To Approach or Avoid: An Introductory Overview of the Study of Anxiety Using Rodent Assays

To Approach or Avoid: An Introductory Overview of the Study of Anxiety Using Rodent Assays

Anxiety is a widely studied phenomenon in behavioral neuroscience, but the recent literature lacks an overview of the major conceptual framework underlying anxiety research to introduce young researchers to the field. In this mini-review article, which is aimed toward new undergraduate and graduate...

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Main Authors: Mimi La-Vu, Brooke C. Tobias, Peter J. Schuette, Avishek Adhikari
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2020-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
Subjects:
elevated plus maze (EPM)
open field test
anxiety
SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)
benzodiazepine
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00145/full
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spelling doaj-3bebe2b236d24bf0b6be59c191b656fb2020-11-25T03:41:46ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532020-08-011410.3389/fnbeh.2020.00145566016To Approach or Avoid: An Introductory Overview of the Study of Anxiety Using Rodent AssaysMimi La-VuBrooke C. TobiasPeter J. SchuetteAvishek AdhikariAnxiety is a widely studied phenomenon in behavioral neuroscience, but the recent literature lacks an overview of the major conceptual framework underlying anxiety research to introduce young researchers to the field. In this mini-review article, which is aimed toward new undergraduate and graduate students, we discuss how researchers exploit the approach-avoidance conflict, an internal conflict rodents face between exploration of novel environments and avoidance of danger, to inform rodent assays that allow for the measurement of anxiety-related behavior in the laboratory. We review five widely-used rodent anxiety assays, consider the pharmacological validity of these assays, and discuss neural circuits that have recently been shown to modulate anxiety using the assays described. Finally, we offer related lines of inquiry and comment on potential future directions.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00145/fullelevated plus maze (EPM)open field testanxietySSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)benzodiazepine
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Mimi La-Vu
Brooke C. Tobias
Peter J. Schuette
Avishek Adhikari
spellingShingle Mimi La-Vu
Brooke C. Tobias
Peter J. Schuette
Avishek Adhikari
To Approach or Avoid: An Introductory Overview of the Study of Anxiety Using Rodent Assays
Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
elevated plus maze (EPM)
open field test
anxiety
SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)
benzodiazepine
author_facet Mimi La-Vu
Brooke C. Tobias
Peter J. Schuette
Avishek Adhikari
author_sort Mimi La-Vu
title To Approach or Avoid: An Introductory Overview of the Study of Anxiety Using Rodent Assays
title_short To Approach or Avoid: An Introductory Overview of the Study of Anxiety Using Rodent Assays
title_full To Approach or Avoid: An Introductory Overview of the Study of Anxiety Using Rodent Assays
title_fullStr To Approach or Avoid: An Introductory Overview of the Study of Anxiety Using Rodent Assays
title_full_unstemmed To Approach or Avoid: An Introductory Overview of the Study of Anxiety Using Rodent Assays
title_sort to approach or avoid: an introductory overview of the study of anxiety using rodent assays
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
series Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience
issn 1662-5153
publishDate 2020-08-01
description Anxiety is a widely studied phenomenon in behavioral neuroscience, but the recent literature lacks an overview of the major conceptual framework underlying anxiety research to introduce young researchers to the field. In this mini-review article, which is aimed toward new undergraduate and graduate students, we discuss how researchers exploit the approach-avoidance conflict, an internal conflict rodents face between exploration of novel environments and avoidance of danger, to inform rodent assays that allow for the measurement of anxiety-related behavior in the laboratory. We review five widely-used rodent anxiety assays, consider the pharmacological validity of these assays, and discuss neural circuits that have recently been shown to modulate anxiety using the assays described. Finally, we offer related lines of inquiry and comment on potential future directions.
topic elevated plus maze (EPM)
open field test
anxiety
SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor)
benzodiazepine
url https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00145/full
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