Publication: Early neuromodulation prevents the development of brain and behavioral abnormalities in a rodent model of schizophrenia
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2017-04-04
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Springer Nature
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Abstract
The notion that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which neuropathologies evolve gradually over the
developmental course indicates a potential therapeutic window during which pathophysiological processes may be modified to
halt disease progression or reduce its severity. Here we used a neurodevelopmental maternal immune stimulation (MIS) rat model
of schizophrenia to test whether early targeted modulatory intervention would affect schizophrenia’s neurodevelopmental course.
We applied deep brain stimulation (DBS) or sham stimulation to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of adolescent MIS rats and
respective controls, and investigated its behavioral, biochemical, brain-structural and -metabolic effects in adulthood. We found
that mPFC-DBS successfully prevented the emergence of deficits in sensorimotor gating, attentional selectivity and executive
function in adulthood, as well as the enlargement of lateral ventricle volumes and mal-development of dopaminergic and
serotonergic transmission. These data suggest that the mPFC may be a valuable target for effective preventive treatments. This may
have significant translational value, suggesting that targeting the mPFC before the onset of psychosis via less invasive
neuromodulation approaches may be a viable preventive strategy.
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Keywords
Deep brain stimulation, Animal disease models, Psychotic disorders, Schizophrenia, Neurotransmitter agents, Sensory gating, Dopamine, Brain, Neuroscience
Bibliographic citation
Molecular Psychiatry (2018) 23(4), 943–951.