title: [Arousal and the psychopharmacology of anxiety in experimental models].
abstract: Locomotion is a behavioural marker of arousal in animals whereas exploration serves as a reliable criterion for anxiety level. Traditional views of central excitatory mechanisms consider them as pro-arousal and anxiogenic. Central inhibitory mechanisms are thought to be sedative and anxiolytic. However, data exist on paradoxical anti-anxiety effects of low doses of certain anxiolytics in a number of experimental models. Likewise, anxiolytics might exert paradoxical pro-arousal/anxiogenic profiles in animals. Both such data are difficult to interpret within traditional framework of arousal/anxiety concepts. The paper reviews data on complex non-linear interrelationships between anxiety and arousal and supports a theory of putative "anxiolytic" (comfort or pleasurable) emotions evoked by mild, but not high, arousal.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Physiology and Biochemical Research, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Kaluev
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Nutsa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011600:Psychopharmacology
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents
vernacular_title: Arousal i psikhofarmakologiia trevozhnosti v éksperimental'nykh modeliakh.