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Social isolation in adolescence leads to lasting deficits, including emotional and cognitive dysregulation. It remains unclear, however, how social isolation affects certain processes of memory and what molecular mechanisms are involved. In this study, we found that social isolation during the post-weaning period resulted in forgetting of the long-term fear memory, which was attributable to the downregulation of synaptic function in the hippocampal CA1 region mediated by EphB2, a receptor tyrosine kinase which involves in the glutamate receptor multiprotein complex. Viral-mediated EphB2 knockdown in CA1 mimicked the memory defects in group-housed mice, whereas restoration of EphB2 by either viral overexpression or resocialization reversed the memory decline in isolated mice. Taken together, our finding indicates that social isolation gives rise to memory forgetting by disrupting EphB2-mediated synaptic plasticity, which may provide a potential target for preventing memory loss caused by social isolation or loneliness.

To investigate the effectiveness of the Clubhouse Model of Psychosocial Rehabilitation on psychosocial functions and recovery of native Chinese individuals with schizophrenia in a community sample. A randomized controlled design was used. A total of 56 participants were recruited from a community sample for a study lasting 6 months, but five participants dropped out. Twenty-eight participants attended the Clubhouse program, and twenty-three participants served as controls. Standardized assessments were performed on three areas at the baseline and the 6-month follow-up: 1. symptom reduction; 2. social function, self-determination, and quality of life; and 3. rehospitalization rate. Compared to the controls, the Clubhouse participants showed reductions in psychiatric symptoms and better social function, self-determination, and quality of life (p < .05), but with no difference in the rehospitalization rate between Clubhouse members and the controls. The Clubhouse Model demonstrates its effectiveness and shows its viability as a service delivery model in psychosocial rehabilitation for individuals with schizophrenia in mainland China.