Exploratory Based Anxiety Analysis

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Exploratory-based avoidance tests are most widely used to assess anxiety behaviors in rodents. The elevated plus maze (Pellow et al. 1985), the open field test (Christmas & Maxwell 1970) and the light-dark box (Crawley & Goodwin 1980) are the classical exploratory based anxiety tests. These tests provide an environment to rodents in which there is an option to explore an adverse area or remain in a less anxiety-provoking location in the arena. The elevated plus maze test takes an advantage of the natural tendency of mice to explore a novel situation. The rodents are allowed to spend time in elevated open or closed arms. Normally mice tend to avoid the unprotected open areas and spend time in enclosed spaces. This approach-avoidance conflict in elevated plus maze results in behaviors that are indicators of psychological stress. On …show more content…
The additional behavioral indices such as head dipping and stretched attend postures are also analyzed which provides The more sensitive measures of the effects of anxiolytic compounds are measured by analyzing additional behavioral indices including head dipping, grooming and stretched attend postures in elevated plus maze (Borsini et al. 2002).
The open field test has also been proved to be equally successful in assessing anxiety behaviors in rodents. In addition to anxiety behavior, this test measures the novel environment exploration and general locomotor activity in rodents. In this test rodents are allowed to explore in an open arena. There are two major factors affect the anxiety behavior in this test, the social isolation and