Animal models (i.e., chemically or genetically manipulated animals that show signs of a particular disease) provide one of the best ways to study the underlying neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to human neurological disorders such as schizophrenia. Among the symptoms of the disease is the loss of the pre-pulse inhibition (PPI), the normal suppression of the startle reflex that occurs when the startling stimulus is preceded by a less intense, non-startling stimulus. The ability to demonstrate loss of PPI has become widely used as a requisite symptom in the development of useful animal models of schizophrenia. John studied the specific characteristics of the startle reflex of rats, specifically PPI. To induce the manifestation of schizophrenic symptoms in mature rats, they were injected with neurotoxin domoic acid early in life during critical periods of brain development. Previous research conducted by Dr. Cathy Ryan and Dr. Tracy Doucette has shown that early treatment with low doses of domoic acid (DOM) disrupts PPI in adult rats compared to untreated mature animals. However, the differences between the treated and untreated groups are subtle. It would be advantageous to the further development of this animal model if the differences between the two treatment groups were more robust.

The goal of this project was to establish optimal testing parameters that would increase the sensitivity of this measure, so that differences between the treatment groups can be detected more definitively.

Study of this neurological phenomenon is important because abnormalities in the startle circuitry of mammals are present in schizophrenia patients.

My research will contribute to research being conducted within the Ryan/Doucette lab for development of an animal model of schizophrenia.

I enjoyed the opportunity to conduct behavioral experiments on live specimens and to help other students within the Ryan/Doucette lab better understand the different divisions of neuroscience research.