the present invention provides a unique animal model of schizophrenia for testing and developing new treatments for this illness and other related psychotic illnesses ( e . g ., manic - depression ). the animal model is based upon inducing a specific brain lesion in the ventral hippocampus of mammals . the model accounts for phenomena associated with schizophrenia in humans , such as , for example , structural abnormalities of temporal limbic system , functional deficits in prefrontal cortex , hyperresponsiveness of the dopaminergic mesolimbic system , hypersensitivity to stress , and delayed postpubertal emergence of the hypersensitivity . this high fidelity rat model of the pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in schizophrenia is invaluable in developing new therapies ( e . g ., drug , behavioral , etc .) based on primary , rather than on secondary manifestations of the disease . the ventral hippocampal lesions are induced in prepubescent mammals , i . e ., mammals which have not yet reached puberty . such mammals include any of the typical laboratory animals such as , for example , rats , mice , guinea pigs , dogs , monkeys and the like . neonatal individuals are preferred because recent theories of schizophrenia point to brain damage in early development . prior to creating the ventral hippocampal lesions , the animals are anesthetized by any number of known procedures , taking care that the anesthesia does not interfere with the neurotoxin &# 39 ; s ability to lethally affect the glutamate receptors of the target neurons . the presently preferred anesthesia of the invention is hypothermia , i . e ., placing the animal on wet ice . once the mammal is anesthetized , it is immobilized and placed into a stereotaxic device ( e . g ., kopf stereotaxic instrument , stolting stereotaxic apparatus , or others ). such devices are commercially available and allow for precise location of specific lesion sites based on various reference points on the exterior of the animal &# 39 ; s body . brain atlases are available for most mammals and are used to locate the precise point of the ventral hippocampus . an example of inducing a ventral hippocampus lesion in a rat is set forth in the examples provided below . in general , the animal is anesthetized , placed in the stereotaxic apparatus , and a small incision is made in the scalp of the animal . once the incision is made , a hypodermic needle is inserted into the ventral hippocampus and a standard laboratory microsyringe pump is used to infuse the neurotoxin . the neurotoxin used can be selected from a number of known agents which lethally affect neurons usually , but not exclusively , by over - exciting their glummate receptors . examples of such neurotoxins include , but are not limited to , ibotenic acid , n - methyl - d - aspartic acid , kainic acid , dihydrokainate , dl - homocysteate , l - cysteate , l - aspartate , l - glutamate , colchicine , ferric chloride , omega - conotoxin gvia , 6 - hydroxy - dopamine . certain neurotoxins are preferred , namely those which are excitotoxins . preferred excitotoxins include , but are not limited to , ibotenic acid , n - methyl - d - aspartic acid , and kainic acid . in the presently preferred embodiment of the invention , ibotenic acid is the excitotoxin used . the toxins are applied by mixing them with a physiologically compatible vehicle or solution such as , for example , saline solutions , artificial cerebrospinal fluid , or cerebrospinal fluid from the animal itself . the toxins are infused using an infusion pump through a hypodermic needle inserted into the mid - region of the ventral hippocampus . the amount of the toxin will vary depending upon the animal and the particular neurotoxic compound used , but , in general , one would want to use a neurotoxin concentration which provides a 100 % kill of the appropriate hippocampal neurons while not injuring other tissue and sites . the lesion is considered to be properly induced when a postmortem of the mammal reveals that the target region is devoid of neurons . once the lesion has been made , the prepubescent mammals are allowed to grow to sexual maturity . the postpubescent mammals are then assessed for abnormal behaviors . such behaviors are well known for a host of common mammals and typically include the following : locomotor activity in a cage , in unfamiliar or novel environments , after injection or administration of drugs ( e . g ., amphetamines ), after mild electric shock , after exposure to sensory stimuli ( e . g ., noise ), in water ( swim test ) and after immobilization , in social interactions , and in various learning and reward paradigms . abnormal behaviors in rats have been routinely analyzed using standard tests well - known by those skilled in the art , some of these behavioral tests are explained , in brief , below : the swim test generally involves immersion of the rat in water for a set period of time and subsequent analysis of locomotor activity , e . g ., distance traveled . locomotor activity is objectively measured by direct observation and / or through the use of automatic photocell monitor . the locomotor activity , e . g ., distance traveled , is statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., g . e . jaskiw , et al ., pharm . bioch . behav . 