Impaired Processing in the Primary Auditory Cortex of an Animal Model of Autism.

ABSTRACT: Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder clinically characterized by deficits in communication, lack of social interaction and repetitive behaviors with restricted interests. A number of studies have reported that sensory perception abnormalities are common in autistic individuals and might contribute to the complex behavioral symptoms of the disorder. In this context, hearing incongruence is particularly prevalent. Considering that some of this abnormal processing might stem from the unbalance of inhibitory and excitatory drives in brain circuitries, we used an animal model of autism induced by valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy in order to investigate the tonotopic organization of the primary auditory cortex (AI) and its local inhibitory circuitry. Our results show that VPA rats have di

SUBMITTER: Anomal RF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4644803 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature