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Smolko NA, Valiev RI, Kabdesh IM, Fayzullina RA, Mukhamedshina YO. Eating disorder in children: Impact on quality of life, with a spotlight on autism spectrum disorder. Nutr Res 2024; 123:38-52. [PMID: 38241984 DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2023.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Eating behavior, which includes eating habits and preferences, frequency of eating, and other features related to diet, is a major characteristic not only of a person's nutritional status, but also of health in general. In recent years, the prevalence of eating disorders in children has tended to increase; they also require cross-system approaches in diagnosis by a variety of specialists and correction requires appropriate selection of optimal methods. Maladaptive eating attitudes formed at an early age can contribute to the formation of eating disorders, which can lead to or worsen various neuropsychiatric diseases, digestive diseases, and other related conditions. In children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), eating disorders often appear earlier than other major symptoms of the condition. However, the clinical manifestations of eating disorders in children with ASD are varied and differ in severity and duration, whereas these disorders in neurotypical children might present as short-lived and may not lead to serious consequences. Nevertheless, cases of progressive eating disorders accompanied by a child presenting as under- or overweight and/or with macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies cannot be excluded. Given the high prevalence of eating disorders in children, many researchers have highlighted the lack of a valid and universally accepted instruments to assess atypical eating behaviors in this population. Therefore, in this review, we wanted to highlight the problems and causes of eating disorders in children, and also to analyze the existing approaches to the validation of these problems, taking into account the existing behavioral features in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia A Smolko
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia; Department of Propaedeutics of Pediatric Diseases and Faculty Pediatrics, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Rushan I Valiev
- Department of General Hygiene, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Ilyas M Kabdesh
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia.
| | - Rezeda A Fayzullina
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia; Department of Propaedeutics of Pediatric Diseases and Faculty Pediatrics, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Russia
| | - Yana O Mukhamedshina
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia; Department of Histology, Cytology and Embryology, Kazan State Medical University, Kazan, Russia
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Perez Y, Velmeshev D, Wang L, White M, Siebert C, Baltazar J, Dutton NG, Wang S, Haeussler M, Chamberlain S, Kriegstein A. Single cell analysis of dup15q syndrome reveals developmental and postnatal molecular changes in autism. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.22.559056. [PMID: 37790331 PMCID: PMC10543006 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.22.559056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Duplication 15q (dup15q) syndrome is the most common genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Due to a higher genetic and phenotypic homogeneity compared to idiopathic autism, dup15q syndrome provides a well-defined setting to investigate ASD mechanisms. Previous bulk gene expression studies identified shared molecular changes in ASD. However, how cell type specific changes compare across different autism subtypes and how they change during development is largely unknown. In this study, we used single cell and single nucleus mRNA sequencing of dup15q cortical organoids from patient iPSCs, as well as post-mortem patient brain samples. We find cell-type specific dysregulated programs that underlie dup15q pathogenesis, which we validate by spatial resolved transcriptomics using brain tissue samples. We find degraded identity and vulnerability of deep-layer neurons in fetal stage organoids and highlight increased molecular burden of postmortem upper-layer neurons implicated in synaptic signaling, a finding shared between idiopathic ASD and dup15q syndrome. Gene co-expression network analysis of organoid and postmortem excitatory neurons uncovers modules enriched with autism risk genes. Organoid developmental modules were involved in transcription regulation via chromatin remodeling, while postmortem modules were associated with synaptic transmission and plasticity. The findings reveal a shifting landscape of ASD cellular vulnerability during brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonatan Perez
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Dmitry Velmeshev
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Current address: Bryan Research Building, Duke University, Durham, NC27710, USA
| | - Li Wang
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Matthew White
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Clara Siebert
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jennifer Baltazar
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Natalia Garcia Dutton
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Shaohui Wang
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | | | - Stormy Chamberlain
- Departments of Genetics and Genome Sciences and Pediatrics, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, University of Connecticut Health Center, 400 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-6403, USA
| | - Arnold Kriegstein
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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Saravanapandian V, Nadkarni D, Hsu SH, Hussain SA, Maski K, Golshani P, Colwell CS, Balasubramanian S, Dixon A, Geschwind DH, Jeste SS. Abnormal sleep physiology in children with 15q11.2-13.1 duplication (Dup15q) syndrome. Mol Autism 2021; 12:54. [PMID: 34344470 PMCID: PMC8336244 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00460-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sleep disturbances in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represent a common and vexing comorbidity. Clinical heterogeneity amongst these warrants studies of the mechanisms associated with specific genetic etiologies. Duplications of 15q11.2-13.1 (Dup15q syndrome) are highly penetrant for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as intellectual disability and ASD, as well as sleep disturbances. Genes in the 15q region, particularly UBE3A and a cluster of GABAA receptor genes, are critical for neural development, synaptic protein synthesis and degradation, and inhibitory neurotransmission. During awake electroencephalography (EEG), children with Dup15q syndrome demonstrate increased beta band oscillations (12-30 Hz) that likely reflect aberrant GABAergic neurotransmission. Healthy sleep rhythms, necessary for robust cognitive development, are also highly dependent on GABAergic neurotransmission. We therefore hypothesized that sleep physiology would be abnormal in children with Dup15q syndrome. METHODS To test the hypothesis that elevated beta oscillations persist in sleep in Dup15q syndrome and that NREM sleep rhythms would be disrupted, we computed: (1) beta power, (2) spindle density, and (3) percentage of slow-wave sleep (SWS) in overnight sleep EEG recordings from a cohort of children with Dup15q syndrome (n = 15) and compared them to age-matched neurotypical children (n = 12). RESULTS Children with Dup15q syndrome showed abnormal sleep physiology with elevated beta power, reduced spindle density, and reduced or absent SWS compared to age-matched neurotypical controls. LIMITATIONS This study relied on clinical EEG where sleep staging was not available. However, considering that clinical polysomnograms are challenging to collect in this population, the ability to quantify these biomarkers on clinical EEG-routinely ordered for epilepsy monitoring-opens the door for larger-scale studies. While comparable to other human studies in rare genetic disorders, a larger sample would allow for examination of the role of seizure severity, medications, and developmental age that may impact sleep physiology. CONCLUSIONS We have identified three quantitative EEG biomarkers of sleep disruption in Dup15q syndrome, a genetic condition highly penetrant for ASD. Insights from this study not only promote a greater mechanistic understanding of the pathophysiology defining Dup15q syndrome, but also lay the foundation for studies that investigate the association between sleep and cognition. Abnormal sleep physiology may undermine healthy cognitive development and may serve as a quantifiable and modifiable target for behavioral and pharmacological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidya Saravanapandian
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA. .,Neuroscience Interdepartmental Ph.D. Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Divya Nadkarni
- Division of Pediatric Epilepsy, Department of Pediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron, Akron, OH, 44308, USA
| | - Sheng-Hsiou Hsu
- Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, UC San Diego, La Jolla, USA
| | - Shaun A Hussain
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kiran Maski
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peyman Golshani
- Department of Neurology and Semel Institute for Neuroscience, David Geffen School of Medicine, 710 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
| | - Christopher S Colwell
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | | | - Amos Dixon
- Undergraduate Interdepartmental Program for Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
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Delgado-González JC, de la Rosa-Prieto C, Tarruella-Hernández DL, Vallejo-Calcerrada N, Cebada-Sánchez S, Insausti R, Artacho-Pérula E. Neuronal volume of the hippocampal regions in ageing. J Anat 2020; 237:301-310. [PMID: 32314379 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampal formation (HF) has an important role in different human capacities, such as memory processing and emotional expression. Both extensive changes and limited variations of its components can cause clinically expressed dysfunctions. Although there remains no effective treatment for diseases caused by pathological changes in this brain region, detection of these changes, even minimally, could allow us to develop early interventions and establish corrective measures. This study analysed the neuronal islands of layer II of the entorhinal cortex (EC), the neuronal clumps of the external principal layer of the presubiculum (PrS) and the dentate granule cells of the dentate gyrus (DG), which represent the prominent structural regions within the HF circuit. Subjects from two age groups (younger or older than 65 years) were studied and their neuronal size assessed by the point-sampled intercepts stereological method. The quantitative v ¯ v ( s o m a ) estimate was a volume of roughly 8,500 µm3 for EC layer II neurons, and DG granule neurons and presubicular neurons were five and 10 times smaller, respectively. The older age group showed a v ¯ v ( s o m a ) increase of 2%, 18% and 28% with respect to the younger group in the PrS, DG and EC regions, respectively. None of these regions showed interhemispheric differences. This quantitative estimation is relevant because the observed variance in the v ¯ v ( s o m a ) estimates suggests that biological variation is the main contributory factor, with intercepts and measurements having a smaller impact. Therefore, we suggest that age has a limited influence on neuronal volume variation in these HF regions, which needs to be compared with similar measurements in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos de la Rosa-Prieto
- Human Neuroanatomy Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | | | - Nuria Vallejo-Calcerrada
- Human Neuroanatomy Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | | | - Ricardo Insausti
