Transforming the Translational Validity of Preclinical Psychosis Models: Moving Beyond Dopamine-Focused Assays to Study New Anti-Psychosis Drug Mechanisms & Demonstrate Clinically Relevant Readouts
Time: 9:00 am
day: Pre-Conference Day
Details:
Current psychosis research often relies on pharmacological challenges, such as administering stimulants (e.g., amphetamine) or NMDA receptor blockers (e.g., MK21, PCP) to healthy brains. While these methods model certain aspects of psychosis, they may not fully capture the broader alterations seen in the disorder. However, they remain among the best available tools. Recent advancements using non-human primates (NHPs) are expanding our understanding, alongside efforts to model psychosis in conditions such as bipolar disorder, postpartum psychosis, Huntington’s disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
This collaborative workshop explores key questions such as:
- How can we improve clinical trial success by addressing the predictive limitations of current models? • Should research shift toward cell-based models, organoids, or Human Challenge Models (HCM)? • Can the bipolar lithium model be applied to psychosis?
- How can NHPs help bridge the translational gap?
- How can preclinical testing better assess cognitive and negative symptom domains?
