Beta and Gamma Oscillations in Prefrontal Cortex During NMDA Hypofunction: An In Vitro Model of Schizophrenia Features

•NMDAr blockers induce schizophrenia-like behavioral and electrophysiological features.•We blocked NMDAr with MK-801 and studied spontaneous activity in prefrontal slices.•MK-801 reduced slow oscillations and increased beta-gamma rhythms during Up states.•Clozapine prevented the increase in beta-gamma oscillations during Up states.•Some schizophrenia features can be reproduced in the local prefrontal circuit. NMDA receptor (NMDAr) hypofunction has been widely used as a schizophrenia model. Decreased activation of NMDAr is associated with a disrupted excitation/inhibition balance in the prefrontal cortex and with alterations in gamma synchronization. Our aim was to investigate whether this phenomenon could be reproduced in the spontaneous oscillatory activity generated by the local prefrontal network in vitro and, if so, to explore the effects of antipsychotics on the resulting activity. Extracellular recordings were obtained from prefrontal cortex slices bathed in in vivo-like ACSF solution. Slow (