1Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
2Kunming General Hospital of Chengdu Military Command, Kunming 650032, China
3State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
4Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
Corresponding author: Yuan-Ye Ma. E-mail: yuanma0716@vip.sina.com

Abstract 

The prefrontal cortex is implicated in cognitive functioning and schizophrenia. Prefrontal dysfunction is closely associated with the symptoms of schizophrenia. In addition to the features typical of schizophrenia, patients also present with aspects of cognitive disorders. Based on these relationships, a monkey model mimicking the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia has been made using treatment with the non-specific competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, phencyclidine. The symptoms are ameliorated by atypical antipsychotic drugs such as clozapine. The beneficial effects of clozapine on behavioral impairment might be a specific indicator of schizophrenia-related cognitive impairment.

Keywords

prefrontal cortex; schizophrenia; monkey model

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