41 : 607 - 609 ( 1992 )). the isolation test comprises housing the rats in cages without any sensory contact and abnormal behaviors are measured in terms of activity ( e . g ., distance traveled ), learning ( e . g ., number of correct responses when placed in a maze ), emotionality ( e . g ., aggressiveness ), response to dopamimetics , etc . the various behaviors measured are statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., g . blanc , et al ., nature 284 : 265 - 267 ( 1980 )). the social interaction test involves exposing the rat to other animals in a variety of settings , objectively measuring subsequent social behaviors such as , for example , touching , climbing , sniffing and mating , and statistically analyzing the behaviors measured . ( see , e . g ., s . e . file , et al ., pharmacol . bioch . behav . 22 : 941 - 944 ( 1985 ); r . r . holson , phys . behav . 37 : 239 - 247 ( 1986 )). the prepulse inhibition of startle response test involves exposing the animal to a sensory stimulus , objectively measuring the startle responses of the animal to similar acoustic or tactile stimuli , and statistically analyzing the behaviors measured . ( see , e . g ., m . a . geyer , et al ., brain res . bull . 25 : 485 - 498 ( 1990 )). the electric shock test generally involves exposure to an electrified surface and measurement of subsequent behaviors such as , for example , motor activity , learning , social behaviors . the behaviors measured are statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., g . j . kant , et al ., pharm . bioch . behav . 20 : 793 - 797 ( 1984 ); n . j . leidenheimer , et al ., pharmacol . bioch . behav . 30 : 351 - 355 ( 1988 )). the tail - pinch or immobilization test involves applying pressure to the tail of the animal and / or restraining the animal &# 39 ; s movements , subsequently measuring , for example , motor activity , social behavior , and cognitive behavior , and statistically analyzing the behaviors measured . ( see , e . g ., m . bertolucci d &# 39 ; angic , et al ., neurochem . 55 : 1208 - 1214 ( 1990 )). the novelty test generally comprises exposure to a novel environment and / or novel objects , measuring , for example , the animal &# 39 ; s motor behavior in the novel environment and / or around the novel object , and statistically analyzing the behaviors measured . ( see , e . g ., d . k . reinstein , et al ., pharm . bioch . behav . 17 : 193 - 202 ( 1982 ); b . poucet , behav . neurosci . 103 : 1009 - 10016 ( 1989 ); r . r . holson , et al ., phys . behav . 37 : 231 - 238 ( 1986 )). the learned helplessness test involves exposure to stresses , e . g ., noxious stimuli , which cannot be affected by the animal &# 39 ; s behavior and subsequently exposing the animal to a number of behavioral paradigms . the animal &# 39 ; s behavior is statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., a . leshner , et al ., behav . neural biol . 26 : 497 - 501 ( 1979 )). the morris water - maze test comprises learning spatial orientations in water and subsequently measuring the animal &# 39 ; s behaviors , such as , for example , by counting the number of incorrect choices . the behaviors measured are statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., e . m . spruijt , et al ., brain res . 527 : 192 - 197 ( 1990 )). the passive avoidance or shuttle box test generally involves exposure to two or more environments , one of which is noxious , and a choice must be learned . behavioral measures include , for example , response latency , number of correct responses , and consistency of response . ( see , e . g ., r . ader , et al ., psychon . sci . 26 : 125 - 128 ( 1972 ); r . r . holson , phys . behav . 37 : 221 - 230 ( 1986 )). the food avoidance test involves exposure to novel food and objectively measuring , for example , food intake and intake latency . the behaviors measured are statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., b . a . campbell , et al ., j . comp . physiol . psychol . 67 : 15 - 22 ( 1969 )). the elevated plus - maze test comprises exposure to a maze , without sides , on a platform , the animal &# 39 ; s behavior is objectively measured by counting the number of maze entries and maze learning , and the behavior is statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., h . a . baldwin , et al ., brain res . bull ., 20 : 603 - 606 ( 1988 )). the stimulant - induced hyperactivity test involves injection of stimulant drugs ( e . g ., amphetamines , cocaine , pcp , etc . ), and objectively measuring , for example , motor activity , social interactions , cognitive behavior . the animal &# 39 ; s behaviors are statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., p . b . s . clarke , et al ., psychopharmacology 96 : 511 - 520 ( 1988 ); p . kuczenski , et al ., j . neuroscience 11 : 2703 - 2712 ( 1991 )). the dopamine agonists - induced stereotypy test involves injection of dopamine agonists , e . g ., apomorphine , quinpirole , etc ., and objectively measuring frequency and pattern of certain motor behaviors such as , for example , sniffing , licking , biting , etc . subsequently , the behaviors measured are statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., b . scatton , et al ., brain res . 232 : 331 - 343 ( 1982 )). the self - stimulation test generally comprises providing the rat with the opportunity to regulate electrical and / or chemical stimuli to its own brain . behavior is measured by frequency and pattern of self - stimulation . such behaviors are statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., s . nassif , et al ., brain res ., 332 : 247 - 257 ( 1985 ); w . l . isaac , et al ., behav . neurosci . 103 : 345 - 355 ( 1989 )). the reward test involves shaping a variety of behaviors , e . g ., motor , cognitive , and social , measuring , for example , rapidity and reliability of behavioral change , and statistically analyzing the behaviors measured . ( see , e . g ., l . e . jarrard , et al ., exp . brain res . 61 : 519 - 530 ( 1986 )). the drl ( differential reinforcement to low rates of responding ) performance test involves exposure to intermittent reward paradigms and measuring the number of proper responses , e . g ., lever pressing . such behavior is statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., j . d . sinden , et al ., behav . neurosci . 100 : 320 - 329 ( 1986 ); v . nalwa , et al ., behav brain res . 17 : 73 - 76 ( 1985 ); and a . j . nonneman , et al ., j . comp . physiol . psych . 95 : 588 - 602 ( 1981 ). the spatial learning test involves exposure to a complex novel environment , measuring the rapidity and extent of spatial learning , and statistically analyzing the behaviors measured . ( see , e . g ., n . pitsikas , et al ., pharm . bioch . behav . 38 : 931 - 934 ( 1991 ); b . poucet , et al ., brain res . 37 : 269 - 280 ( 1990 ); d . christie , et al ., brain res . 37 : 263 - 268 ( 1990 ); and f . van haaren , et al ., behav . neurosci . 102 : 481 - 488 ( 1988 )). the visual , somatosensory and auditory neglect tests generally comprises exposure to a sensory stimulus , objectively measuring , for example , orientating responses , and statistically analyzing the behaviors measured . ( see , e . g ., j . m . vargo , et al ., exp . neurol . 102 : 199 - 209 ( 1988 )). the consummatory behavior test generally comprises feeding and drinking and objectively measuring quantity of consumption . the behavior measured is statistically analyzed using standard statistical tests . ( see , e . g ., p . j . fletcher , et al ., psychopharmacol . 102 : 301 - 308 ( 1990 ); m . g . corda , et al ., proc . nat &# 39 ; l acad . sci . ( usa ) 80 : 2072 - 2076 ( 1983 )). a statistical analysis of the various behaviors measured can be carried out using any conventional statistical program routinely used by those skilled in the art ( such as , for example , anova ). a p value less than 0 . 05 , i . e ., p & lt ; 0 . 05 , is considered to be statistically significant . to statistically analyze abnormal behavior , a comparison is made between the behavior of a lesioned mammal and the behavior of a sham mammal . sham mammals are similarly treated as those with the ventral hippocampus lesion ( i . e ., lesioned mammals ), except that their hippocampi have been treated with a harmless perfusate instead of an neurotoxin . preferred behaviors are those which first become abnormal after puberty in lesioned animals and which mimic symptoms associated with humans afflicted with schizophrenia . such behaviors include , but are not limited to , the following : stress - induced hyperactivity , dopamimetic hypersensitivity , abnormal learning and reward behaviors , and social interactions . tests used to measure these schizophrenic - like behaviors include , but are not limited to , those mentioned above . for example , one could measure locomotor activity in a rat after exposure to a new environment , administration of a drug , or the swim test . by measuring , for example , the distance the lesioned animal traveled and comparing this distance to the distance the sham animal traveled , one can readily identify and analyze the abnormal behavior . once the lesion is present and reproducible abnormal behavior is established and understood , the mammals can subsequently be used to survey chemical compounds for anti - schizophrenic activity . the potential anti - schizophrenic drugs are administered in various amounts and the effect upon the abnormal behavior is monitored . the method of administration depends upon the drug being tested and can include oral , parenteral , transdermal or rectal administration . an effective drug is one which will reduce abnormal behavior to a degree that approaches the behavior of the sham mammal . for example , one could use a drug ( such as , for example , haloperidol , clozapine , or other currently available antipsychotic drugs ) and measure the drug &# 39 ; s effect on locomotor activity or any other behavior described herein . if the abnormal behavior of the animal is found to decrease , i . e ., be reduced , the drug is effective . additionally , the anti - excessive limbic dopamine activity potential of pharmaceutical compositions can be assessed by objectively measuring the dopamine activity of the mesolimbic system . the animal is sacrificed and the brain regions ( medial prefrontal cortex , anteromedial corpus striatum and nas ) are dissected and frozen until analysis . the brain tissue is analyzed using standard methods of combined gas chromatography / mass fragmentography . tissue samples are prepared for injection into the gas chromatography / mass fragmentography instruments using standard procedures known by those skilled in the art . these methods provide a chromatographic and quantitative analysis of the concentration of dopamine and its metabolites . moreover , one can measure the anti - excessive limbic dopamine activity potential of a pharmaceutical drug by looking at the behaviors previously described because , for example , both novelty and amphetamine induced locomotion have been linked to mesolimbic da transmission . if the abnormal behavior of the animal is found to decrease , i . e ., be reduced , the drug is said to be an effective drug . the invention will be described in greater detail by way of specific examples . the following examples are offered for illustrative purposes , and are intended neither to limit or define the invention in any manner . those of skill will readily recognize that the examples can be varied in numerous , non - critical ways . pregnant sprague - dawley rats obtained at 14 days gestation ( zivic miller labs ) were housed individually in breeding cages with a 12 : 12 h light - dark cycle and fed ad libitum , i . e ., with free access to food and water . litters of 4 - 8 male pups were formed . on postnatal day 7 ( pd - 7 ) ( weight 15 - 18 g ), pups within each litter were randomized to sham or lesion status and anesthetized by hypothermia ( i . e ., the rats were placed on wet ice for 10 - 20 min ). an incision was made in the skin overlying the skull , and the rats were placed on the platform attached to a kopf stereotaxic instrument . after immobilization of the rat by taping to the platform , 0 . 3 μl of ibotenic acid ( sigma chemical co ., 10 μg / μl dissolved in an artificial cerebrospinal fluid , ph 7 . 4 ) for lesion animals or artificial cerebrospinal fluid for sham animals was infused using an infusion pump ( harvard apparatus ) bilaterally ( i . e ., two injections on each side ) through a hamilton needle into the ventral hippocampal formation at a flow rate of 0 . 15 μl / min at the stereotaxic coordinates : anterior - posterior ( ap ) - 3 . 0 mm , medial - lateral ( ml ) ± 3 . 5 mm , ventral - dorsal ( vd ) - 5 . 0 mm , relative to bregma . the hamilton needle was withdrawn 4 min after completion of the infusion . after the operation , the pups were placed under a warming lamp , and then returned to their mothers . on pd - 25 , animals were weaned , separated by lesion status ( i . e ., ibotenic acid lesioned ( lesion ) or sham - operated ( sham )) and grouped 2 - 3 to a cage . a total of four cohorts ( n = 20 - 28 / cohort ) of neonatally lesioned rats were utilized in the following experiments . in addition , a cohort of animals lesioned as adults ( i . e ., on pd - 42 ) was prepared as previously described ( lipska , et al ., brain res . 585 : 1 - 6 ( 1992 )) for selected comparisons with neonatally lesioned rats . the motor activity of two different cohorts of rats ( n = 9 and 14 sham , n = 11 and 14 lesion within each cohort ) was assessed at both 4 weeks ( pd - 35 ) and 7 weeks ( pd - 56 ) postoperatively in the following three testing conditions : ( 1 ) after exposure to a novel environment ; ( 2 ) after saline injections ; and ( 3 ) after amphetamine injections . for these tests , unacclimatized rats were moved to the monitor area at 9 : 00 am and immediately placed in clear plexiglass photocell activity monitors ( 42 × 42 × 30 cm ) ( omnitech model rxyzcm 16 ). spontaneous locomotor activity was measured during a 60 min habituation period . each rat then received a saline injection ( 1 ml / kg , i . p .) and was returned to the photocell monitor for an additional 60 min period . at that point , 1 . 