Contemporary Issues in Modeling Psychopathology

Despite considerable progress in clinical and basic neurosciences, the cure of psychiatric disorders is still remote, little is known about their prevention, and the aetiology and molecular mechanisms of mental disorders are still obscure. Diagnoses are still guided by patients' stories. The mission of animal models is to bridge the gap between "the story and the synapse". This work attempts to do this by examining such questions as "What good might come from such a model? Are we wasting our time? How far can we carry results from model animals, such as rats and mice, without causing a highly distorted view of the field and its goals?". The text serves as the opening volume for a new series, "The Neurobiological Foundation of Aberrant Behavior". The aim of the series is to serve the growing community of neuroscientists and research psychiatrists who are engaged in the study of aberrant behaviour and psychopathology.