Animal models of social avoidance and social fear

Toth, Iulia; Neumann, Inga D.

doi:10.1007/s00441-013-1636-4

Cited by 226 publications

(225 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…The Social Approach/Avoidance Test has been well characterized and extensively used as a test of rat anxiety-like behavior (Toth and Neumann, 2013). We conducted a three-chambered social approach test (Toth and Neumann, 2013) using a rectangular threechambered arena (40 × 110 cm overall, with 30 cm high opaque plastic walls); divided into a 40 × 20 cm central chamber separating two 40 × 45 cm end chambers by two clear plastic walls with guillotine doors.…”

Section: The Social Approach/avoidance Testmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We conducted a three-chambered social approach test (Toth and Neumann, 2013) using a rectangular threechambered arena (40 × 110 cm overall, with 30 cm high opaque plastic walls); divided into a 40 × 20 cm central chamber separating two 40 × 45 cm end chambers by two clear plastic walls with guillotine doors. At the start of the trial, the arena is empty and the test rat is placed in the center chamber with both doors open so the rat can explore all three chambers for 5 min.…”

Section: The Social Approach/avoidance Testmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prazosin Prevents Increased Anxiety Behavior That Occurs in Response to Stress During Alcohol Deprivations

Rasmussen

Kincaid

Froehlich

2016

Alcohol and Alcoholism

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Aims: Stress-induced anxiety is a risk factor for relapse to alcohol drinking. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the central nervous system (CNS)-active α 1 -adrenergic receptor antagonist, prazosin, would block the stress-induced increase in anxiety that occurs during alcohol deprivations. Methods: Selectively bred male alcohol-preferring (P) rats were given three cycles of 5 days of ad libitum voluntary alcohol drinking interrupted by 2 days of alcohol deprivation, with or without 1 h of restraint stress 4 h after the start of each of the first two alcohol deprivation cycles. Prazosin (1.0 or 1.5 mg/kg, IP) or vehicle was administered before each restraint stress. Anxiety-like behavior during alcohol deprivation following the third 5-day cycle of alcohol drinking (7 days after the most recent restraint stress ± prazosin treatment) was measured by performance in an elevated plus-maze and in social approach/avoidance testing. Results: Rats that received constant alcohol access, or alcohol access and deprivations without stress or prazosin treatments in the first two alcohol deprivations did not exhibit augmented anxiety-like behavior during the third deprivation. In contrast, rats that had been stressed during the first two alcohol deprivations exhibited increased anxiety-like behavior (compared with control rats) in both anxiety tests during the third deprivation. Prazosin given before stresses in the first two cycles of alcohol withdrawal prevented increased anxiety-like behavior during the third alcohol deprivation. Conclusion: Prazosin treatment before stresses experienced during alcohol deprivations may prevent the increased anxiety during subsequent deprivation/abstinence that is a risk factor for relapse to alcohol drinking. Short summary: Administration of prazosin before stresses during repetitive alcohol deprivations in male alcohol-preferring (P) rats prevents increased anxiety during a subsequent deprivation without further prazosin treatment. Prazosin treatment during repeated alcohol deprivations may prevent the increased anxiety that is a risk factor for relapse to alcohol drinking.

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Section: The Social Approach/avoidance Testmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Social Approach/avoidance Testmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prazosin Prevents Increased Anxiety Behavior That Occurs in Response to Stress During Alcohol Deprivations

Rasmussen

Kincaid

Froehlich

2016

Alcohol and Alcoholism

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“…CSDS (chronic social defeat stress) is an animal model widely used nowadays to emulate human diseases related to stress, such as anxiety (e.g. Watt et al 2009, Toth andNeumann 2013) and depression (e.g. Venzala, et al 2012, Iñiguez et al 2014, in order to determine the underlying mechanisms and identify potential pharmacological treatments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of social stress and clomipramine on emotional memory in mice

Duque¹,

Vinader‐Caerols²,

Monleón³

2016

Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis

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We have previously observed impairing effects of social defeat stress (CSDS) on inhibitory avoidance (IA) in mice. Given the similarity between changes produced by social stress in animals and symptoms of certain human psychopathologies such as depression and anxiety, the effects of the antidepressant clomipramine on IA impairment produced by CSDS were evaluated in the present study.Male CD1 mice were randomly assigned to the groups: non-stressed+saline, non-stressed+clomipramine, stressed+saline and stressed+clomipramine. Stressed animals were subjected to daily agonistic encounters (10 min) in the home cage of the aggressor over a 20-day period. Just before each encounter, non-stressed and stressed mice were injected i.p. with saline or clomipramine (10 mg/kg) according to their experimental condition. 24 hours after the last CSDS session, all the mice were tested in a step-through IA task. In the IA training phase, animals were punished by a shock to the paw when they entered the dark compartment of the apparatus. In the IA test phase (one week later) the same procedure took place, but without shock. Complementary measures were obtained by evaluating all the animals in an elevated plus maze (locomotor activity and emotionality) and on a hot plate (analgesia). IA learning was confirmed in all groups except the stressed+saline group, which was the only one that exhibited higher anxiety levels. No variations were observed in either locomotor activity or analgesia. In conclusion, CSDS induces anxiety and impairs emotional memory in mice; the negative effects of CSDS on memory appear to be attenuated by clomipramine, and these detrimental effects do not seem to be secondary to the effects of CSDS on locomotor activity, emotionality or pain sensitivity.

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“…In this issue, we highlight three such models. Toth and Neumann (2013) discuss not only paradigms that induce social avoidance and fear in rodents, such as social isolation, social instability, social defeat/chronic subordinate housing and maternal separation but also physical stressors such as electric foot shocks or restraint. Behavioral read-outs for the assessment of social avoidance and fear are different forms of social approach/ preference/interaction tests, usually by using an experimentally manipulated individual and one or several non-manipulated conspecifics.…”

Section: Rodent Models Of Anxiety and Fearmentioning

confidence: 99%