Deficits in skilled motor and auditory learning in a rat model of Rett syndrome.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Rett syndrome is an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a mutation in the gene MECP2. Individuals with Rett syndrome display developmental regression at an early age, and develop a range of motor, auditory, cognitive, and social impairments. Several studies have successfully modeled some aspects of dysfunction and Rett syndrome-like phenotypes in transgenic mouse and rat models bearing mutations in the MECP2 gene. Here, we sought to extend these findings and characterize skilled learning, a more complex behavior known to be altered in Rett syndrome.

Methods

We evaluated the acquisition and performance of auditory and motor function on two complex tasks in heterozygous female Mecp2 rats. Animals were trained to perform a speech discrimination task or a s

SUBMITTER: Adcock KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7523346 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature