Evaluation of maternal immune activation with post-weaning social isolation as a potential rat model for schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a disabling mental disorder whose risk factors are diverse, cause is unclear and symptoms remain poorly treated. This thesis examines the utility of a ‘dual-hit’ approach in developing a novel, improved animal model for schizophrenia. Successful generation of a superior animal model could facilitate our understanding of the causes of schizophrenia, and aid development of new treatments. This thesis also investigates gene expression changes in the brain using a pre-existing animal model for schizophrenia. This can provide insight into whether the animal model is suitable for use in schizophrenia research.