Ashutosh Kumar
All India Institute of Medical Sciences. India
Title: Induction - reversal modeling of psychiatric disorders by functional manipulation of habenular pathways in zebrafish
Biography
Biography: Ashutosh Kumar
Abstract
The etiomechanism of psychiatric disorders is still little understood. Optogenetically induced changes in neural networks and consequent change of behaviour in transgenic animals has provided a novel opportunity to develop animal models of various psychiatric disorders. We hereby propose zebrafish as a model organism based on the premise of its intricate analogy with mammalian brain. The habenula is an evolutionarily conserved bilateral structure located at the interface of diencephalon, basal nuclei and brainstem working as a gateway between cortical-subcortical and brainstem structures. Multiple studies have suggested master role of habenula in control of adaptive behaviour through regulation of brainstem aminergic nuclei. It is thought to function as a switchboard for regulating emotional behaviour in conditions facing survival challenges. The dysregulation of the emotional behaviour has been at the base of psychiatric disorders, and a functional manipulation of specific habenular nuclei using optogenetics combined with incremental levels of stress challenge may prove to be a basic model for the genesis of psychiatric disorders. Conversely, reversing the manipulation, scaling down stress levels, and providing enriched environment may ease psychiatric symptoms. The present article has proposed a hypothesis on the development of a basic zebrafish model for the psychiatric disorders based on this concept. Such a model may be of great help in understanding the common mechanism involved in genesis, progression of various psychiatric disorders. The article has also elaborated on the operational mechanisms and validity of the methodology, and has suggested an experimental design for the proposed study model.