Behavioural and Non-behavioural Experimental Models of Psychosis: Current State and Future Aspects

Abstract

Animal models provide an opportunity to decipher the relationships between the nervous system and animal behaviour as they serve as obligatory tools for screening for new drugs. As psychosis is a chronic and complex mental disorder, therefore, different theories are available. However, the pathophysiology of psychosis is still not fully clear, making it challenging to develop a coherent framework appropriate for animal modeling. Though, limited animal models are available to explore several relevant theories and to evaluate specific mechanistic hypotheses. These animal models have been based on neurotransmitter systems supposed to be involved in psychosis. Now, the emphasis has been shifted to targeting related brain areas to explore possible pathophysiological hypotheses. In the present chapter, the authors have described various behavioural and non-behavioural animal models to test for antipsychotics. Emphasis has been given to the procedure because these models help to shape the direction of future research.

Keywords: Animal model, Behavioural models, Non-behavioural models, Psychosis.

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