Rodent defense behavior assays have been widely used as preclinical models of anxiety to
study possibly therapeutic anxiety-reducing interventions. However, some proposed anxiety …

We examined measures of locomotor and anxiety-like behavior in male and female mice of
15 inbred strains on the elevated-plus maze, light/dark transition box and open field. Strain …

Exploration of novel environments ensures survival and evolutionary fitness. It is expressed
through exploratory bouts and arrests that change dynamically based on experience. Neural …

High levels of chronic stress or stress hormones are associated with depressive-like
behavior in animal models. However, slight elevations in corticosterone (CORT)–the major …

Widely used behavioral assays need re-evaluation and validation against their intended
use. We focus here on measures of chronic anxiety in mouse models and posit that widely …

High fearfulness could disrupt learning and likely affects judgment in animals, especially
when it is part of an animals' personality, ie, trait anxiety. Here, we tested whether high …

Mounting evidence suggests that gut microbiota do not only regulate intestinal function and
health, but that they also play a role in mental health via the gut-brain axis. Previous …

Many women who take antidepressant medications become pregnant while taking their
medication; however, the impact of depression and antidepressant medication on fetal …

Animal models of human diseases of the central nervous system, generalized anxiety
disorder included, are essential for the study of the brain-behavior interface and obligatory …

During free exploration, the emergence of patterned and sequential behavioral responses to
an unknown environment reflects exploration traits and adaptation. However, the behavioral …