Do Altered Circadian Rhythms Affect Anxiet-Like Behavior in Drosophila Melanogaster?

Altered circadian rhythms (CR) are a feature in many psychiatric disorders. Drosophila Melanogaster has similar CR-regulating neural structures as mammals. We aimed to establish a causative link between altered CRs and anxiety. No significant differences were found between flies exposed to all-dark, all-light or equal amounts of light and dark, in their anxiety-like behavior. Our small sample size may have contributed to the negative results. We plan to address this factor in the coming months.