Psychogenics has significant, long standing relationships with several research foundations, focused on Neurodegenerative diseases including CHDI for Huntington's disease, the SMA foundation, and the ALS Association, and has in excess of 50 trained and highly specialised scientists devoted to these disease areas. Psychogenics' behavioural expertise has been crutical in the characterization of appropriate disease models and the establishment of standardized batteries of drug screening protocols that have become the industry standard for accessing potentials compounds and therapeutics.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder. It is characterized by motor disturbance, cognitive loss and psychiatric manifestations. PsychoGenics has experience in testing a number of models for HD, including the ability to provide services in the R6/2 transgenic mouse model (see Press Release). Tests incorporated in the HD screening battery include: Rotarod, Grip Strength, Open Field, Rearing Climbing, Contextual and Cued Fear Conditioning, Two-Choice Swim Tank.. ...more info

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare autosomal recessive motor neurodegenerative disease and is the leading genetic cause of death among infants and toddlers. One of the most widely used models is the SMN2D7 transgenic model which provides a descriptive phenotype for testing compounds. PsychoGenics has developed a multi-functional battery of tests to rapidly screen compounds using the SMN2D7 model. Tests incorporated in the SMA screening battery include: Body Weight, Geotaxis, Survival, Tube Test.. ...more info

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Initial signs of ALS include muscle weakness and as the disease progresses, weakness and paralysis will spread to the trunk of the body and eventually, speech, breathing, swallowing and chewing are affected. SOD1 transgenic mice are the most commonly used model for ALS. These mice have the mutant human SOD1 (G93A) substitution. PsychoGenics has experience in screening compounds in the SOD1 (G93A) model for ALS, including the ability to provide services in the SOD1 transgenic mouse model. Tests incorporated in the ALS screening battery include: Rotarod, Grip Strength, Body Weight, Survival.. ...more info

Alzheimer's Disease (AD), is a progressive neurologic disease of the brain that leads to the irreversible loss of neurons and dementia. The clinical signs of AD include progressive impairment in memory, judgment, decision making, orientation to physical surroundings, and language. There are a number of different animal models with which PsychoGenics has experience including:

Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder that results from the loss of substantia nigra and dopamine producing cells. The four primary symptoms of PD are tremor, or trembling in hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face; rigidity, or stiffness of the limbs and trunk; bradykinesia, or slowness of movement; and postural instability, or impaired balance and coordination. There are a number of animal models that attempt to mimic the symptoms of PD, including chemical induced models and transgenic models. more info

Muscular dystrophies (MD) are a group of more than 30 genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement. Some forms of MD are seen in infancy or childhood, while others may not appear until middle age or later. Examples include Duchenne MD, Becker MD, and Myotonic MD. There is no specific treatment to stop or reverse any form of MD, however, drug therapy include corticosteroids to slow muscle degeneration, anticonvulsants to control seizures and some muscle activity, immunosuppressants to delay some damage to dying muscle cells, and antibiotics to fight respiratory infections. PsychoGenics is currently in the process of phenotyping the mdx mouse model, a preclinical model for human Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) that is genetically and biochemically homologous to human DMD, and is identifying appropriate in vivo behavioral tests to be used in screening potential compounds for MD.