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Montanaro FAM, Alfieri P, Caciolo C, Spano G, Bosco A, Vicari S. Effects of a combined neuropsychological and cognitive behavioral group therapy on young adults with Fragile X Syndrome: An explorative study. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2024; 154:104839. [PMID: 39332280 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 08/02/2024] [Accepted: 09/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder that leads to intellectual disability (ID) along with cognitive-behavioral difficulties. Research on psychosocial treatments in individuals FXS and ID is still lacking. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a combined neuropsychological and cognitive behavioral group therapy (nCBT) among young adults with FXS. METHOD Ten young adults diagnosed with FXS took part in the second stage intervention of "Corp-osa-Mente" (CoM II), a group nCBT program previously outlined by Montanaro and colleagues in an earlier study, with the participants being the same as in the previous research. This report details the outcomes of an additional twelve-month group sections aimed at enhancing the ability to manage emotions and the socio-communicative skills of these young adults. Caregivers completed measures of adaptive functioning, emotional and behavior problems, executive function, communication skills and family quality of life at pre-treatment (T0) and post-treatment (T1). RESULTS CoM II showed a decrease in depressive and anxiety symptoms from T0 to T1, along with increased socio-pragmatic and communication skills from pre-test to post-test intervention. Additionally, our analysis revealed improvements in the adapative behavior of participants and in the family quality of life. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary findings suggest that young adults with FXS and ID experienced positive outcomes through participation in CoM II, a group nCBT. However, it is recommended to undertake additional methodologically rigorous studies, such as randomized controlled trials (RCTs), to substantiate these initially promising findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Alice Maria Montanaro
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome 00165, Italy; Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari 70122, Italy
| | - Paolo Alfieri
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome 00165, Italy.
| | - Cristina Caciolo
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome 00165, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Spano
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari 70122, Italy
| | - Andrea Bosco
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari 70122, Italy
| | - Stefano Vicari
- Child & Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome 00165, Italy; Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Rome 00168, Italy
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McCarthy DM, Vied C, Trupiano MX, Canekeratne AJ, Wang Y, Schatschneider C, Bhide PG. Behavioral, neurotransmitter and transcriptomic analyses in male and female Fmr1 KO mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1458502. [PMID: 39308631 PMCID: PMC11412825 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1458502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Fragile X syndrome is an inherited X-linked disorder associated with intellectual disabilities that begin in childhood and last a lifetime. The symptoms overlap with autism spectrum disorder, and the syndrome predominantly affects males. Consequently, FXS research tends to favor analysis of social behaviors in males, leaving a gap in our understanding of other behavioral traits, especially in females. Methods We used a mouse model of FXS to analyze developmental, behavioral, neurochemical, and transcriptomic profiles in males and females. Results Our behavioral assays demonstrated locomotor hyperactivity, motor impulsivity, increased "approach" behavior in an approach-avoidance assay, and deficits in nest building behavior. Analysis of brain neurotransmitter content revealed deficits in striatal GABA, glutamate, and serotonin content. RNA sequencing of the ventral striatum unveiled expression changes associated with neurotransmission as well as motivation and substance use pathways. Sex differences were identified in nest building behavior, striatal neurotransmitter content, and ventral striatal gene expression. Discussion In summary, our study identified sex differences in specific behavioral, neurotransmitter, and gene expression phenotypes and gene set enrichment analysis identified significant enrichment of pathways associated with motivation and drug reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deirdre M. McCarthy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- FSU Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Cynthia Vied
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- FSU Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Translational Science Laboratory, Florida State University College of Medicine Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Mia X. Trupiano
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Angeli J. Canekeratne
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Yuan Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- FSU Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Christopher Schatschneider
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Pradeep G. Bhide
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- FSU Institute for Pediatric Rare Diseases, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
