Abstract
Background: Studies of schizophrenia have pointed to the role of glutamate in its pathophysiology. Mice lacking D-serine show impairments in neurotransmission through NMDA receptors and display behaviors consistent with features of schizophrenia. Yet, socio-communicative deficits, a characteristic of schizophrenia, have not been reported in serine racemase knockout mice. Methods: We use behavioral testing (the three-chambered social approach task, the dyadic interaction task, and the novel object recognition task) to examine socio-communicative behaviors in these mice. Results: Serine racemase mice show abnormal social investigation and approach behavior, and differ from wild-type controls in the duration and number of vocalizations they emit in the presence of a conspecific. Serine racemase knockout mice were not impaired in a cognitive test (novel object recognition), although they displayed abnormal behavior in the acquisition phase of the task. Conclusions: Serine racemase knockout mice demonstrate abnormalities in socio-communicative behaviors consistent with an impairment in sociality, a negative symptom of schizophrenia.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | e01383 |
Journal | Brain and Behavior |
Volume | 9 |
Issue number | 10 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 1 2019 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2019 The Authors. Brain and Behavior published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Keywords
- N-methyl-D-aspartate
- affect
- asociality
- glutamate
- schizophrenia
- sociability