title: The endocannabinoid system as a target for modelling psychosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Model psychosis is characterised by experimentally induced symptoms of withdrawal from reality, frequently accompanied by perceptual disturbances, thought disorders, delusional ideas and sometimes by hallucinations. These "altered states of consciousness" provide a long-standing and valid approach to enhance our understanding of certain aspects of schizophrenia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Targeting the endocannabinoid system to investigate its involvement in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia became increasingly relevant with the discovery of this system and amounting epidemiological evidence for a deleterious influence of cannabis use on both manifestation and course of the disease. The majority of studies in the field are targeted to investigate drug effect of cannabis and cannabinoids not immediately related to psychosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this review, we summarise studies relevant for or designed as model psychosis experiments. Based on the data available, we examine the contribution of these studies to an improved neurobiological assessment of endocannabinoid functioning in psychosis and schizophrenia. An outline for future studies in the field and cross-links to other approaches to model psychosis is provided.
authors.affiliation: Central Institute of Mental Health, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Dagmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Koethe
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hoyer
authors.forename: F Markus
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Leweke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators / Q000378:metabolism*; D063388:Endocannabinoids; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D063385:Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; D063388:Endocannabinoids