title: Animal tests of anxiety.
abstract: Animal tests of anxiety are used to screen novel compounds for anxiolytic or anxiogenic activity, to investigate the neurobiology of anxiety, and to assess the impact of other occurrences such as exposure to predator odors or early rearing experiences. This unit presents protocols for the most commonly used animal tests of anxiety. The Geller-Seifter conflict test, the social interaction test, light/dark exploration, the elevated plus-maze, defensive burying, and the thirsty rat conflict. The protocols are described in terms of drug screening tests, but can be modified easily for other purposes.
authors.affiliation: King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sandra E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: File
authors.forename: Arnold S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lippa
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Beer
authors.forename: Morgen T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Lippa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D001525:Behavioral Sciences / Q000379:methods*; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods*; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003624:Darkness; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004597:Electroshock; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning; D009488:Neurosciences / Q000379:methods*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D051381:Rats; D013894:Thirst