A Novel Integrated (OF-HC-EPM) Approach to Study Anxiety Related Depressive Behavior in Mice Model: A Comparison of Neuro Standards

Open Field, Hole Cross and EPM are three widely acceptable experimental methods used to evaluate sedative-anxiolytic potential. The theories behind introducing these fields were to challenge the rodents to a novel environment. However, the behavioral changes caused by these environments often get influenced by rodent's identical neurologic conditions. The major challenges faced by the researchers are variations due to first administration against repeated administration, utilizing same rodent for another experiment but in different time or using different rodent for different experiments. Keeping the drawbacks in consideration, the present study undertook a newly modified (OF-HC-EPM) approach to integrate the experimental fields so as to utilize the same rodents with single oral administration for exposure to different fields which had allowed nullifying the risk of individual and time dependent variance. Anxiolytics, atypical antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants as well as the combined anxiolytics and antidepressants were administered to Swiss Albino Mice and their respective behavioral changes were observed. The new approach proved to be an essential tool for evaluating neuropharmacological potentials.