title: Sensory processing in autism spectrum disorders and Fragile X syndrome-From the clinic to animal models.
abstract: Brains are constantly flooded with sensory information that needs to be filtered at the pre-attentional level and integrated into endogenous activity in order to allow for detection of salient information and an appropriate behavioral response. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) are often over- or under-reactive to stimulation, leading to a wide range of behavioral symptoms. This altered sensitivity may be caused by disrupted sensory processing, signal integration and/or gating, and is often being neglected. Here, we review translational experimental approaches that are used to investigate sensory processing in humans with ASD and FXS, and in relevant rodent models. This includes electroencephalographic measurement of event related potentials, neural oscillations and mismatch negativity, as well as habituation and pre-pulse inhibition of startle. We outline robust evidence of disrupted sensory processing in individuals with ASD and FXS, and in respective animal models, focusing on the auditory sensory domain. Animal models provide an excellent opportunity to examine common mechanisms of sensory pathophysiology in order to develop therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 125 S 31st St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, HP A 01.126 Heidelberglaan 100, CX Utrecht, 3584, The Netherlands; Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), Copenhagen University Hospital, Psychiatric Center Glostrup, Ndr. Ringvej 29-67, Glostrup, 2600, Denmark; Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Sensory Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oranje
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Razak
authors.affiliation: Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 125 S 31st St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.affiliation: Anatomy & Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, MSB 470, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada. Electronic address: Susanne.schmid@schulich.uwo.ca.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmid
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder; D001921:Brain; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005600:Fragile X Syndrome; D006801:Humans; D023421:Models, Animal
keywords: Animal model; Autism; EEG; Fragile-x; Habituation; Sensory filtering; Sensory processing; Startle; Translation