bottle placed so the drink tube extends into the plexiglas box is connected when a subject drinks from the bottle the circuit is closed and an electric shock is delivered at the tube after seven licks are recorded the number of licks in a 3 min session is recorded anti anxiety agents will increase the number of shocks the animal is willing to endure to acquire water male nsa mice 25 30 g are used the apparatus consists of an open topped box divided into small and large area by a partition that has a hole at floor level the small compartment is painted black and the large compartment white the white compartment was illuminated with light and the black compartment with red light the time spent in the light versus dark compartments and the number of transitions between compartments is recorded during a 5 min test session vehicle or test compounds are administered 30 min prior to the test diazepam is administered i p at 2 mg kg as the positive control anti anxiety agents will reduce the time the animals will spend in the dark compartment and increase the number of transitions between the two compartments in addition to administering the compound as a raw chemical the compounds of the invention may be administered as part of a pharmaceutical preparation.