Behavioural deficits associated with maternal immune activation in the rat model of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is associated with changes in memory and contextual processing. As maternal infection is a risk factor in schizophrenia we tested for these impairments in a maternal immune activation (MIA) animal model. MIA rats displayed impaired object recognition memory, despite intact object discrimination, and a reduced reinstatement of rearing in response to a contextual manipulation. These results link MIA to contextual impairments in schizophrenia, possibly through changes in hippocampal function. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.