Open AccessExploration of the cortical pathophysiology underlying visual disturbances in schizophrenia comorbid with depressive disorder—An evidence from mouse model
Author(s) -
Liu Jian,
Zheng Lidan,
Fang Tao,
Li Ranli,
Ma Xiaoyan,
Sun Yun,
Wang Lina,
Tian Hongjun,
Jiang Deguo,
Zhuo Chuanjun
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 41
ISSN - 2162-3279
DOI - 10.1002/brb3.2113
Subject(s) - schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , neuroscience , visual cortex , psychology , psychosis , electrophysiology , major depressive disorder , depression (economics) , psychiatry , cognition , macroeconomics , economics
Patients with schizophrenia frequently present with visual disturbances including hallucination, and this symptom is particularly prevalent in individuals with comorbid depressive disorders. Currently, little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms of such psychiatric symptoms, and few explanations for the co‐occurrence of schizophrenia, depression, and visual disturbances are available. Methods In this study, we generated a mouse schizophrenia model in which depressive symptoms were also induced. We adopted in vivo two‐photon calcium imaging and ex vivo electrophysiological recording of the primary visual cortex to reveal the synaptic transmission and neural activity in the mouse schizophrenia model. Results In vivo two‐photon calcium imaging and ex vivo electrophysiological recording of the primary visual cortex revealed impaired synaptic transmission and abnormal neural activity in the schizophrenia model, but not in the depression model. These functional deficits were most prominent in the combined schizophrenia and depression model. Conclusion Overall, our data support a mechanism by which the visual cortex plays a role in visual disturbances in schizophrenia.