EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE INDEX IN SOCIALLY ISOLATED MICE USING ELEVATED PLUS MAZE.

ABSTRACT Anxiety is a common psychiatric disorder influenced by both biological and environmental factors. Social isolation has been recognized as a major environmental stressor capable of triggering anxiety-related changes in behavior. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of social isolation on anxiety-related behavior in mice. Adult mice were divided into two groups: socially housed controls and socially isolated mice. Following the isolation period, behavioral assessment was carried out using the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), a widely used paradigm for anxiety research. Key parameters measured included the time spent and entries into open versus closed arms. Results revealed that socially isolated mice spent significantly less time in the open arms and showed a preference for the closed arms compared to controls, indicating heightened anxiety-like behavior. These findings suggest that social isolation promotes anxiety-related responses in mice and highlight the critical role of social interaction in maintaining emotional stability. Keywords: Social isolation, Anxiety, Performance index, Behaviour.