Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 21, 2026

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats
05:05

The Successive Alleys Test of Anxiety in Mice and Rats

Published on: June 17, 2013

Choice of rating form for evaluating anxiolytics

R I Wang, C Kochar

    Psychopharmacology Bulletin
    |January 1, 1989
    PubMed

    The HAM-A has been a popular tool for assessing the anxiety status of patients. However, when studying anxiolytics, HAM-A presents problems. It includes 89 signs and symptoms grouped under 14 major items. Redundant symptoms appear in several items, and different symptoms under the same item may have variable severity, resulting in inconsistent ratings. In addition, evaluation of all 89 symptoms is time consuming and cumbersome, especially when frequent ratings are required in studying patient response to pharmacotherapy. The WARS was specifically designed to quantify symptoms of anxiety for the study of anxiolytics. It contains 12 one-word items, expressing all the relevant and commonly occurring psychic and somatic symptomatology relevant to anxiety. Symptomatology due to medication is rated separately on a side-effect scale. The WARS is thus more sensitive in detecting therapeutic changes. Because of its simplicity and lack of ambiguity, the WARS can be accurately and effortlessly completed in studying anxiolytics.

    More Related Videos

    Testing Animal Anxiety in Rats: Effects of Open Arm Ledges and Closed Arm Wall Transparency in Elevated Plus Maze Test07:54

    Testing Animal Anxiety in Rats: Effects of Open Arm Ledges and Closed Arm Wall Transparency in Elevated Plus Maze Test

    Published on: June 29, 2018

    Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements05:42

    Elevated Plus Maze Test Combined with Video Tracking Software to Investigate the Anxiolytic Effect of Exogenous Ketogenic Supplements

    Published on: January 7, 2019

    Related Concept Videos

    CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines01:14

    CNS Depressants: Barbiturates and Benzodiazepines

    CNS depressants include drugs from the category of barbiturates and benzodiazepines. They are valuable medications for managing anxiety disorders and insomnia. Barbiturates, once used to induce and maintain sleep, have been replaced mainly by benzodiazepines due to barbiturate's toxicity, tolerance, and overdose risks. They interact with GABAA receptors, leading to sedation at low doses and potentially coma and death at higher doses. Phenobarbital, a long-acting barbiturate, possesses...
    Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview01:26

    Anxiolytic Drugs: Overview

    Anxiolytic drugs are vital in managing anxiety disorders by effectively alleviating symptoms such as excessive fear, tachycardia, and tremors. There are several classes of anxiolytic medications, each with unique mechanisms of action and potential side effects.
    Primary Types of Anxiolytic Drugs
    1. Benzodiazepines:
    Benzodiazepines bind to the GABA-A receptor in the brain, enhancing GABA's interaction. This action reduces neurotransmission, effectively blocking anxiety-associated limbic circuitry.
    Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone01:29

    Anxiolytic Drugs: Benzodiazepines and Buspirone

    Benzodiazepines are a class of anxiolytic drugs known for their rapid efficacy and high therapeutic-to-lethal dose ratio, but with a potential risk of drug dependence. These drugs are lipophilic, allowing for rapid absorption after oral administration, eventually reaching the central nervous system (CNS). Once in the CNS, benzodiazepines bind to the allosteric site of the GABAA receptor. This binding enhances the inhibitory effects of the neurotransmitter GABA. By doing so, they prevent...
    Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview01:23

    Sedatives and Hypnotics: Overview

    Sedatives are drugs that alleviate anxiety, while hypnotics induce sleep. Both classes of medication suppress neuronal activity, leading to a calming effect for sedatives and facilitating sleep for hypnotics.
    Sedative-hypnotics are categorized into barbiturates, benzodiazepines (BZDs), and non-benzodiazepines or Z-drugs. These drugs work by suppressing central nervous system activity, and this suppression is dose-dependent. Older sedative medications, like barbiturates, follow a linear curve in...
    Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines01:19

    Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Benzodiazepines

    Benzodiazepines have both sedative and hypnotic properties. They include compounds such as diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax). Structurally, their cores are similar, consisting of the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring, but they share a common mechanism of action in the central nervous system (CNS).
    Benzodiazepines work by enhancing the effects of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. They bind to the GABAA receptor, increasing its affinity for GABA, which opens chloride...
    Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents01:17

    Sedatives and Hypnotics Drugs: Miscellaneous Agents

    Sedatives and hypnotics encompass a wide range of substances, each with its unique mechanism of action, uses, and potential adverse effects.
    Melatonin congeners like ramelteon (Rozerem) and tasimelteon (Hetlioz) selectively bind to melatonin receptors (MT1 and MT2) and thus mimic the actions of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Tasimelteon is primarily used for non-24-hour sleep-wake disorder, common in blind patients. They are also used to treat conditions like insomnia...