Characterizing maternal isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations in a gene-environment interaction rat model for autism.

ABSTRACT: Deficits in social communication and language development belong to the earliest diagnostic criteria of autism spectrum disorders. Of the many risk factors for autism spectrum disorder, the contactin-associated protein-like 2 gene, CNTNAP2, is thought to be important for language development. The present study used a rat model to investigate the potential compounding effects of autism spectrum disorder risk gene mutation and environmental challenges, including breeding conditions or maternal immune activation during pregnancy, on early vocal communication in the offspring. Maternal isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations from Cntnap2 wildtype and knockout rats at selected postnatal days were analyzed for their acoustic, temporal and syntax characteristics. Cntnap2 knockout pups from het

SUBMITTER: Mohrle D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10242206 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature