Hippocampal CA2 sharp wave ripple oscillations in neuropsychiatric disease

Schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders are often associated with abnormal social behavior, with few available treatments. To gain insight into basic neural mechanisms of disease, we study a mouse model of a human genetic deletion syndrome that is strongly linked to schizophrenia. These mice have a deficit in social memory, our ability to recall and recognize other individuals, that is associated with dysfunction in the CA2 region of the hippocampus, a brain area important for different forms of memory. Here we will examine how changes in CA2 brain circuits produce abnormal patterns of neural network activity that impair memory. We will then test whether brain stimulation paradigms that restore network activity can also restore social memory, providing validation for a potential novel therapeutic approach.