- Human Neuroanatomy Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
| | - Emilio Artacho-Pérula
- Human Neuroanatomy Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Albacete, Spain
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5
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Stereological Investigation of the Rat Ventral Thalamic Nuclei Following Developmental Hyperserotonemia. Neuroscience 2019; 411:202-210. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.05.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Revised: 05/19/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Petanjek Z, Sedmak D, Džaja D, Hladnik A, Rašin MR, Jovanov-Milosevic N. The Protracted Maturation of Associative Layer IIIC Pyramidal Neurons in the Human Prefrontal Cortex During Childhood: A Major Role in Cognitive Development and Selective Alteration in Autism. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:122. [PMID: 30923504 PMCID: PMC6426783 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human specific cognitive shift starts around the age of 2 years with the onset of self-awareness, and continues with extraordinary increase in cognitive capacities during early childhood. Diffuse changes in functional connectivity in children aged 2-6 years indicate an increase in the capacity of cortical network. Interestingly, structural network complexity does not increase during this time and, thus, it is likely to be induced by selective maturation of a specific neuronal subclass. Here, we provide an overview of a subclass of cortico-cortical neurons, the associative layer IIIC pyramids of the human prefrontal cortex. Their local axonal collaterals are in control of the prefrontal cortico-cortical output, while their long projections modulate inter-areal processing. In this way, layer IIIC pyramids are the major integrative element of cortical processing, and changes in their connectivity patterns will affect global cortical functioning. Layer IIIC neurons have a unique pattern of dendritic maturation. In contrast to other classes of principal neurons, they undergo an additional phase of extensive dendritic growth during early childhood, and show characteristic molecular changes. Taken together, circuits associated with layer IIIC neurons have the most protracted period of developmental plasticity. This unique feature is advanced but also provides a window of opportunity for pathological events to disrupt normal formation of cognitive circuits involving layer IIIC neurons. In this manuscript, we discuss how disrupted dendritic and axonal maturation of layer IIIC neurons may lead into global cortical disconnectivity, affecting development of complex communication and social abilities. We also propose a model that developmentally dictated incorporation of layer IIIC neurons into maturing cortico-cortical circuits between 2 to 6 years will reveal a previous (perinatal) lesion affecting other classes of principal neurons. This "disclosure" of pre-existing functionally silent lesions of other neuronal classes induced by development of layer IIIC associative neurons, or their direct alteration, could be found in different forms of autism spectrum disorders. Understanding the gene-environment interaction in shaping cognitive microcircuitries may be fundamental for developing rehabilitation and prevention strategies in autism spectrum and other cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Domagoj Džaja
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Hladnik
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mladen Roko Rašin
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Nataša Jovanov-Milosevic
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Medical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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7
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Wegiel J, Brown WT, La Fauci G, Adayev T, Kascsak R, Kascsak R, Flory M, Kaczmarski W, Kuchna I, Nowicki K, Martinez-Cerdeno V, Wisniewski T, Wegiel J. The role of reduced expression of fragile X mental retardation protein in neurons and increased expression in astrocytes in idiopathic and syndromic autism (duplications 15q11.2-q13). Autism Res 2018; 11:1316-1331. [PMID: 30107092 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), caused by lack of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), is associated with a high prevalence of autism. The deficit of FMRP reported in idiopathic autism suggests a mechanistic overlap between FXS and autism. The overall goal of this study is to detect neuropathological commonalities of FMRP deficits in the brains of people with idiopathic autism and with syndromic autism caused by dup15q11.2-q13 (dup15). This study tests the hypothesis based on our preliminary data that both idiopathic and syndromic autism are associated with brain region-specific deficits of neuronal FMRP and structural changes of the affected neurons. This immunocytochemical study revealed neuronal FMRP deficits and shrinkage of deficient neurons in the cerebral cortex, subcortical structures, and cerebellum in subjects with idiopathic and dup(15)/autism. Neuronal FMRP deficit coexists with surprising infiltration of the brains of autistic children and adults with FMRP-positive astrocytes known to be typical only for the fetal and short postnatal periods. In the examined autistic subjects, these astrocytes selectively infiltrate the border between white and gray matter in the cerebral and cerebellar cortex, the molecular layer of the cortex, part of the amygdala and thalamus, central cerebellar white matter, and dentate nucleus. Astrocyte pathology results in an additional local loss of FMRP in neurons and their shrinkage. Neuronal deficit of FMRP and shrinkage of affected neurons in structures free of FMRP-positive astrocytes and regions infiltrated with FMRP-expressing astrocytes appear to reflect mechanistic, neuropathological, and functional commonalities of FMRP abnormalities in FXS and autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1316-1331. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Immunocytochemistry reveals a deficit of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) in neurons of cortical and subcortical brain structures but increased FMRP expression in astrocytes infiltrating gray and white matter. The detected shrinkage of FMRP-deficient neurons may provide a mechanistic explanation of reported neuronal structural and functional changes in autism. This study contributes to growing evidence of mechanistic commonalities between fragile X syndrome and autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarek Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - W Ted Brown
