Clustering autism: using neuroanatomical differences in 26 mouse models to gain insight into the heterogeneity.

ABSTRACT: Autism is a heritable disorder, with over 250 associated genes identified to date, yet no single gene accounts for >1-2% of cases. The clinical presentation, behavioural symptoms, imaging and histopathology findings are strikingly heterogeneous. A more complete understanding of autism can be obtained by examining multiple genetic or behavioural mouse models of autism using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based neuroanatomical phenotyping. Twenty-six different mouse models were examined and the consistently found abnormal brain regions across models were parieto-temporal lobe, cerebellar cortex, frontal lobe, hypothalamus and striatum. These models separated into three distinct clusters, two of which can be linked to the under and over-connectivity found in autism. These clusters also iden

SUBMITTER: Ellegood J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4426202 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature