Hyperresponsiveness to phencyclidine in animals lesioned in the amygdala on day 7 of life. Implications for an animal model of schizophrenia.
European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology August 1, 2003 E W P M Daenen, G Wolterink, J M Van Ree
Rats that received ibotenic acid lesions in the amygdala on day 7 of life, a proposed animal model of schizophrenia, showed a stronger behavioral response to phencyclidine (PCP) than sham-operated rats. PCP dose-dependently caused hyperactivity, stereotyped behavior, and social isolation in all rats, but the lesioned animals were hyperresponsive to the drug. This hyperresponsiveness supports the validity of the neonatal amygdala lesion model for studying schizophrenia-like symptoms.