Role of the cerebellar circuit deficits in the pathological basis for autism spectrum disorder

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K15924
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 46030:Function of nervous system-related
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Tsutsumi Shinichiro 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 脳神経科学研究センター, 副チームリーダー (20862676)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 小脳 / 自閉症スペクトラム障害 / 二光子イメージング / 感覚運動連関 / 登上線維 / 同期性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research project aimed to clarify whether the dysfunction in neural circuits involving the lateral cerebellum contributes to the core behavioral deficits and pathological basis of the autism spectrum disorder by using psychiatric disease model mice. Behavioral deficits in the disease model mice were quantified by a sensorimotor association task during the two-photon imaging of the cerebellar neurons. We found that the learning of sensorimotor association was delayed in the disease model mice, which corresponded to the disorganization of the synchrony bands and their activity in the cerebellar cortex. These results suggest that the deficits in the synchronous activity in the cerebellum is related to the behavioral and learning deficits in psychiatric disorders.

Free Research Field

神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、動物モデルを用いて自閉症スペクトラム障害における感覚統合異常の定量、小脳外側部の機能障害の解明を目標とした。結果として、自閉症スペクトラム障害モデル動物において、感覚運動連関の学習異常が見られ、それが小脳同期構造とその活動の異常と関連することが示唆された。本研究で使用したタスクはヒトにも応用可能であり、将来的には、自閉症スペクトラム障害の発症と深く関連する小脳外側部の機能障害の臨床的評価と、早期診断に貢献する可能性がある。