Behavioral Pharmacology of Antianxiety Drugs

摘要: The discovery and introduction of valuable new antianxiety agents into clinical psychotherapeutics within the last 20 years was accompanied by a parallel advance in development behavioral pharmacology. Behavioral methodology helped to characterize these agents. At same time, interesting varied properties compounds stimulated more comprehensive techniques so that possible subtle differences among could be evaluated. In this chapter, we shall review studies animals may shed light upon therapeutic actions benzodiazepines other drugs. Although many pharmacologic have been used study central nervous system agents, e.g., antagonism pentylene-tetrazol-induced convulsions or footschock-induced fighting, most material reviewed will involve operant conditioning techniques. advantages methods, including use as their own controls because availability stable baselines trained animals, described previously (Cook Sepinwall, 1975a,b). Some included, however, indicate Value certain nonoperant procedures for studying anxiolytic compounds.