Modulation of prefrontal cortex excitation/inhibition balance rescues social behavior in CNTNAP2-deficient mice.

ABSTRACT: Alterations in the balance between neuronal excitation and inhibition (E:I balance) have been implicated in the neural circuit activity-based processes that contribute to autism phenotypes. We investigated whether acutely reducing E:I balance in mouse brain could correct deficits in social behavior. We used mice lacking the CNTNAP2 gene, which has been implicated in autism, and achieved a temporally precise reduction in E:I balance in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) either by optogenetically increasing the excitability of inhibitory parvalbumin (PV) neurons or decreasing the excitability of excitatory pyramidal neurons. Surprisingly, both of these distinct, real-time, and reversible optogenetic modulations acutely rescued deficits in social behavior and hyperactivity in adult mice lack

SUBMITTER: Selimbeyoglu A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5723386 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature