A Comprehensive Review on the Screening Models for the Pharmacological Assessment of Antipsychotic Drugs

Psychosis is a debilitating mental disorder characterized by a profound disconnection from reality, manifesting in symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking. The pathophysiology of psychosis is multifaceted, involving an interplay of neurobiological, genetic, and environmental factors. Neurobiologically, dysregulation of neurotransmitter systems particularly dopaminergic, serotonergic, and glutamatergic pathways-plays a central role, with excessive dopaminergic activity linked to positive symptoms and glutamatergic dysfunction implicated in cognitive impairments. Genetic predisposition, evidenced by significant heritability and associations with specific genetic variants, intersects with environmental factors such as stress, trauma, and substance use to influence the onset and progression of psychosis. Cognitive disruptions, including deficits in attention, memory, and executive function, exacerbate the disorder’s impact. This phenomenon has led to short-term as well as long-term psychosocial and mental health implications for all.

To determine the antipsychotic activity of pharmaceuticals, numerous antipsychotic screening models are available. Determining the optimal animal model for measuring antipsychotic activity is the primary goal of this study.

A search for literature was carried out using several keywords, including “Antipsychotic,” “In-vivo models,” “In-vitro models,” and “Behavior models,” on the databases Science Direct and PubMed. For the purpose of obtaining the most appropriate articles to fulfil the goal of this review article, the search was customized by using the necessary filters.

Research and review articles based on neuroleptic screening models are available to determine the antipsychotic activity of novel pharmacological compounds.

Following our research, we identified several helpful models for evaluating the antipsychotic activity of pharmaceuticals and proposed that combining in-vitro and in-vivo techniques with behavioral methodologies might yield the most appropriate results for our field of study.