Neural basis of behavior: animal models of human conditions.

A variety of neurological disorders including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases are characterized by abnormalities within specific neuroanatomical and/or neurochemical systems. Approaches to the treatment of these and other neurological disorders are limited. The development and refinement of animal models which closely mimic human disease states would help elucidate the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of the disease as well as suggest novel therapeutic strategies for their prevention or alleviation. This symposium presents a variety of animal models that have helped us in understanding the human condition. The present introduction presents some clinically relevant findings obtained from basic experimental studies with animal models of Huntington's disease (HD) and Tourette Syndrome (TS). These studies demonstrate that animal models can provide a greater understanding of the symptomatology of disease states as well as suggest innovative new treatments.