[Behavioral assessment of neuroleptics (1)--Active avoidance response]. 
The active avoidance responses in mice and/or rats are suppressed specifically by antipsychotic drugs at the doses which have no marked effect on the general behaviors and the other operant behaviors.  In this respect the active avoidance responses have been applied for the preclinical evaluation of antipsychotic drugs.  This paper describes accounting points for carrying out the active avoidance test, in particular continuous and discrete avoidance tasks of lever-press and shuttle types in mice and rats.  Finally, the typical samples of the avoidance-suppressing effect of antipsychotic drugs (dopamine D2 antagonists) are presented.