Dialysis and Behavior Studies with RP5063

Functional disabilities associated with schizophrenia are believed to result mainly from deficits in memory, judgment and attention. Such disturbances are the reason that currently drug-treated schizophrenic patients often are unable to work or have a satisfactory quality of life. The proposed research will help us to understand the chemical changes in the brain which cause this deficit, whether a novel compound can correct the deficit comparable to currently used antipsychotic drugs, and if so, how. The use of mice is necessary to model schizophrenia; the data obtained from these studies allows interpretation of pharmacological effects on neurochemical systems that cannot be studied in humans to this degree. This knowledge will help us to develop more effective treatments. The overall goal of this project is to advance knowledge about the potential for the novel compound RP5063 to be effective as a treatment for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia and related disorders, including bipolar and major depression, and to clarify its differences with aripiprazole, thereby explicating its mechanism of action.