Prenatal damage/disruptions

Innovative methodologies for in vivo microdialysis in immature subjects have facilitated research in multiple areas. Clinically driven experimentation on neonatal anoxia, hypoxia, or ischemia indicates that perinatal manipulations of oxygen and blood flow result in acute and chronic disruptions of neurotransmission and transmitter turnover (Chen et al., 1997 Nakajima et al, 1999 Ogasawara et al., 1999). Recently, a role for toxic free radicals in brain damage induced by prenatal infection was also delineated by in vivo microdialysis in rat pups (Cambonie et al, 2000, 2004). More subtle neonatal manipulations, such as maternal separation or periodic neonatal isolation, coupled with subsequent in... 

Miller TJ, Hanson RD, Yancey PH (2000) Developmental changes in organic osmolytes in prenatal and postnatal rat tissues. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 125(l) 45-56 Naqvi NH, Rudrauf D, Damasio H, Bechara A (2007) Damage to the insula disrupts addiction to cigarette smoking. Science 315(5811) 531-534... 

The concept of schizophrenia as a neurode- velopmental disorder has inspired attempts to create adverse and early postnatal events in, animals to model the psychopathological processes underlying the disorder (109, 110). These neurodevelopmental models include prenatal malnutrition, viral infection and hypoxia, disrupted neurogenesis by X-ray irradiation or neurotoxins in utero, adverse postnatal experiential factors such as maternal deprivation and social isolation, and postnatal brain damage created by hippocampal, neocor-tical, or thalamic lesions (109-111). With the possible exception of maternal deprivation and social isolation, these models have not been sufficiently characterized pharmacologically to be used for antipsychotic drug screening. 

---