ANIMAL STRESS MODELS IN THE STUDY OF STRESS AND STRESS RELATED PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DERANGEMENTS

Animal models of stress were successfully adopted in the stress research over the years. Generally, rodent model is successfully used and since, they can be utilized for studying different stress stimuli such as psychological, somatic or physical and a combination of both. Since human beings are difficult to be used to such specified and varied stress stimuli, the results obtained can be extrapolated to few stress situations that may lead into anxiety, depression and psychiatric conditions. The different models used vary from isolation, noise, predator exposure and diurnal variations mainly as psychological models and immobilization, foot shock, temperature variation and unpredictable stress exposure as physical stress models. Between the lines, few psychological models and somatic models may also be a mixture of both as physical discomfort or pain will also have psychological component. Nevertheless, these models have provided a strong basis in understanding the basis of psychological and psychiatric problems that are faced by human beings and contributed in the development of drug development and their testing for the good of mankind.