title: Exploring the Validity of Valproic Acid Animal Model of Autism.
abstract: The valproic acid (VPA) animal model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most widely used animal model in the field. Like any other disease models, it can't model the totality of the features seen in autism. Then, is it valid to model autism? This model demonstrates many of the structural and behavioral features that can be observed in individuals with autism. These similarities enable the model to define relevant pathways of developmental dysregulation resulting from environmental manipulation. The uncovering of these complex pathways resulted to the growing pool of potential therapeutic candidates addressing the core symptoms of ASD. Here, we summarize the validity points of VPA that may or may not qualify it as a valid animal model of ASD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, and Neuroscience Research Center, SMART-IABS and KU Open Innovation Center, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.
authors.forename: Darine Froy N
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Mabunga
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, and Neuroscience Research Center, SMART-IABS and KU Open Innovation Center, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.
authors.forename: Edson Luck T
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, and Neuroscience Research Center, SMART-IABS and KU Open Innovation Center, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Woon
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, and Neuroscience Research Center, SMART-IABS and KU Open Innovation Center, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Chan
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, and Neuroscience Research Center, SMART-IABS and KU Open Innovation Center, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea. ; Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul 05029, Korea.
authors.forename: Chan Young
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Shin
keywords: animal model; autism spectrum disorder; construct validity; face validity; predictive validity; social communication deficit