| 摘要 |
The present invention is related to a non-human mammal artificially brain damaged through a process introducing a lesion in the brain of said non-human mammal, wherein said lesion is introduced at the amygdala of said non-human mammal and wherein: (a) said process comprises injecting a cytotoxin directly into the amygdala of the prepubescent non-human mammal at a point of time between birth and the day that said mammal is halfway between birth and puberty; (b) the cytotoxin causes a lesion by killing an adequate number of the neurons in the amygdala of said prepubescent non-human mammal; and (c) said process results in an artificially brain damaged non-human mammal which, when allowed to reach postpuberty, exhibits abnormal behavior as objectively measured in one or more standard behavioral tests and wherein said abnormal behavior is associated with CNS disorders, especially psychiatric disorders and more especially schizophrenia, in adult humans, and wherein said behavior statistically differs from the corresponding behavior of sham lesioned non-human mammals. The invention is further related to a method of assaying the potential of pharmaceutical compounds or compositions as a therapeutical in the treatment of CNS disorders, especially psychiatric disorders and more especially schizophrenia and the use of compounds active in said method for the treatment of said disorders. |
