Analysis of NeuropsychiatricDisease-Related FunctionalNeuroanatomical Markers in Mice

摘要

A better alignment of preclinical and clinical neurobiological measures couldhelp improve neuropsychiatric disease therapeutic development. This unitdescribes a compendium of hypothesis-driven neuroanatomical phenotypingstrategies to be employed in genetic mouse models. Using neuropsychiatricdisease-based alterations as a guide, these are histological and immunohistochemicalmethodologies also applied to human tissue. They include quantifi-cation assays of neurochemical-, newly born neuron- and glial-cell markers,synaptic proteins, regional volumetrics, dendritic complexity and spine numberas well as an index of excitation/inhibition balance. The techniques can beimplemented in isolation or to complement concordant behavioral and electrophysiologicalanalyses. Each outcome will provide functional detail necessaryto decipher underlying neural circuit abnormalities associated with a brainrelatedphenotype in mice. Experimental design, timing, anticipated resultsand potential pitfalls are discussed.