Applying this strategy, we investigated the effect of a lack of XRCC1 on various behavioural testing paradigms to assess anxiety-related (light–dark box test and open field test) and fear-related behaviour (context and cued Pavlovian fear conditioning), social interaction (Y-maze social interaction test), motor coordination (accelerating rotarod test) and cognitive functions (Y-maze spontaneous alternation and spatial recognition task). The gene discussed is XRCC1; the disease is Anxiety.