The Consequences Of Dopaminergic Pathway Activation in Zebrafish Larvae Anxiety-Like Behavior

The so-called windows of development are often the subject of studies aiming to understand neural development and the influence of specific experiences on the formation and maturation of the Nervous System. To achieve this, pharmacological and behavioral tests have been designed and validated to provide data that can, for example, elucidate the role of specific pathways in neurodevelopment and the consequences of alterations within them. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in various physiological processes. Activation or inhibition of dopaminergic receptors can affect the development of neuronal cells and be related to the manifestation of disorders such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, ADHD, and Parkinson`s disease. However, the involvement of dopamine in the ontogeny of anxious behavior is not yet fully understood. Therefore, the development of experimental protocols sensitive to the emergence of this behavior in the early stages of development is of utmost importance. Currently, various experimental protocols are used to study animal behavior, with one of the main parameters analyzed being the pattern of avoidance of aversive stimuli. Data collected through these tests provide information suggesting an anxious-like behavior, characterized by pronounced avoidance of aversive stimuli compared to normal conditions.