Abstract

Anxiety is a subjective emotional experience towards negative environmental stimuli, that is associated with feelings of nervousness, tension and worry. Individuals with high trait anxiety are more likely to develop psychiatric mood and anxiety disorders. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of this trait are not well understood. With thier small body size and relatively high reproductive rate, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is a widely used primate model in scientific research. They also possess complex social system with well-developed vocal communication and the brain structures similar to humans. These characters make them ideal for an animal model in the field of comparative psychology and cognitive neuroscience. In order to delve into the neural mechanism of trait anxiety, it is important to first understand the phenotypic expression of anxiety in the common marmoset. Anxiety is a complex phenomenon that is manifested not only in emotional response but also in cognitive performance. Therefore, in our laboratory, we have employed multiple tests to elucidate the phenotypic expression of trait anxiety. In my talk, I will introduce interesting results as well as the methodology of our experiments.