Degraded neural and behavioral processing of speech sounds in a rat model of Rett syndrome.

ABSTRACT: Individuals with Rett syndrome have greatly impaired speech and language abilities. Auditory brainstem responses to sounds are normal, but cortical responses are highly abnormal. In this study, we used the novel rat Mecp2 knockout model of Rett syndrome to document the neural and behavioral processing of speech sounds. We hypothesized that both speech discrimination ability and the neural response to speech sounds would be impaired in Mecp2 rats. We expected that extensive speech training would improve speech discrimination ability and the cortical response to speech sounds. Our results reveal that speech responses across all four auditory cortex fields of Mecp2 rats were hyperexcitable, responded slower, and were less able to follow rapidly presented sounds. While Mecp2 rats could accurat

SUBMITTER: Engineer CT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4674323 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature