title: Comparison of anxiety-like behavior in adolescent and adult Sprague-Dawley rats.
abstract: The conditions under which age differences in anxiety are observed in rodents are unclear. These studies explored the influence of test condition on anxiety-like behavior in adolescent and adult rats using the light-dark box. Behavior was assessed under different illumination levels (30 or 60 lux) and after brief stress (restraint or bright light). Anxiety-like behavior did not differ in the 30-lux test but was increased in adolescents in the 60-lux test. Restraint increased anxiety-like behavior in adolescents, resulting in elevated anxiety-like behavior relative to adults. Bright light decreased anxiety-like behavior, possibly because of negative contrast or novelty-induced anxiolysis. These studies demonstrate that adolescents display increased anxiety-like behavior when test conditions are more aversive and following exposure to stress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. cslawecki@scripps.edu
authors.forename: Craig J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Slawecki
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D008029:Lighting / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors