AI Article Synopsis
- Social behaviors are essential for human connection and can be affected by conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which involves disruptions in the mesoaccumbens pathway (VTA and NAc).
- The study investigates a specific mutation linked to ASD, using a -deficient rat model to assess how this mutation alters social reward processing and behavior.
- Findings reveal that -deficient rats show unusual social interactions and struggle with reward-based behavior due to changes in neuronal activity, but adjusting VTA neuron activity can help normalize their behavior, suggesting potential intervention pathways.
Article Abstract
Social behaviors are crucial for human connection and belonging, often impacted in conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The mesoaccumbens pathway (VTA and NAc) plays a pivotal role in social behavior and is implicated in ASD. However, the impact of ASD-related mutations on social reward processing remains insufficiently explored. This study focuses on the mutation, associated with a rare genetic condition and linked to ASD, examining its influence on the mesoaccumbens pathway during behavior, using the -deficient rat model. Our findings indicate that -deficient rats exhibit atypical social interactions and have difficulty adjusting behavior based on reward values, associated with modified neuronal activity of VTA dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons and reduced dopamine release in the NAc. Moreover, we demonstrate that manipulating VTA neuronal activity can normalize this behavior, providing insights into the effects of mutations on social reward and behavior, and identify a potential neural pathway for intervention.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10723340 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1101/2023.12.05.570134 | DOI Listing |
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Altered neural activity in the mesoaccumbens pathway underlies impaired social reward processing in -deficient rats.
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Article Synopsis
- Social behaviors are essential for human connection and can be affected by conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which involves disruptions in the mesoaccumbens pathway (VTA and NAc).
- The study investigates a specific mutation linked to ASD, using a -deficient rat model to assess how this mutation alters social reward processing and behavior.
- Findings reveal that -deficient rats show unusual social interactions and struggle with reward-based behavior due to changes in neuronal activity, but adjusting VTA neuron activity can help normalize their behavior, suggesting potential intervention pathways.
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