Gene-environment interactions and construct validity in preclinical models of psychiatric disorders — Emma Burrows

Recent advances in our understanding of psychiatric genetics and environmental modifiers have enabled us to develop more accurate animal models of psychiatric disorders. A key issue in such animal models is the optimization of construct validity, as standard housing of laboratory mice and rats generally includes ad libitum food access and limited opportunity for physical exercise. Decades of research using environmental enrichment has demonstrated beneficial effects on brain and behavior in both wild-type and genetically modified rodent models, relative to standard-housed littermate controls. Utilizing more sophisticated models to elucidate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors will allow for improved construct, face and predictive validity, thus facilitating the identification of novel therapeutic targets.

Burrows EL, McOmish CE, Hannan AJ. Gene-environment interactions and construct validity in preclinical models of psychiatric disorders. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Aug 1;35(6):1376-82. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2010.12.011. Epub 2010 Dec 17. PMID: 21168465.