Across the world, the diagnosis of anxiety disorders is rising sharply. It is one of the most prevalent mental health problems and is a very costly problem therefore it’s critical to study anxiety and potential treatments.
The elevated plus maze test is one of the most frequently used, well-established models of anxiety in animal research, this blog post will explain the test, how it works, and potential applications.
Elevated Plus Maze Test Basic Principles
The elevated plus maze test is raised above the ground and made up of four arms which are positioned around a small central platform in a plus shape. Two opposite arms are surrounded by high walls whilst the remaining arms stay open and on show.
Subjects of the experiment are placed in the central junction facing an open arm and their entries/duration in each arm are recorded for around five minutes. Anxiety behavior in rodents is assessed by the ratio of time spent in the open arm to the closed arms, where the open arm activity reflects anti-anxiety activity. Anxious animals spend less time in the open arms and enter the open arms less frequently than the closed arms.
The elevated plus maze test is also used for studying Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and schizophrenia.
Main Benefits of the Elevated Plus Maze Test
One of the main benefits of the elevated plus maze test is its capacity to look at the impacts of a range of drugs. Anxiolytics are drugs that lower anxiety and these drugs increase the proportion of open arm activity, whereas anxiogenics are drugs that contribute to anxiety and decrease the levels of open arm activity.
The elevated plus maze test has been used to investigate the role that serotonin plays in controlling anxiety. Rats were administered with a serotonin-reducing drug and were found to enter the open arms more frequently, implying that a lower level of serotonin decreases overall anxiety.
Key Findings using the Elevated Plus Maze Test
The elevated plus maze test has been used to discover that female rats are less anxious than their male counterparts in the elevated plus maze. Research has also shown a strong correlation between the behavioral limits in an elevated plus maze and a large open field maze, which would indicate that they can investigate similar aspects of anxiety-related behavior. [1]
The Elevated Plus Maze Test from San Diego Instruments
San Diego Instruments are experts in neurological testing equipment and are well-positioned to advise and inform on any question that you may have.
You can find out more about the elevated plus maze by visiting our dedicated page.
References
1. Knight, P. et al. (2021) “Sex differences in the elevated plus-maze test and large open field test in adult Wistar rats”, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 204, p. 173168. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173168.