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Article

Original Article

Exp Neurobiol 2016; 25(6): 328-332

Published online December 31, 2016

https://doi.org/10.5607/en.2016.25.6.328

© The Korean Society for Brain and Neural Sciences

Neonatal Administration of Memantine Enhances Social Cognition in Adult Rats Subjected to Early Maternal Deprivation

Ezequiel Uribe*, Eduardo Sánchez-Mendoza, Nayadoleni Nieves and Gustavo Merchor

Biophysics and Neuroscience Center, Behavioral Neurobiology Laboratory, Biomedical and Technological Sciences, University of Carabobo, Valencia, Venezuela

Correspondence to: *To whom correspondence should be addressed.
TEL: 58-241-8666259, FAX: 58-241-8685321
e-mail: euribe@uc.edu.ve / ezequiel.uribe@hotmail.com

Received: June 10, 2016; Revised: November 28, 2016; Accepted: November 30, 2016

Abstract

Schizophrenia is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder; however, all the available treatment options are used when the disease becomes clinically significant in adolescence or early adulthood. Using a developmental rat model of schizophrenia, we examined whether neonatal treatment with memantine, an NMDA receptor modulator, can improve schizophrenic-like symptoms in adulthood. Early maternal deprivation in rats produces deficits in social interaction behaviors in adulthood. In contrast, memantine administrated in neonatal rats subjected to early maternal deprivation significantly reduces deficits in social interaction behaviors in adulthood. These results raise the possibility that pharmacological treatment with memantine at the early developmental stage helps people with a risk to develop schizophrenic-like symptoms.

Keywords: Schizophrenia, neuropharmacology, developing brain, glutamate, social cognition, neonatal