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Animal model of schizophrenia and time-space integration in the role of AAPA
Janďourková, Pavla ; Nekovářová, Tereza (advisor) ; Valeš, Karel (referee)
Temporal and spatial cognition constitute basic elements of the cognitive function. Both of these competences are important for the individual's orientation and survival and there are likely to be different interactions between them. Perception of time, unlike spatial navigation and memory, is less explored. Impairments of interval timing occur in many neurodegenera- tive and neuropsychiatric disorders. According to current studies it is evident that timing is impaired even in patients with schizophrenia, but the results are still ambiguous. The aim of our work was to test the AAPA task in the time-place integration in the ani- mal model of schizophrenia. In the future, it could help to clarify the impairments of the time perception in patients with schizophrenia. In contrast to the classic AAPA task, our version included alternating of phases of light and darkness. The assumption of the experiment was that the solution of the task by rats in the dark is more dependent on the timing strategy than the solution of the task during the light, which is dependent on the spatial orientation. In the first phase of the experiment, the rats adopted both strategies - spatial (during the light phase of the session) and timing (during the dark phase). In the next phase of the experiment, we tested the animal...
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Impaired cognitive coordination on a rotating arena after systemic dizocilpine (MK-801).
Buchtová, Helena ; Kubík, Štěpán (advisor) ; Olexová, Lucia (referee)
Disruption of cognitive abilities such as learning, memory and spatial navigation accompanies a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia. Cognitive symptoms are also most difficult to target by available pharmacotherapy.. Behavioral and molecular evidence point to a disruption of NMDA receptors and glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission. Impaired cognitive coordination has been proposed as a core cognitive deficit in schizophrenia. Non- competitive NMDAR antagonists are used to model schizophrenia- related symptoms in humans and in experimental animals. Place avoidance on a rotating arena is used to model cognitive functions disrupted in an animal model of schizophrenia. The goal of this thesis is to show whether the deficit in place avoidance is due to disrupted cognitive coordination or another effect of NMDAR antagonism such as hyperlocomotion, general learning deficit, or altered sensitivity.
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Using the Carousel Maze as a test of cognitive symptoms in an animal model of schizophrenia
Buchtová, Helena ; Landová, Eva (advisor) ; Jiruška, Přemysl (referee)
Spatial behaviour of animals is used to model cognitive human abilities such as declarative learning and memory. Cognitive deficits accompany a number of neuropsychiatric disorders and their treatment is most problematic. Schizophreniais one of these disorders. Behavioral, neurochamical, and molecular evidence point to a critical role of the NMDA glutamatergic receptors in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Disruption of their function results in behavioral and physiological changes including dysregulation of the depaminergic neurotransmission. This fact is used to model schizophrenia-related symptoms by systemic administration of NMDA receptor antagonists. Models combining administration of these drugs with behavioral tests aimed at specific cognitive deficits are of particular interest. This thesis use existing evidence to show that the Carousel Maze is such a behavioral test, which uses dynamic spatial learning to test the ability to coordinate discordant information and specific use of the relevant cues.
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