According to research published in the peer-reviewed journal Psychopharmacology, experts delved into the sex differences of anxiety between males and females.
Researchers conducted experimentation on the anxiety levels of rodents to better understand any patterns of sex differences.
15 to 18 rodents were tested, with diazepam used on female rodents to examine its response to the treatment.
“We examined female and male adult Wistar rats (n = 15–18/group) that were single-housed in the novelty suppression of feeding test (NSFT) that involves food under a bright light in food-restricted animals, and light–dark test (LDT), which reflects innate aversion to bright light. To further validate these tests in females, we also examined the impact of 1 mg/kg diazepam,” the journal report reads.
“Combining our findings and previous studies, we speculate that increased anxiety-like behavior in females manifests especially when there is a specific, life-relevant condition (e.g., food in the NSFT). Our findings also validate NSFT and LDT use in females,” the report concludes.
