Impared Latent Inhibition in geneticaly found in mice genetically vulnerabal to schizophrenia
Class
Article
Graduation Year
2017
College
Caine College of the Arts
Department
Psychology Department
Faculty Mentor
Mona Buhusi
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that devastates lives. Mental, social and financial difficulties often make it impossible for those affected by schizophrenia to live a normal life. Research has found that schizophrenia is the result of combined genetic and environmental factors, such as stress. Understanding how genetic factors induce a vulnerability to schizophrenia and how stress influences the development of the disorder is crucial to developing better diagnosis, treatment, and prevention methods for schizophrenia. We investigated behavioral phenotypes reminiscent of schizophrenia in genetically modified mice vulnerable to stress and wild type controls. Mice were randomly separated into stress and no-stress groups, then tested for impairment of selective attention – a schizophrenic symptom related to attentional dysregulation. Preliminary results indicate significant differences in selective attention in genetically modified mice when compared to wild type mice. This research could inform future studies on the mechanisms causing schizophrenic symptomatology in vulnerable individuals.
Location
Room 204
Start Date
4-13-2017 1:30 PM
End Date
4-13-2017 2:45 PM
Impared Latent Inhibition in geneticaly found in mice genetically vulnerabal to schizophrenia
Room 204
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that devastates lives. Mental, social and financial difficulties often make it impossible for those affected by schizophrenia to live a normal life. Research has found that schizophrenia is the result of combined genetic and environmental factors, such as stress. Understanding how genetic factors induce a vulnerability to schizophrenia and how stress influences the development of the disorder is crucial to developing better diagnosis, treatment, and prevention methods for schizophrenia. We investigated behavioral phenotypes reminiscent of schizophrenia in genetically modified mice vulnerable to stress and wild type controls. Mice were randomly separated into stress and no-stress groups, then tested for impairment of selective attention – a schizophrenic symptom related to attentional dysregulation. Preliminary results indicate significant differences in selective attention in genetically modified mice when compared to wild type mice. This research could inform future studies on the mechanisms causing schizophrenic symptomatology in vulnerable individuals.