title: Temporal lobe epilepsy and social behavior: an animal model for autism?
abstract: Social behavior depends on the integrity of social brain circuitry. The temporal lobe is an important part of the social brain, and manifests morphological and functional alterations in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Rats with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), induced with pilocarpine, were subjected to a social discrimination test that has been used to investigate potential animal models of ASD, and the results were compared with those for the control group. Rats with TLE exhibited fewer social behaviors than controls. No differences were observed in nonsocial behavior between groups. The results suggest an important role for the temporal lobe in regulating social behaviors. This animal model might be used to explore some questions about ASD pathophysiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo/Escola Paulista de Medicina, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Joao Carlos M
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Marin
authors.forename: Paula J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Moura
authors.forename: Roberta M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Cysneiros
authors.forename: Diego B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Colugnati
authors.forename: Esper A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Cavalheiro
authors.forename: Fulvio A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Scorza
authors.forename: Gilberto F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zilbovicius
authors.forename: Marcos T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Mercadante
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000209:etiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010862:Pilocarpine; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012919:Social Behavior; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D010862:Pilocarpine