Sexual behaviour and frustration: Testosterone’s anxiolytic effect

JUSTEL, N., MUSTACA, A. & BENTOSELA, M.

Buenos Aires

Congreso; 14th Biennial Meeting International Society for Comparative Psychology Argentinean Scientific Society; 2008

International Society for Comparative Psychology

The sexual behavior has anxiolytic-like effects in several procedures. There is a wide body of literature that suggests that one possible mechanism involved in this phenomenon is the increase of testosterone’s release produced by sexual situation. Findings of androgen’s exogenous administration support this hypothesis. In previous studies have been use different aversive’s stimulus, like electrics shocks, cold water immersion, etc. The aim of the present study is evaluated if the testosterone’s anxiolytic effect is also produced with the omission of an expected appetitive reinforcer. With this objective we realize a chronic administration of 25mg/kg testosterone in a consummatory extinction procedure to adult rats. The findings suggest that the subjects with testosterone’s administration show a faster extinction compared with control animals. The results are discussed in relationship with the emotional testosterone’s effects and the functional equivalence between aversive stimulus and omission of an appetitive stimulus.