We suggest that since the antidepressant-like effects of donepezil may not be strongly present in the first swim exposure and may even be depression-like in that swim (Figs. 1–3), other researchers have typically reported depression-like effects of cholinesterase inhibitors such as physostigmine in the FST or tail suspension test10–13,37,38. This evidence concerns the gene BCHE and depressive symptom measurement.