An alpha 5-GABA_A receptor positive allosteric modulator attenuates social and cognitive deficits without changing dopamine system hyperactivity in rats exposed to valproic acid in utero.

ABSTRACT: Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by core behavioral symptoms in the domains of sociability, language/communication, and repetitive or stereotyped behaviors. Deficits in the prefrontal and hippocampal excitatory/inhibitory balance due to a functional loss of GABAergic interneurons are proposed to underlie these symptoms. Increasing the postsynaptic effects of GABA with compounds that selectively modulate GABAergic receptors could be a potential target for treating ASD symptoms. In addition, deficits in GABAergic interneurons have been linked to dopamine (DA) system dysregulation, and, despite conflicting evidence, abnormalities in the DA system activity may underly some ASD symptoms. Here, we investigated whether the positive allosteric modulator of α5-containing GABA

SUBMITTER: Souza AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11343091 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature