Behavioural and Hormonal Indices of Anxiolytic and Anxiogenic Drug Action in the Shock Prod Defensive Burying/Avoidance Paradigm

Autonomic Changes Associated with Enhanced Anxiety in 5-HT1A Receptor Knockout Mice

“…Together with the observed tachycardia and hyperthermia, the increased burying and stretched approach postures are indicative for an enhanced fear/anxiety response in KO mice. Moreover, burying behavior and stretched approach postures have been shown to be sensitive to treatment with known anxiolytics, such as benzodiazepines (Cole and Rodgers 1993) and partial and full 5-HT 1A receptor agonists (De Boer et al 1991;Cole and Rodgers 1994;Rodgers et al 1994).…”

Neuroendocrine and behavioral responses during conditioned active and passive behavior in the defensive burying/probe avoidance paradigm: Effects of ipsapirone

“…These data support the hypothesis that passive coping leads to activation of the adrenal cortex. The elevation of plasma E concentrations, as reported to occur during acute threat (10), is practically absent in a conditioned stress situation.…”

Shock-probe Defensive Burying Test to Measure Active versus Passive Coping Style in Response to an Aversive Stimulus in Rats

“…Rats in our experiments were adult Sprague-Dawley rats, housed in a 12 h/12 h light/dark cycle and tested during the lights-on phase in white light. We have never tested animals during the dark (lights-off) phase, but anticipate testing during this time could increase the animals overall motor activity in the test and some reports indicate increases in burying in rats tested in darkness vs. light (De Boer et al ., 1991; Pinel et al ., 1994). Animals were singly housed and handled regularly for a minimum of two weeks before behavioral testing, during which time they received chronic stress or control handling treatment.…”