Zebrafish as a Model of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) caused by aberrant brain growth and development are life-long, debilitating illnesses that markedly impair the quality of life. Animal models are a valuable tool for studying NDD pathobiology and therapies. Mounting evidence suggests the zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a useful model organism to study NDDs, possessing both high physiological homology to humans and sensitivity to pharmacological and genetic manipulations. Here, we summarize experimental models of NDDs in zebrafish and highlight the growing translational significance of zebrafish NDD-related phenotypes. We also emphasize the need in further development of zebrafish models of NDDs to improve our understanding of their pathogenesis and therapeutic treatments. © 2019 IBROThis research is supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant 19-05-00053. KAD is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research grant 18‐34‐00996, the President of Russia PhD Fellowship and the SPSU Rector's Productivity Fellowship for PhD students. ACVVG is supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS) research fellowships 17/2551-0001-269-0. AVK is the President of the International Stress and Behavior Society (ISBS, www.stress-and-behavior .com) and the Chair of the International Zebrafish Neuroscience Research Consortium (ZNRC) that coordinated this multi-laboratory collaborative project