Adaptations in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders and investigation of possible treatments

First and foremost, NBLab developed a neurodevelopmental mouse model, and specifically the MAM model of schizophrenia (Chalkiadaki et al., 2019). The MAM model has face, construct and predictive validity as an animal model of schizophrenia and its development in mice will allow us to take advantage of the state-of-the-art genetic tools available in mice to understand the early-life changes in these mice, by performing experiments in neonatal, juvenile and adolescent MAM-treated mice.
We have also identified that the neonatal period could be an additional critical period for the development of prefrontal cortical function and the emergence of neuropsychiatric disorders, as manipulating synaptic transmission during that period significantly affects the morphology and function of the prefrontal cortex in adulthood (Konstantoudaki et al., 2016; Plataki et al., 2021).
Current projects
- Investigation of early-life adaptations in the MAM mouse model of schizophrenia.
- Reversing cognitive deficits and altered E/I ratio in the MAM mouse model of schizophrenia by peri-adolescent treatment with LY379268, a metabotropic glutamate receptor agonist.
- Reversing cognitive deficits altered E/I ratio in the MAM model of schizophrenia by chemogenetically increasing GABAergic neuron function during adolescence.
In collaboration with other laboratories, my lab has investigated memory function and underlying mechanisms (i.e. long-term potentiation) in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease (Rogdakis et al., 2020; Kokkali et al., 2024; Kynigopoulos et al., submitted) as well as in a humanized mouse model (that expresses the human gene GLUD2) (Spanaki et al., 2024).
At NBLab, we have developed an assay that allows for screening of the effects of novel anti-epileptic drugs (Vagiaki et al., 2024; Thomaidi et al., 2022)
We have investigated the effect of a behavioral intervention, that of working memory training, on improving cognitive flexibility in mice (Stavroulaki et al, 2024; Stavroulaki et al., 2021) and, via collaboration with Stella Giakoumaki of the Dept of Psychology, University of Crete, in humans (Stavroulaki et al., 2022).
We have also shown that dendritic spine density is increased in social isolated rats that were exposed to music (Papadakis et al., 2020).