New Approaches to Modeling Bipolar Disorder

Modeling in animals is an invaluable tool in exploring the pathophysiology of human diseases and developing better therapies. Models can be generated using a variety of pharmacological, behavioral, and genetic approaches, but they all require extensive subsequent validation. Ideally, validation should be based on the following 3 axes: face validity (commonalties between the behavioral features of the model and of the human disorder being modeled), predictive validity (the specificity and degree to which drugs that are effective in humans have a corresponding effect in the model), and construct validity (a possible common mechanistic theory that can explain both the model and the human disorder being modeled).…