Can Social Interaction Be Used to Measure Anxiety?

Abstract

Brunswick Square, London WC1 N 1 AX 1 Pairs of male rats were placed in a test box for 10 min and the time they spent in active social interaction was scored. Maximum active interaction was found when the rats were tested under low light in a box with which they were familiar. When the light level was increased or when the box was unfamiliar active social interaction decreased. 2 Exploration (time spent sniffing objects) decreased in the same way in relation to test conditions as did social interaction. As these decreased, defecation, and freezing increased. 3 Anosmic controls showed that the decrease in social interaction across test conditions could not be attributed to olfactory changes in the partner. 4 Chlordiazepoxide (5 mg/kg) given chronically prevented or significantly reduced the decrease in social interaction that occurred in undrugged rats as the light level or the unfamiliarity of the test box was increased. Controls showed that this effect could not be entirely attributed to chlordiazepoxide acting selectively to increase low levels of responding. 5 The effect of chronic chlordiazepoxide contrasts with its action when given acutely; in the latter case it has only sedative effects. 6 Whether this test can be used as an animal model of anxiety is discussed and this test is compared with existing tests of anxiety.

Chronic Fluoxetine Treatment Partly Attenuates the Long-Term Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Induced by MDMA (‘Ecstasy’) in Rats

“…At 3 weeks following the start of fluoxetine treatment and a total of 12-15 weeks following MDMA administration, pairs of rats were assessed in the social interaction test, as described previously (File and Hyde, 1978;McGregor et al, 2003a). Pairs of rats were tested together, with each pair of approximately equal body weight and from the same treatment condition, but from a different home cage.…”

Modulation of multiple ethanol withdrawal-induced anxiety-like behavior by CRF and CRF1 receptors

“…The social interaction test was first introduced by File and Hyde (1978). This test involves placing a pair of animals in an arena and measuring the amount of time engaged in such behaviors as grooming, sniffing, crawling over or under, and boxing; locomotor activity is simultaneously recorded and provides a measure that is independent of social interaction (File, 1980).…”

“…Social interaction has been repeatedly validated as an index of anxiety-related behavior because it is decreased following anxiety-provoking stimuli, such as bright lights or exposure to cat odor (File, 1980;File and Hyde, 1978), after administration of anxiogenic drugs (e.g., Battacharya et al, 1997;File and Lister, 1984;Guy and Gardner, 1985;Sams-Dodd, 1995) or following withdrawal from drugs of abuse, including ethanol (Andrews et al, 1997;File et al, 1989;Irvine et al, 2001;Kampov-Polevoy et al, 2000;Overstreet et al, 2002). Conversely, social interaction can be increased by prior exposure to the test arena (File, 1980;File and Hyde, 1978) or the administration of anxiolytic drugs at doses that have little effect on locomotor activity (Barnes et al, 1990;File, 1980;Lightowler et al, 1994).…”

Similar anxiety-like responses in male and female rats exposed to repeated withdrawals from ethanol

“…Social interaction has been repeatedly validated as an index of anxiety-related behavior (see File and Seth, 2003) because it (social interaction) is decreased following anxiety-provoking stimuli, such as bright lights or exposure to cat odor (File, 1980;File and Hyde, 1978), after the administration of anxiogenic drugs (e.g., Battacharya et al, 1997;File and Lister, 1984;Guy and Gardner, 1985) or following withdrawal from drugs of abuse, including alcohol (Andrews et al, 1997;File et al, 1989File et al, , 1993Irvine et al, 2001;Kampov-Polevoy et al, 2000). Conversely, social interaction can be increased by prior exposure to the test arena (File, 1980;File and Hyde, 1978) or the administration of anxiolytic drugs at doses that have little effect on locomotor activity (Barnes et al, 1990;File, 1980;Lightowler et al, 1994).…”

“…Conversely, social interaction can be increased by prior exposure to the test arena (File, 1980;File and Hyde, 1978) or the administration of anxiolytic drugs at doses that have little effect on locomotor activity (Barnes et al, 1990;File, 1980;Lightowler et al, 1994).…”