ABSTRACT
The previous chapters in this book have discussed how atypical antipsychotic drugs interact with distinct receptors, produce unique patterns of gene expression in the central nervous system, and exert differential effects on neuronal firing rates. Ultimately, however, it is the actions of these drugs on behavior which may be the most predictive of their clinical value. A drug that interacts with the right receptor, turns on the right gene, and activates the right set of neurons will not garner much interest if it does not affect the right behavior. The purpose of this chapter is to present the preclinical behavioral tests which are used to predict antipsychotic drug action and to discriminate potential atypical antipsychotic drugs from typical ones. In presenting each test, the caveats and interpretative problems unique to each particular assay will be considered. This chapter will focus solely on work in rats and mice. While beyond the scope of this review, it should be noted however that the effects of antipsychotic drugs are sometimes tested in non-human primates.
