Excessive aggression, ADHD- and ASD-like phenotypes in TPH2- and brain ganglioside-deficient mice: mechanisms and gene-by-environment interaction

The interaction of an individual’s genetic background with adverse environmental experiences, aka gene × environment interaction, is one of the main pathogenic factors for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorders, but not many models are available to mimic this situation experimentally. This thesis investigates the changes in aggression, anxiety, social behaviour, neurochemical, and molecular effects caused by different kinds of stress in two experimental genetic animal models and studies the validity of these models as models of gene × environment interaction in neurodevelopmental disorders.