About the lecture

Psychiatric disorders such as major depression, anxiety disorders or schizophrenia are of an enormous burden for the patients and the society. Despite considerable research effort in the past, there has been limited progress in the development of novel therapeutic interventions. This challenges the translatability of preclinical studies to the clinical practice. To overcome this shortcoming, a new and defined framework of validity and diagnostic criteria is required. I will give a short introduction into current concepts and demonstrate the potential value of animal experiments for our understanding of complex psychiatric disorders.