Subthalamic nucleus pathology contributes to repetitive behavior expression and is reversed by environmental enrichment.

ABSTRACT: Repetitive motor behaviors are common in neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and neurological disorders. Despite their prevalence in certain clinical populations, our understanding of the neurobiological cause of repetitive behavior is lacking. Likewise, not knowing the pathophysiology has precluded efforts to find effective drug treatments. Our comparisons between mouse strains that differ in their expression of repetitive behavior showed an important role of the subthalamic nucleus (STN). In mice with high rates of repetitive behavior, we found significant differences in dendritic spine density, gene expression and neuronal activation in the STN. Taken together, these data show a hypoglutamatergic state. Furthermore, by using environmental enrichment to reduce repetitive behavior, we found e

SUBMITTER: Lewis MH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6098979 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature