Cognitive impairments appear early in the progression of schizophrenia, often preceding the symptoms of psychosis. Thus, the systems subserving these functions may be more vulnerable to, and mechanistically linked with, the initial pathology. Understanding the trajectory of behavioral and anatomical abnormalities relevant to the schizophrenia prodrome and their sensitivity to interventions in relevant models will be critical to identifying early therapeutic strategies. Isolation rearing of rats is an environmental perturbation that deprives rodents of social contact from weaning through adulthood and produces behavioral and neuronal abnormalities that mirror some pathophysiology associated with schizophrenia, e.g. frontal cortex abnormalities and prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle deficits. Previously, we showed that PPI deficits in isolation-reared rats emerge in mid-adolescence (4 weeks after weaning; approx. postnatal day 52) but are not present when tested at 2 weeks after weaning (approx. postnatal day 38). Because cognitive deficits are reported during early adolescence, are relevant to the prodrome, and are linked to functional outcome, we examined the putative time course of reversal learning deficits in isolation-reared rats. Separate groups of male Sprague Dawley rats were tested in a two-choice discrimination task at 2 and 8 weeks after weaning, on postnatal day 38 and 80, respectively. The isolation-reared rats displayed impaired reversal learning at both time points. Isolation rearing was also associated with deficits in PPI at 4 and 10 weeks after weaning. The reversal learning deficits in the isolated rats were accompanied by reductions in parvalbumin immunoreactivity, a marker for specific subpopulations of GABAergic neurons, in the hippocampus. Hence, isolation rearing of rats may offer a unique model to examine the ontogeny of behavioral and neurobiological alterations that may be relevant to preclinical models of prodromal psychosis. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Susan B. Powell

Asma Khan

Jared W. Young

Christine N. Scott

Mahalah R. Buell

Sorana Caldwell

Elisa Tsan

Loek A.W. de Jong

Dean T. Acheson

Jacinta Lucero

Mark A. Geyer

M. Margarita Behrens

Developmental Neuroscience

《DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROSCIENCE》是一本多学科期刊，发表论文涵盖无脊椎动物、脊椎动物和人类大脑发育的所有阶段。重点放在发表有助于我们理解正常发育机制以及异常大脑发育的遗传和环境原因的基础研究和转化研究。因此，该杂志为医生和生物学家提供了有价值的信息。为了满足读者快速增长的信息需求，该杂志将报告发育神经科学进展和进展的原创论文与简明的小型评论相结合，及时概述关键主题、新见解和正在进行的争议。 《发育神经科学》的编辑水准很高。我们致力于只发表对该领域做出重大贡献的高质量、完整的论文。

Developmental Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary journal that publishes research papers covering all stages of brain development in invertebrates, vertebrates, and humans. The journal focuses on both basic and translational research that helps us understand the genetic and environmental factors influencing normal and abnormal brain development. As such, it provides valuable information for both clinicians and biologists. To meet the growing information needs of readers, the journal combines original papers with concise mini-reviews, offering timely overviews of key topics, new insights, and ongoing controversies in the field of developmental neuroscience. The editorial standards of Developmental Neuroscience are very high, and we are committed to publishing only high-quality, comprehensive papers that make significant contributions to the field.

《Developmental Neuroscience》是一本多学科期刊，发表涵盖无脊椎动物、脊椎动物及人类大脑发育各个阶段的研究论文。期刊重点关注基础研究和转化研究，这些研究有助于我们理解正常及异常大脑发育的遗传和环境因素。因此，该期刊为医生和生物学家提供了宝贵的信息。为了满足读者日益增长的信息需求，期刊结合了原创论文和简明的小型评论，及时概述发育神经科学领域的最新进展、关键主题、新见解及正在进行的争议。《Developmental Neuroscience》的编辑水准极高，我们致力于只发表对该领域做出重大贡献的高质量、完整的论文。

Early Adolescent Emergence of Reversal Learning Impairments in Isolation-Reared Rats

The putative time course of reversal learning deficits in isolation-reared rats was examined and it was shown that isolation rearing of rats may offer a unique model to examine the ontogeny of behavioral and neurobiological alterations that may be relevant to preclinical models of prodromal psychosis.

Category	Quartile
医学	4
医学, 发育生物学	4
医学, 神经科学	4

Early Adolescent Emergence of Reversal Learning Impairments in Isolation-Reared Rats

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