straightforward observational method that can be readily implemented in academic settings lacking specialized infrastructure, thereby broadening the opportunities for contributions to drug development from a broader range of scientific and educational institutions.

• Publication year

  2025

• Venue

  Animals

• Publication date

  2025-09-01

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3390/ani15172624PMID 40941419PMCID 12427487
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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