Deficits in temporal processing in a mouse model of autism

ACOSTA J; DEPINO A; HOCHT C; AGOSTINO PV; CAMPOLONGO M; GOLOMBEK DA

Buenos Aires

Congreso; 2nd FALAN Congress; 2016

FALAN

Temporal processing in the seconds-to-minutes range, known as interval timing, is a crucial cognitive functionthat requires activation of cortico-striatal circuits via dopaminergic-glutamatergic pathways. Interval timingis altered in disorders associated with pathological dopaminergic function, including Parkinson?s disease andHuntington?s disease. It has been reported that children and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are impaired in their ability to accurately perceive time. The objective of the present work was to study intervaltiming in a mouse model of autism, generated by prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA). Animals were evaluatedfor its ability to acquire timing responses in simultaneously trained 15-s and 45-s peak-interval (PI) procedures.Our results indicate that both male and female VPA-mice showed signi?cant impairments in timing accuracy andprecision compared to control (saline) groups. Moreover, these impairments were reversed after peer-rescue ofautism- related behavior by early social stimulation in male mice. Furthermore, preliminary results indicate significant differences in striatal dopaminergic and serotonergic system in VPA male mice, consistent with previously identified alterations in dopamine and serotonin metabolism in humans with ASD. These deficits in temporal processing in a mouse model of autism complement previous results in humans, and providea useful tool for further behavioral and pharmacological studies.