Neuronal activity of the prefrontal cortex is reduced in rats selectively bred for deficient sensorimotor gating

• Rats with deficient PPI are endophenotypes for impaired sensorimotor gating in neuropsychiatric disorders.
• In rats with breeding-induced PPI deficit neuronal firing rates and burst activity are reduced in the PFC, while they are enhanced in the NAC.
• Oscillatory theta band is enhanced while beta band activity is reduced in the NAC.
• Recording of neuronal activity in PPI low rats may elucidate the neuronal basis of impaired sensorimotor gating.

Rats selectively bred for deficient prepulse inhibition (PPI), an operant measure of sensorimotor gating in which a weak prepulse stimulus attenuates the response to a subsequent startling stimulus, may be used to study certain pathophysiological mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders with abnormalities in information processing, such as schizophrenia and Tourette's syndrome (TS). Little is known about neuronal activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the nucleus accumbens (NAC), which are involved in the modulation of PPI. Here, we examined neuronal activity in these structures, and also in the entopeduncular nucleus (EPN), since lesions of this region alleviate the PPI deficit.Male rats with breeding-induced high and low expression of PPI (n = 7, each) were anesthetized with urethane (1.4 mg/kg). Single-unit activity and local field potentials were recorded in the mPFC, the NAC and in the EPN.In the mPFC discharge rate, measures of irregularity and burst activity were significantly reduced in PPI low compared to PPI high rats (P < 0.05), while analysis in the NAC showed approximately inverse behavior. In the EPN no difference between groups was found. Additionally, the oscillatory theta band activity (4–8 Hz) was enhanced and the beta band (13–30 Hz) and gamma band (30–100 Hz) activity was reduced in the NAC in PPI low rats.Reduced neuronal activity in the mPFC and enhanced activity in the NAC of PPI low rats, together with altered oscillatory behavior are clearly associated with reduced PPI. PPI low rats may thus be used to study the pathophysiology and therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders accompanied by deficient sensorimotor gating.

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