Because Npas2 expression in the NAc is highly responsive to the acute and chronic stressors known to be anxiogenic, and the NAc is an important site of neural integration for salient events, we determined if reducing Npas2 expression in the NAc via viral mediated RNAi (Npas2 knockdown) was sufficient to reduce anxiety-related behaviors. This evidence concerns the gene NPAS2 and Anxiety.