PMID- 17137645
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20070301
LR  - 20181113
IS  - 0166-4328 (Print)
IS  - 0166-4328 (Linking)
VI  - 176
IP  - 1
DP  - 2007 Jan 10
TI  - Discrimination learning and reversal of the conditioned eyeblink reflex in a 
      rodent model of autism.
PG  - 133-40
AB  - Offspring of rats exposed to valproic acid (VPA) on gestational day (GD) 12 have 
      been advocated as a rodent model of autism because they show neuron loss in 
      brainstem nuclei and the cerebellum resembling that seen in human autistic cases 
      . Studies of autistic children have reported alterations in acquisition of 
      classical eyeblink conditioning and in reversal of instrumental discrimination 
      learning . Acquisition of discriminative eyeblink conditioning depends on known 
      brainstem-cerebellar circuitry whereas reversal depends on interactions of this 
      circuitry with the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. In order to explore 
      behavioral parallels of the VPA rodent model with human autism, the present study 
      exposed pregnant Long-Evans rats to 600 mg/kg VPA on GD12 and tested their 
      offspring from Postnatal Day (PND26-31) on discriminative eyeblink conditioning 
      and reversal. VPA rats showed faster eyeblink conditioning, consistent with 
      studies in autistic children . This suggests that previously reported parallels 
      between human autism and the VPA rodent model with respect to injury to 
      brainstem-cerebellar circuitry are accompanied by behavioral parallels when a 
      conditioning task engaging this circuitry is used. VPA rats also showed impaired 
      reversal learning, but this likely reflected "carry-over" of enhanced 
      conditioning during acquisition rather than a reversal learning deficit like that 
      seen in human autism. Further studies of eyeblink conditioning in human autism 
      and in various animal models may help to identify the etiology of this 
      developmental disorder.
FAU - Stanton, Mark E
AU  - Stanton ME
AD  - Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA. 
      stanton@psych.udel.edu
FAU - Peloso, Elizabeth
AU  - Peloso E
FAU - Brown, Kevin L
AU  - Brown KL
FAU - Rodier, Patricia
AU  - Rodier P
LA  - eng
GR  - P01 HD035466/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States
GR  - 1 P01 HD35466/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States
GR  - P01 HD035466-03/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20061129
PL  - Netherlands
TA  - Behav Brain Res
JT  - Behavioural brain research
JID - 8004872
RN  - 0 (Teratogens)
RN  - 614OI1Z5WI (Valproic Acid)
SB  - IM
MH  - Analysis of Variance
MH  - Animals
MH  - Autistic Disorder/chemically induced/*physiopathology
MH  - Conditioning, Eyelid/*physiology
MH  - Discrimination Learning/*physiology
MH  - Female
MH  - Male
MH  - Maternal Exposure
MH  - Pregnancy
MH  - Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
MH  - Rats
MH  - Rats, Long-Evans
MH  - Reversal Learning/*physiology
MH  - Teratogens
MH  - Valproic Acid
PMC - PMC2075095
MID - NIHMS15786
EDAT- 2006/12/02 09:00
MHDA- 2007/03/03 09:00
PMCR- 2007/11/12
CRDT- 2006/12/02 09:00
PHST- 2006/07/26 00:00 [received]
PHST- 2006/10/23 00:00 [revised]
PHST- 2006/10/23 00:00 [accepted]
PHST- 2006/12/02 09:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2007/03/03 09:00 [medline]
PHST- 2006/12/02 09:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2007/11/12 00:00 [pmc-release]
AID - S0166-4328(06)00581-X [pii]
AID - 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.10.022 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Behav Brain Res. 2007 Jan 10;176(1):133-40. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.10.022. Epub 
      2006 Nov 29.