5 mg / kg of d - amphetamine ( sigma chemical co .) was administered intraperitoneal ( i . p .) and locomotor activity was recorded for a final 90 min . one of these cohorts was additionally exposed to a swim test 2 weeks after the last testing ( i . e ., on pd - 70 ) to further explore the effects of stress in neonatally lesioned rats . for this test , rats were randomly assigned to four groups ( i . e ., sham / no stress , sham / swim , lesion / no stress , lesion / swim , n = 8 / group ) and after acclimatization to the testing area , they were placed for 15 min in cylindrical plexiglass containers covered with opaque paper ( height and diameter 30 cm ). the containers were filled either with sawdust ( 2 cm ) ( no stress ) or with water at room temperature ( depth 23 cm ) ( swim ). at the end of 15 min , all animals were transferred to dry cages with new bedding , and after 5 min , they were placed in photocell monitors . locomotor activity was recorded for 95 min . in a separate experiment , an additional group of rats was lesioned on pd - 42 as previously described ( lipska , et al ., brain res . 585 : 1 - 6 ( 1992 )) and exposed to a swim test ( on pd - 70 ) to compare the response to stress with a neonatally lesioned group . the lesion was induced as follows . after induction of anesthesia with equithesin 3 ml / kg ( i . p . ), adult sprague - dawley rats ( weight 220 - 240 g ) were placed in a kopf stereotaxic instrument . ibotenic acid ( 6 / μg / 0 . 6 μl over 3 min ) or an equal volume of vehicle was administered by infusion pump ( harvard apparatus ) bilaterally ( 2 injections on each side ) through 26 - gauge cannulae at the stereotaxic coordinates : ap - 4 . 4 mm , ml 5 . 0 mm , vd - 8 . 0 and - 6 . 0 mm , with respect to bregma . four weeks postoperatively ( pd - 70 ), animals were randomly assigned to four groups sham / no stress , sham / swim , lesion / no stress , lesion / swim ( n = 10 / group ), and exposed to a swim test , as previously described . after completion of the swim test , locomotor activity was recorded for 95 min . another neonatally lesioned testing - naive cohort ( n = 10 sham , n = 17 lesion ) was tested only once at pd - 56 to control for the possibility that pre - exposure to d - amphetamine could affect the response on pd - 56 . another group of rats lesioned at pd - 7 was treated for 3 weeks ( i . e ., from pd - 35 until pd - 56 ) with either vehicle or haloperidol to assess the effect of neuroleptic treatment on hyperlocomotion . the duration of treatment was chosen to approximate the subchronic duration of haloperidol administration associated with clinical response in patients with schizophrenia ( pickar , et al ., schizophr . bull . 14 : 255 - 268 ( 1988 )). at pd - 35 , neonatally operated rats were randomly assigned to four groups : sham / veh , lesion / veh , sham / hal , lesion / hal , n = 7 / group . the first two groups were treated once daily with vehicle ( veh , water with a drop of tween80 ®, an emulsifier and dispersing agent , adjusted to ph 5 . 6 ) given i . p . for 3 weeks , while the other two groups were injected with haloperidol ( hal , 0 . 4 mg / kg , suspended in veh ) over the same period of time . half an hour after the last dose of haloperidol ( pd - 56 ), the rats were placed in photocell monitors and their locomotion activity was assessed for 1 h . all results were analyzed by anova followed by post - hoc scheffe testing where appropriate . since in the two cohorts tested both at pd - 35 and at pd - 56 there were no inter - cohort differences for the same lesion status ( i . e ., ibotenic acid lesioned or sham - operated ) in any motor activity measure during any testing interval ( i . e ., habituation , saline , and amphetamine ), the data were combined according to the lesion status . for statistical analysis , vertical activity and total distance traveled were analyzed by anova with status ( i . e ., sham or lesion ) as an independent variable , and age ( i . e ., pd - 35 or pd - 56 ) and treatment ( i . e ., habituation , saline , d - amphetamine ) as repeated measures . scheffe test was used for post - hoc comparisons . the results of the swim test were analyzed by anova with status ( i . e ., sham or lesion ) and stress ( i . e ., swim or no stress ) as independent variables followed by post - hoc tests . the results of haloperidol treatment were also analyzed by anova with status ( i . e ., sham or lesion ) and drug ( i . e ., veh or hal ) as independent variables followed by post - hoc tests . nissl stained sections through the brains of lesioned rats showed sparing of the most anterior ( i . e ., dorsal ) aspects of the hippocampal formation with neuronal loss , atrophy and some cavitation in the ventral hippocampus ( fig1 .). the dentate gyrus and subiculum were also affected in more posterior ( i . e ., ventral ) parts of the hippocampal formation ( fig2 .). in most brains , high power investigation of the adjacent regions did not reveal any abnormal glial reaction , loss of neurons , or other obvious pathological changes outside the primary lesion site . however , in a minority of cases ( approximately 25 % ) a small rim of gliosis with minimal neuronal loss could be detected in the