title: An updated overview of animal models in neuropsychiatry.
abstract: Animal models are vital tools to study the genetic, molecular, cellular, and environmental parameters involved in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Over the years, these models have expanded our understanding of the pathogenesis of many neuropsychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Although animal models have been widely used in psychiatry, and despite several years of extensive research with these models, their validity is still being investigated and presents a challenge to both investigators and clinicians as well. In this concise review, we will describe the most common animal models utilized in neuropsychiatry, including animal models of depression, anxiety, and psychosis. In addition, we will also discuss the validity and reliability of these models and current challenges in this domain. Furthermore, this work will discuss the role of gene-environment interaction as an additional contributing factor that modulates neuropsychological outcome and its implication on animal models. This overview will give a succinct summary of animal models in psychiatry which will be useful both to the seasoned researcher, as well as novices in the field.
authors.affiliation: Residency Program, Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. mahdi@ufl.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Razafsha
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Behforuzi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Harati
authors.forename: R Al
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Wafai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khaku
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mondello
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Kobeissy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders; D058027:Neuropsychiatry; D015203:Reproducibility of Results