Volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia in autism Spectrum disorder: A systematic review.

Introduction: Recent research indicates that some brain structures show alterations in conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Among them, are the basal ganglia that are involved in motor, cognitive and behavioral neural circuits.

Objective: Review the literature that describes possible volumetric alterations in the basal ganglia of individuals with ASD and the impacts that these changes have on the severity of the condition.

Prenatal exposure to fluoxetine modulates emotionality and aversive memory in male and female rat offspring.

During pregnancy, women are prone to depression, for which selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine, are usually the first-line treatment. However, fluoxetine can cross the placental barrier and affect fetuses, causing changes in serotonin levels early in life. Long-term effects in the brain circuits that control cognitive and emotional behavior are related to early fluoxetine exposure during development.

Postnatal exposure to fluoxetine led to cognitive-emotional alterations and decreased parvalbumin positive neurons in the hippocampus of juvenile Wistar rats.

The exposure to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during development results in behavioural impairment in adulthood in humans and animal models. Indeed, serotonergic overexpression in early life leads to structural and functional changes in brain circuits that control cognition and emotion. However, the effects of developmental exposure to these substances on the behaviour of adolescent rats are conflicting and remain poorly characterised.