Background
Psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia are believed to emerge from an interaction
of several factors. Thus, a genetic predisposition can lead to developmental compromises
that may leave the system more susceptible to deficits induced by subsequent environmental
variables such as stress.
Methods
The impact of neurodevelopmental interruption induced by exposure of rats prenatally
to a compound methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) that disrupts neuronal proliferation
was investigated using in vivo electrophysiologic recordings from the prefrontal cortex
of adult rats.
Results
Prenatal exposure to MAM resulted in alterations in the medial prefrontal cortex indicative
of a compromise in information processing. Specifically, we observed a disruption
in activity patterns consistent with deficits in neuronal synchronization and abnormal
augmentation of synaptic plasticity that was more severely disrupted by stress exposure
than in normal animals. Furthermore, these deficits could be reversed by manipulating
the mesocortical dopamine system.
Conclusions
These results suggest that disruption of early cortical development causes impairments
in medial prefrontal cortical function at adulthood that are more vulnerable to disruptive
influences, despite the presence of only subtle structural alterations in the brain.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 04, 2006
Accepted:
May 23,
2006
Received in revised form:
May 23,
2006
Received:
December 21,
2005
Identification
Copyright
© 2006 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