thalamic region adjacent to the hippocampus ( primarily in the lateral geniculate nucleus ). separate analysis of the behavioral results obtained from these animals did not show any significant differences from those without discernable extrahippocampal injuries . therefore , these rats have not been excluded from the study . in a few cases ( n = 5 ), histological examination revealed more extensive damage outside the intended lesion site ( i . e ., neuronal loss and / or cavitation in the septum , cortex , or the thalamus ). the results from these animals were excluded . exploration , saline injection , d - amphetamine - induced hyperactivity . analysis of vertical activity showed that during all three testing conditions ( i . e ., exploration in a novel environment , injection with saline and injection with d - amphetamine ), sham and lesioned animals were similar at pd - 35 . at pd - 56 , however , the lesioned animals were more active than controls during the exploration period and after amphetamine administration ( see , fig3 a ). anova revealed significant status ( f = 4 . 85 , p = 0 . 03 ), age ( f = 99 . 26 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ) and treatment ( f = 139 . 9 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ) effects . there were significant status × treatment ( f = 4 . 60 , p = 0 . 01 ) and age × treatment interactions ( f = 90 . 9 , p = 0 . 001 ). both status × age ( f = 3 . 62 , p = 0 . 06 ) and status × age × treatment ( f = 2 . 65 , p = 0 . 07 ) interactions approached significance . similarly , total distance traveled by sham and lesioned animals did not differ at pd - 35 , while at pd - 56 lesioned rats were more active than sham operates at all three testing intervals ( see , fig3 b ). anova showed significant status ( f = 9 . 71 , p = 0 . 004 ), age ( f = 43 . 44 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ) and treatment ( f = 232 . 8 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ) effects as well as status × treatment ( f = 7 . 40 , p = 0 . 001 ) and age × treatment ( f = 36 . 52 , p & lt ; 0 . 001 ) interactions . status × age ( f = 1 . 64 , p = 0 . 21 ) and status × age × treatment ( f = 0 . 45 , p = 0 . 64 ) interactions were not significant . for the cohort tested at pd - 56 only , lesioned animals were hyperactive ( 11316 ± 973 cm , n = 18 ) after d - amphetamine administration compared with sham operates ( 6762 ± 682 cm , n = 11 , t test , p = 0 . 002 ). moreover , neonatally lesioned animals showed increased activity after exposure to a swim stress at pd - 70 ( see , fig4 ). anova revealed significant status ( f = 5 . 55 , p = 0 . 03 ) and stress effects ( f = 70 . 65 , p = 0 . 001 ), and marginally significant status × stress interaction ( f = 3 . 65 , p = 0 . 07 ). while both sham and lesioned groups were more active in photocell monitors after swimming than after a control exposure ( i . e ., no stress ), the lesioned rats expressed increased locomotor activity after swim stress in comparison with sham / swim group ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). such a stress effect was not seen in a cohort of rats lesioned as adults and tested also at pd - 70 . in this case , anova revealed a significant stress effect ( f = 11 . 62 , p = 0 . 002 ), but no status effect or status × stress interaction ( n . s .). treatment with haloperidol blocked the emergence of hyperactivity in a novel environment at pd - 56 in neonatally lesioned animals ( see , fig5 ). anova revealed significant lesion ( f = 7 . 05 , p = 0 . 01 ) and drug ( f = 5 . 4 , p = 0 . 03 ) effects , but no lesion × drug interaction ( f = 1 . 1 , p = 0 . 3 ). as before , the locomotor activity of the lesion / veh group was significantly higher than that of the sham / veh group ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). however , the lesioned rats treated with haloperidol were significantly less active than lesioned vehicle - treated rats ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ), but not different from sham / veh animals . haloperidol thus appeared to &# 34 ; normalize &# 34 ; the hyperactivity of the lesioned rats . the forgoing is offered for purpose of illustration . it will be readily apparent to those skill in the art that the operating conditions , materials , procedural steps and other parameters of the systems described herein may be further modified or substituted in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention .
this invention provides a unique and surprisingly accurate animal model for human schizophrenia . the animals are brain damaged while prepubescent . the brain damage consists of a ventral hippocampus lesion induced by exposure of the hippocampus region to a neurotoxin . when the animal reaches puberty , abnormal behavior and a number of biological phenomena associated with schizophrenic symptoms emerge . these animals are useful for assaying pharmaceutical compounds for anti - schizophrenic activity .