The contribution of behavioural studies to the neuropharmacology of anxiety.
This article reviews animal tests of anxiety and charts the contribution of behavioural studies to the neuropharmacology of anxiety. In particular it has been possible to distinguish several sites of action for anxiogenic drugs. Whilst great progress has been made to knowledge of the functioning of the GABA-benzodiazepine receptor complex, there has been little advance in the understanding of the other neurochemical pathways concerned with mediating changes in anxiety. The claim to have a drug that is a non-sedative anxiolytic should be based on firm behavioural evidence. The extent to which this has been realised for the existing candidates is reviewed.
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Department of Pharmacology, University of London, Brunswick Square, U.K.
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001665:Binding Sites; D002243:Carbolines / Q000494:pharmacology; D002712:Chlorides / Q000378:metabolism; D009480:Neuropharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010852:Picrotoxin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000502:physiology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D002243:Carbolines; D002712:Chlorides; D009638:Norepinephrine; D010852:Picrotoxin; D011720:Pyrazoles; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D012701:Serotonin; C017230:dihydropicrotoxinin; C034704:2-(4-chlorophenyl)-2,5-dihydropyrazolo(4,3-c)quinoline-3(3H)-one; C038933:ZK 91296