Altered neural activity in the mesoaccumbens pathway underlies impaired social reward processing in <i>Shank3</i>-deficient rats.

ABSTRACT: Social behaviors are crucial for human connection and belonging, often impacted in conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The mesoaccumbens pathway (VTA and NAc) plays a pivotal role in social behavior and is implicated in ASD. However, the impact of ASD-related mutations on social reward processing remains insufficiently explored. This study focuses on the Shank3 mutation, associated with a rare genetic condition and linked to ASD, examining its influence on the mesoaccumbens pathway during behavior, using the Shank3-deficient rat model. Our findings indicate that Shank3-deficient rats exhibit atypical social interactions and have difficulty adjusting behavior based on reward values, associated with modified neuronal activity of VTA dopaminergic and GABAergic

SUBMITTER: Barbier M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10723340 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature