Overview of Animal Models of Schizophrenia

Abstract

Animal models of schizophrenia may increase the understanding of the neurological abnormalities associated with the disorder and aid in the development of rational pharmacological treatments. Rather than attempting to model the entire syndrome of schizophrenia, a more biologically oriented approach to animal models has been to focus on specific symptoms of schizophrenia that are more objectively measured in the clinical population and more directly translatable to animals (e.g., observables or endophenotypes). This overview focuses on behavioral measures that have been investigated in rodent models of schizophrenia with varying degrees of predictive, etiological, and construct validity. Because of the severity of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia and their resistance to current treatments, there is a need to develop animal models specific to the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. In light of this need, this overview discusses rodent models of cognition with relevance to the core cognitive deficits observed in schizophrenia.