Contribution of non primate animal models in understanding the etiology of schizophrenia

Abstract

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder that is characterized by positive and negative symptoms and cognitive impairments. The etiology of the disorder is complex, and it is thought to follow a multifactorial threshold model of inheritance with genetic and neuro -develop mental contributions to risk. Human studies are particularly useful in capturing the richness of the phenotype, but they are often limited to the use of correlational approaches. By assessing behavioral abnormalities in both humans and rodents, nonprimate animal models of schizophrenia provide unique insight into the etiology and mechanisms of the disorder. This review discusses the phenom -enology and etiology of schizophrenia and the contribution of current nonprimate animal models with an emphasis on how research with models of neuro transmitter dysregulation, environmental risk factors, neurodevelopmental disruption and genetic risk factors can complement the literature on schizophrenia in humanAmerican Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Washington (DC): American Psychiatric Association; 2000. © 2011 Canadian Medical Association.