PsyRING

Translational Model of Schizophrenia: Hypofrontality

Hypofrontality (reduced activation of the prefrontal cortex PrL) is a key feature of schizophrenia thought to underlie negative symptoms and cognitive deficits - a major marker for detecting efficacy in novel drugs.

Hypofrontality is uniquely reproduced in the PsyRING translational model, using techniques analogous to those used in humans.

The PsyRING model provides the only way to assess efficacy of novel drugs against this key feature.

Neither clozapine or haloperidol reverse the hypofrontality but do restore deficits in thalamic and auditory structures.  This is in keeping with their clinical profile of treating positive but not negative symptoms and cognitive deficits.  Clozapine restores parvalbumin deficits in prefrontal cortex implying some ability to restore cognitive processes (Cochran et al 2003).