Structural analyses in the study of anxiety and anxiety-related behaviour

Abstract

According to the latest Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, anxiety encompasses various conditions sharing an excessive sense of fear and/or apprehension for no evident reason and related behavioural disturbances (Association, 2013). The association of such a gloomy symptomatology, with the great diffusion in the general population, explains the critical impact of anxiety disorders on inter-personal relationships and job-related activities (Greenberg et al.,1999; Wittchen & Hoyer, 2001; Keeley & Storch, 2009). Hence, anxiety disorders represent an important and consistent topic of discussion, not only in terms of underlying neuro-psychological processes but, importantly, also in terms of behavioral dynamics. In such a context, behavioral neurosciences play a central role in understanding anxiety. Different assays are available to study the characteristics of anxiety-related behavior, such as the open- field (OF), the hole-board (HB) and the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM).