Novel treatment to eliminate the high rate of psychosis in Far North Queensland Indigenous population: A preclinical proof-of-concept study (Old ID 23505)

Principal Investigator

The burden of psychosis in the Indigenous population of FNQ/Cape York is very high. We propose a completely novel treatment that will likely influence the full spectrum of psychosis symptoms without causing the deleterious metabolic side-effects of currently used antipsychotic treatment. The main aim of this project is to provide proof-of-concept for the efficacy of a novel treatment, ketone ester (KE) administration, in a validated preclinical animal model for psychosis. Specifically, we aim to determine the effects of orally administered KE on the psychosis-like behavioural changes induced by the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801 (dizocilpine) in mice. These well-characterised behavioural changes include psychomotor hyperactivity, stereotyped behaviour, abnormal social interaction, deficits is working memory and impaired information processing (prepulse inhibition of startle).

15 Jan 2017 - 31 Dec 2017

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