The aim of the project is to develop an innovative animal model of schizophrenia focusing on disrupted visual processing at the level of the retina. The underlying hypothesis is that aberrant sensory input leads to the formation of unstable internal models of reality, contributing to the development of schizophrenic symptoms. Prolonged exposure to such input may impair the development of neural connectivity, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, and induce pathological synaptic pruning during adolescence.
The model will be tested in transgenic TH-Cre rats with viral delivery of DREADD receptors to the retina. These receptors will be repeatedly activated to induce sensory noise and fluctuations in retinal dopaminergic signaling. In adulthood, the animals will undergo a battery of behavioral and cognitive tests, MRI-based brain imaging, and histological and chemical analyses of retina and vitreous to verify the effectiveness of the intervention.
Supported by the Czech Health Research Council grant NW25J-04-00110.
