The role of the hippocampo-prefrontal cortex system in phencyclidine-induced psychosis: a model for schizophrenia.
Journal of physiology, Paris December 1, 2013 Eiichi Jodo
Phencyclidine (PCP) induces schizophrenia-like symptoms in humans and behavioral abnormalities in animals, making PCP-treated animals a model of schizophrenia. Systemic PCP causes long-lasting activation of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) neurons in rats, paralleling increased locomotion and stereotypies, and this activation is not seen with methamphetamine. Prior administration of drugs that normalize PFC excitability ameliorates these behavioral effects. Locally applied PCP does not excite mPFC neurons, suggesting activation arises from inputs outside the mPFC, likely from the ventral hippocampus, which projects to the mPFC. This review summarizes current knowledge on neural mechanisms of PCP-induced psychosis, highlighting the roles of the PFC and hippocampus.