This invention relates generally to animal models of anxiety and depression. Specifically, this invention relates to an in vivo high utility, high-throughput model for screening anxiolytic/antidepressant drugs in fowl chicks. This new animal model utilizes an inexpensive avian model, measures spontaneous behaviors in very young animals and is capable of detecting and/or differentiating a compound's anxiolytic and/or antidepressant effects. Animal costs are less than 10% of rodent costs and the assay can be run in a high-throughput mode.
ANIMAL MODEL OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION