Social Behaviour In Rats Developmentally Deficient In Vitamin D: Modelling The Negative Symptoms Of Schizophrenia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,927.00
Summary
We are exploring low maternal vitamin D as a biological explanation for a 7-10% increase in the incidence of patients born with schizophrenia in the colder months of the year world wide. Developmental vitamin D (DVD) deficiency in rats leads to long term changes in brain development and behaviour. The aim of this research is to examine social behaviour in DVD deficient rats as a model of negative symptoms of schizophrenia and establish the neurochemical basis for this altered behaviour