Effect of an Anti-Anxiety Drug in a Learned Helplessness Experiment

Abstract

Rats were injected with chlordiazepoxide 30 min before a situation of uncontrollable stress, or 30 min before an FR-3 escape test 24 h after the uncontrollable stress. Only in the latter situation they reduced their response latencies. The conclusion was that helplessness after moderate stress (i.e. electric shock) resembles a state of anxiety. Anxiety can be descibed on a behavioural level as inhibiting the ongoing behaviour. Therefore an explanation in terms of anxiety is in agreement with Weiss’ inactivity hypothesis and with the results of the study by Drugan et al., who also emphasized the role of anxiety or fear in learned helplessness experiments.

Imipramine and Desipramine Decrease the GABA-Stimulated Chloride Uptake, and Antigabaergic Agents Enhance Their Action in the Forced Swimming Test in Rats

“…1983Lloyd et al. , 1987 and display antidepressant-like actions in several experimental models of depression [Schechter and Chance, 1979;Drugan et al, 1984;Nijssen and Schelvis, 1987;Lloyd et al, 1983Lloyd et al, , 1987Borsini et al, 1986a;Poncelet et al, 1987;Fernandez-Teruel et al, 1988, 1989Plaznik et al, 1988;Semba et al, 1989].…”

Prenatal exposure to bisphenol A and/or diethylhexyl phthalate alters stress responses in rat offspring in a sex- and dose-dependent manner

“…An increase in immobility reflects a preference for passive reactive coping mechanisms ( Koolhaas et al, 1999 ; Fucich and Morilak, 2018 ), a maladaptive stress response that is often observed in individuals with affective disorders, including depression ( Koolhaas et al, 1999 ; Olff et al, 2005 ; Southwick et al, 2005 ; Mahmoud et al, 2012 ). Immobility can also be interpreted as a measure of anxiety-like behavior ( Nijssen and Schelvis, 1987 ).…”

The neurosteroid pregnanolone prevents the anxiogenic-like effect of inescapable shock in the rat

“…In addition, the protection afforded by BZ pretreatment against the anxiogenic-like effect of IS was extended to the elevated plus-maze. Previous findings had already well established the protective effect of BZs, but relied primarily upon social interaction and escape behavior as measures of anxiety (Drugan et al 1984;Nijssen and Schelvis 1987;Maier 1990Maier , 1993Short and Maier 1993).…”