Experimental models of anxiety for drug discovery and brain research.
Animal models have been vital to recent advances in experimental neuroscience, including the modeling of common human brain disorders such as anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia. As mice express robust anxiety-like behaviors when exposed to stressors (e.g., novelty, bright light, or social confrontation), these phenotypes have clear utility in testing the effects of psychotropic drugs. Of specific interest is the extent to which mouse models can be used for the screening of new anxiolytic drugs and verification of their possible applications in humans. To address this problem, the present chapter will review different experimental models of mouse anxiety and discuss their utility for testing anxiolytic and anxiogenic drugs. Detailed protocols will be provided for these paradigms, and possible confounds will be addressed accordingly.
Hart
Peter C
PC
Department of Physiology, Georgetown University Medical School, Washington, DC, USA.
Bergner
Carisa L
CL
Smolinsky
Amanda N
AN
Dufour
Brett D
BD
Egan
Rupert J
RJ
Laporte
Justin L
JL
Kalueff
Allan V
AV
D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001007:Anxiety / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D055808:Drug Discovery; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010641:Phenotype; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013315:Stress, Psychological
D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs