title: High-Frequency Stimulation at the Subthalamic Nucleus Suppresses Excessive Self-Grooming in Autism-Like Mouse Models.
abstract: Approximately one quarter of individuals with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display self-injurious behavior (SIB) ranging from head banging to self-directed biting and punching. Sometimes, these behaviors are extreme and unresponsive to pharmacological and behavioral therapies. We have found electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) can produce life-changing results, with more than 90% suppression of SIB frequency. However, these patients typically require frequent maintenance ECT (mECT), as often as every 5 days, to sustain the improvement gained during the acute course. Long-term consequences of such frequent mECT started as early as childhood in some cases are unknown. Accordingly, there is a need for alternative forms of chronic stimulation for these patients. To explore the feasibility of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for intractable SIB seen in some patients with an ASD, we utilized two genetically distinct mouse models demonstrating excessive self-grooming, namely the Viaat-Mecp2(-/y) and Shank3B(-/-) lines, and administered high-frequency stimulation (HFS) via implanted electrodes at the subthalamic nucleus (STN-HFS). We found that STN-HFS significantly suppressed excessive self-grooming in both genetic lines. Suppression occurs both acutely when stimulation is switched on, and persists for several days after HFS is stopped. This effect was not explained by a change in locomotor activity, which was unaffected by STN-HFS. Likewise, social interaction deficits were not corrected by STN-HFS. Our data show STN-HFS suppresses excessive self-grooming in two autism-like mouse models, raising the possibility DBS might be used to treat intractable SIB associated with ASDs. Further studies are required to explore the circuitry engaged by STN-HFS, as well as other potential stimulation sites. Such studies might also yield clues about pathways, which could be modulated by non-invasive stimulatory techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Victoria A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Berges
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Sunho J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Gene Y
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Fridman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.|Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Jay M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Baraban
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.|Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Irving M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Reti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D046690:Deep Brain Stimulation; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004565:Electroconvulsive Therapy; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D005260:Female; D006120:Grooming / Q000502:physiology*; D008124:Locomotion / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: C497393:Mecp2 protein, mouse; D051783:Methyl-CpG-Binding Protein 2; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C492356:Shank3 protein, mouse