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Croom K, Rumschlag JA, Erickson MA, Binder D, Razak KA. Sex differences during development in cortical temporal processing and event related potentials in wild-type and fragile X syndrome model mice. J Neurodev Disord 2024; 16:24. [PMID: 38720271 PMCID: PMC11077726 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-024-09539-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently diagnosed in approximately 1 in 44 children in the United States, based on a wide array of symptoms, including sensory dysfunction and abnormal language development. Boys are diagnosed ~ 3.8 times more frequently than girls. Auditory temporal processing is crucial for speech recognition and language development. Abnormal development of temporal processing may account for ASD language impairments. Sex differences in the development of temporal processing may underlie the differences in language outcomes in male and female children with ASD. To understand mechanisms of potential sex differences in temporal processing requires a preclinical model. However, there are no studies that have addressed sex differences in temporal processing across development in any animal model of ASD. METHODS To fill this major gap, we compared the development of auditory temporal processing in male and female wildtype (WT) and Fmr1 knock-out (KO) mice, a model of Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), a leading genetic cause of ASD-associated behaviors. Using epidural screw electrodes, we recorded auditory event related potentials (ERP) and auditory temporal processing with a gap-in-noise auditory steady state response (ASSR) paradigm at young (postnatal (p)21 and p30) and adult (p60) ages from both auditory and frontal cortices of awake, freely moving mice. RESULTS The results show that ERP amplitudes were enhanced in both sexes of Fmr1 KO mice across development compared to WT counterparts, with greater enhancement in adult female than adult male KO mice. Gap-ASSR deficits were seen in the frontal, but not auditory, cortex in early development (p21) in female KO mice. Unlike male KO mice, female KO mice show WT-like temporal processing at p30. There were no temporal processing deficits in the adult mice of both sexes. CONCLUSIONS These results show a sex difference in the developmental trajectories of temporal processing and hypersensitive responses in Fmr1 KO mice. Male KO mice show slower maturation of temporal processing than females. Female KO mice show stronger hypersensitive responses than males later in development. The differences in maturation rates of temporal processing and hypersensitive responses during various critical periods of development may lead to sex differences in language function, arousal and anxiety in FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katilynne Croom
- Graduate Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Rumschlag
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA
| | - Michael A Erickson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, USA
| | - Devin Binder
- Graduate Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, USA
- Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, USA
| | - Khaleel A Razak
- Graduate Neuroscience Program, University of California, Riverside, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, USA.
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Iravani MM, Shoaib M. Executive dysfunction and cognitive decline, a non-motor symptom of Parkinson's disease captured in animal models. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 174:231-255. [PMID: 38341231 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2023.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
The non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD) have gained increasing attention in recent years due to their significant impact on patients' quality of life. Among these non-motor symptoms, cognitive dysfunction has emerged as an area of particular interest where the clinical aspects are covered in Chapter 2 of this volume. This chapter explores the rationale for investigating the underlying neurobiology of cognitive dysfunction by utilising translational animal models of PD, from rodents to non-human primates. The objective of this chapter is to review the various animal models of cognition that have explored the dysfunction in animal models of Parkinson's disease. Some of the more advanced pharmacological studies aimed at restoring these cognitive deficits are reviewed, although this chapter highlights the lack of systematic approaches in dealing with this non-motor symptom at the pre-clinical stages.
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Schamiloglu S, Wu H, Zhou M, Kwan AC, Bender KJ. Dynamic Foraging Behavior Performance Is Not Affected by Scn2a Haploinsufficiency. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0367-23.2023. [PMID: 38151324 PMCID: PMC10755640 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0367-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction in the gene SCN2A, which encodes the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.2, is strongly associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability (ASD/ID). This dysfunction typically manifests in these disorders as a haploinsufficiency, where loss of one copy of a gene cannot be compensated for by the other allele. Scn2a haploinsufficiency affects a range of cells and circuits across the brain, including associative neocortical circuits that are important for cognitive flexibility and decision-making behaviors. Here, we tested whether Scn2a haploinsufficiency has any effect on a dynamic foraging task that engages such circuits. Scn2a +/- mice and wild-type (WT) littermates were trained on a choice behavior where the probability of reward between two options varied dynamically across trials and where the location of the high reward underwent uncued reversals. Despite impairments in Scn2a-related neuronal excitability, we found that both male and female Scn2a +/- mice performed these tasks as well as wild-type littermates, with no behavioral difference across genotypes in learning or performance parameters. Varying the number of trials between reversals or probabilities of receiving reward did not result in an observable behavioral difference, either. These data suggest that, despite heterozygous loss of Scn2a, mice can perform relatively complex foraging tasks that make use of higher-order neuronal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selin Schamiloglu
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Hao Wu
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Mingkang Zhou
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Alex C Kwan
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - Kevin J Bender
- Center for Integrative Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
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