Chih-Liang Chin1, Peter Curzon2, Ann E. Tovcimak1, Bryan F. Cox1, Lynne E. Rueter2, Michael W. Decker2, Gerard B. Fox1, Ana M. Basso2
1Advanced Technology, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, USA; 2Neuroscience Research, Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, IL, USA
Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder and its etiology remains elusive. Herein, using T2-weighted and manganese-enhanced MRI, we investigated structural changes in methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM)-treated rats a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia. We found that, compared to vehicle controls, an increase in the volume of lateral ventricles (p<0.001) and third ventricle (p<0.05) as well as reduction of hippocampal volume (p<0.001) in MAM-treated rats. These findings are consistent with ventricle enlargement shown in schizophrenic patients and cortical thickness thinning previously observed in MAM-treated rats. Therefore, structural abnormalities observed in this model might serve as translational biomarkers for assessing novel treatments for schizophrenia.