Summary of a National Institute of Mental Health workshop: developing animal models of anxiety disorders

The probability of developing comprehensive animal models that accurately reflect the relative influences of factors contributing to anxiety disorder syndromes is quite low and ample opportunity remains to better define and extend existing models and behavioral measures related to specific processes that may be disrupted in anxiety disorders and to develop new models that consider the impact of combined factors in determining anxious behaviors.

Abstract

The probability of developing comprehensive animal models that accurately reflect the relative influences of factors contributing to anxiety disorder syndromes is quite low. However, ample opportunity remains to better define and extend existing models and behavioral measures related to specific processes that may be disrupted in anxiety disorders and to develop new models that consider the impact of combined factors in determining anxious behaviors.