Anxiety – Novelty-Induced Hypophagia
Novelty-induced hypophagia (NIH) assesses stress-induced anxiety by measuring the latency of a mouse to approach and eat food in a novel environment. This test uses a palatable familiar food, which the mouse would normally approach without hesitation in a familiar environment. However, in a novel environment there is a conflict between the desire for the palatable food and the fear of the novel environment. NIH differs from novelty-suppressed feeding because food restriction is not required. This test is sensitive to acute administration of anxiolytic drugs.
Acute injection of either chlordiazepoxide (15 mg/kg; ip) or diazepam (2 mg/kg; ip) decreases latency to eat (top panel) and increases food consumption in a novel environment (bottom panel) in C57BL/6J mice.