- Department of Human Genetics, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Giuseppe La Fauci
- Department of Human Genetics, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Tatyana Adayev
- Department of Human Genetics, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Richard Kascsak
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Regina Kascsak
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Michael Flory
- Research Design and Analysis Service, New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Wojciech Kaczmarski
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Izabela Kuchna
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Krzysztof Nowicki
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
| | - Veronica Martinez-Cerdeno
- Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Thomas Wisniewski
- Departments of Neurology, Pathology, and Psychiatry, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, New York
| | - Jerzy Wegiel
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, New York
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8
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Varghese M, Keshav N, Jacot-Descombes S, Warda T, Wicinski B, Dickstein DL, Harony-Nicolas H, De Rubeis S, Drapeau E, Buxbaum JD, Hof PR. Autism spectrum disorder: neuropathology and animal models. Acta Neuropathol 2017; 134:537-566. [PMID: 28584888 PMCID: PMC5693718 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-017-1736-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 293] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a major impact on the development and social integration of affected individuals and is the most heritable of psychiatric disorders. An increase in the incidence of ASD cases has prompted a surge in research efforts on the underlying neuropathologic processes. We present an overview of current findings in neuropathology studies of ASD using two investigational approaches, postmortem human brains and ASD animal models, and discuss the overlap, limitations, and significance of each. Postmortem examination of ASD brains has revealed global changes including disorganized gray and white matter, increased number of neurons, decreased volume of neuronal soma, and increased neuropil, the last reflecting changes in densities of dendritic spines, cerebral vasculature and glia. Both cortical and non-cortical areas show region-specific abnormalities in neuronal morphology and cytoarchitectural organization, with consistent findings reported from the prefrontal cortex, fusiform gyrus, frontoinsular cortex, cingulate cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum and brainstem. The paucity of postmortem human studies linking neuropathology to the underlying etiology has been partly addressed using animal models to explore the impact of genetic and non-genetic factors clinically relevant for the ASD phenotype. Genetically modified models include those based on well-studied monogenic ASD genes (NLGN3, NLGN4, NRXN1, CNTNAP2, SHANK3, MECP2, FMR1, TSC1/2), emerging risk genes (CHD8, SCN2A, SYNGAP1, ARID1B, GRIN2B, DSCAM, TBR1), and copy number variants (15q11-q13 deletion, 15q13.3 microdeletion, 15q11-13 duplication, 16p11.2 deletion and duplication, 22q11.2 deletion). Models of idiopathic ASD include inbred rodent strains that mimic ASD behaviors as well as models developed by environmental interventions such as prenatal exposure to sodium valproate, maternal autoantibodies, and maternal immune activation. In addition to replicating some of the neuropathologic features seen in postmortem studies, a common finding in several animal models of ASD is altered density of dendritic spines, with the direction of the change depending on the specific genetic modification, age and brain region. Overall, postmortem neuropathologic studies with larger sample sizes representative of the various ASD risk genes and diverse clinical phenotypes are warranted to clarify putative etiopathogenic pathways further and to promote the emergence of clinically relevant diagnostic and therapeutic tools. In addition, as genetic alterations may render certain individuals more vulnerable to developing the pathological changes at the synapse underlying the behavioral manifestations of ASD, neuropathologic investigation using genetically modified animal models will help to improve our understanding of the disease mechanisms and enhance the development of targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merina Varghese
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Neha Keshav
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Sarah Jacot-Descombes
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Children and Teenagers, University Hospitals and School of Medicine, Geneva, CH-1205, Switzerland
| | - Tahia Warda
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Bridget Wicinski
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Dara L Dickstein
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Pathology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, 20814, USA
| | - Hala Harony-Nicolas
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Silvia De Rubeis
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Elodie Drapeau
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Joseph D Buxbaum
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Box 1639, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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