Ace Therapeutics offers pharmaco-electroencephalography (pharmaco-EEG) research services for drug discovery and development in psychiatric disorders, which can be used as a central readout for target engagement and as a functional marker for neuronal circuit processes underlying normal and pathological brain function. We also offer pharmacological and transgenic models for psychiatric disorders to help researchers evaluate the potential therapeutic effects of different neurochemical systems and novel drug targets, as well as potential neuronal connectivity and synaptic function.

Introduction of Pharmaco-EEG in psychiatry

The origins of pharmaco-EEG are deeply rooted in psychiatry. The contemporary value of animal-based pharmaco-EEG applications is closely linked to advances in recording and neuroscientific analytical methods. While both human and animal pharmaco-EEG have been shown to be closely related in terms of potential neuronal substrates, both translational and anti-translational methods have been used to address extrapolation and optimize the translational validity of preclinical animal pharmaco-EEG paradigms and data. Pharmaco-EEG methods provide non-invasive and sensitive tools to detect CNS toxicity, such as excessive sedation or induction of epileptiform activity. These methods have been used in preclinical studies to detect and characterize the expected or unexpected CNS effects of new pharmacological compounds.

Fig. 1 Pharmaco-EEG in cholinergic scopolamine model. (Drinkenburg WH, et al., 2015)

Pharmaco-EEG Services

Ace Therapeutics can perform pharmaco-EEG analysis on animal models of psychiatric disorders to identify biomarkers associated with psychiatric disorders. In addition, we can use EEG to classify new drugs, dose ranges and duration of action, and to separate active substances from inactive substances. Understanding the effects of test compounds on brain activity and function is critical for drug development. We can monitor psychotropic drug toxicity at the CNS level as well as predict the response to psychotropic drug treatment by performing continuous EEG on animal models after acute or chronic combination therapy.

What Can We Help You Achieve in Psychiatry with Pharmaco-EEG?

• Monitoring the efficacy and toxicity of psychotropic drugs at the central nervous system level
• Predicting clinical response to psychotropic drug treatment
• Assessing the effects of psychotropic drugs on bioelectrical activity in the brain
• Developing personalized treatment response biomarkers for antidepressants
• Addressing or modeling dysfunction or aspects of psychiatric or neurological disorders
• Measuring neuronal systems with pathophysiological significance in emotional and cognitive domains, such as schizophrenia, autism, and other psychiatric disorders

Our Advantages

• Sensitive to CNS pharmacological effects in terms of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
• Effective evaluation of epileptogenic effects
• Providing objective measurements of excitability and inhibition when combined with other techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

Ace Therapeutics is committed to assisting you in the discovery and development of drugs for psychiatric disorders through our animal p-EEG study services. Our p-EEG studies can be used to characterize the functional effects or potential efficacy of test compounds, assess pharmacodynamic profiles, and monitor side effects (e.g., sedation) and toxicity (e.g., seizures). If you would like more information about this service, please feel free to make an inquiry.

Reference

1. Drinkenburg WH, Ruigt GS, Ahnaou A. Pharmaco-EEG Studies in Animals: An Overview of Contemporary Translational Applications. Neuropsychobiology. 2015, 72(3-4):151-164.