Topic: Cntnap2 KO mouse model

Alterations in social behaviour are one of the core deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Although it is unclear what the fundamental circuits underlie such deficits, numerous authors have proposed the idea that imbalances in the mesocorticolimbic dopaminergic system could be one of the leading causes. In fact, dopaminergic neurons located in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that innervate the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are critical for the creation of reward associations, including social reward. We have previously identified functional dopaminergic alterat