Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia have bred a strain of schizophrenic mice by reducing the inhibition of brain cells involved in complex reasoning and social behavior. They believe the rodents will improve understanding and treatment of the disorder in humans.

“We believe the mouse, which exhibits some of the same aberrant behavior as patients with this disorder, will help identify better therapies,” said Dr. Lin Mei, a developmental neurobiologist.

To create the mice, the scientists altered a gene for schizophrenia, ErbB4.

Anti-psychotic drugs already on the market are to be used on the mice to determine more effective treatments, Mei said in a December media release. It is the first time that scientists have been able to develop an animal model for the disorder.