Animal models for schizophrenia: the hippocampally lesioned animal

Animals with hippocampal lesions are evaluated as models for schizophrenia according to the criteria of McKinney and Bunney (1969). They seem to comply adequately with the following requirements: similarity of inducing conditions; similarity of behavioral states; similarity of underlying neurobiological mechanisms; and reversibility by usual pharmacological treatment. The model seems adequate to reproduce several symptoms of the disorder, offering a good experimental tool for the analysis of its inducing conditions, affected neurobiological mechanisms, and clinical treatment.