title: Behavioral changes following a single episode of early-life seizures support the latent development of an autistic phenotype.
abstract: We probed the developmental and behavioral consequences of a single episode of kainic acid-induced early-life seizures (KA-ELS) in the rat on postnatal day 7. Correlates of developmental trajectory were not altered, demonstrating that long-term consequences following KA-ELS are not initiated by secondary causes, such as malnourishment or alterations in maternal care. We report reduced marble burying in adult rats, suggestive of restricted interests, a trait common to experimental and clinical autism. We did not detect increased repetitive grooming during habituated cage behavior. However, we did detect reduced grooming in adult KA-ELS rats in the presence of an unfamiliar rat, supporting altered social anxiety following KA-ELS. Reanalysis of a social approach task further indicated abnormal social interactions. Taken together with previous physiological and behavioral data, these data support the hypothesis that KA-ELS lead to a latent autistic phenotype in adult rats not attributable to other early alterations in development.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, USA.
authors: Paul B
authors: PB
authors: Bernard
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, USA.
authors: Anna M
authors: AM
authors: Castano
authors: Department of Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, USA.
authors: Christy S
authors: CS
authors: Beitzel
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, USA.
authors: Vivian B
authors: VB
authors: Carlson
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, USA; Department of Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado, School of Medicine, USA. Electronic address: tim.benke@ucdenver.edu.
authors: Tim A
authors: TA
authors: Benke
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists / Q000633:toxicity; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000633:toxicity; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications*; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D018690:Excitatory Amino Acid Agonists; D007608:Kainic Acid
keywords: Autism; Development; Early-life seizure; Grooming; Marble burying; Repetitive behaviors; Restricted interest; Social approach