GHRL and Anxiety: Our observation that ghrelin's acute effects to suppress anxiety-like behavior in the EPM test, exerted at the level of the amygdala, are only observed in rats that are prohibited from eating during the first hour after ghrelin administration, support the idea that ghrelin's effects on food intake and emotional reactivity are linked and likely facilitate exploration, foraging and other food-linked behaviors that are critical for survival when food is scarce.