We next asked whether the alterations in glial distribution and differentiation observed in mice engrafted with SCZ hGPCs might alter the behavioral phenotype of the host mice. In particular, we postulated that the aberrant infiltration of hGPCs and their derived astroglia into the developing cortex might influence information processing within the cortex once mature. As noted, past studies have reported both the influence of astrocytic networks on synaptic efficacy and plasticity, and the differential competence of hominid glia in this respect (Han et al., 2013; Oberheim et al., 2009). Human glial chimeric mice manifest a lower threshold for hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and learn more rapidly, with superior performance in a variety of learning tasks, which include auditory fear conditioning, novel object and place recognition, and Barnes maze navigation. In each of these tests - but not in any test of social interactivity or primary perception – human glial chimeras acquire new causal associations more quickly than do allografted or untransplanted controls (Han et al., 2013). Thus, engrafted human GPCs and their daughter glia can integrate into, and substantially modify,
