Understanding the role of the frontal cortex during cognitive flexibility in Fmr1 knock outs

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Principal Investigator: Bethany  Plakke Anderson
Organization: KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $71,589
Funding agency: National Institute of Mental Health

PROJECT SUMMARY
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder where individuals exhibit deficits in
cognitive flexibility. Purpose: This proposal will record from the frontal cortex of Fmr1 KOs (model of Fragile X
syndrome) during cognitive flexibility tasks and assess how neural hyperexcitability within the KOs impacts
reversal learning and shifts of attention. Methods: Fmr1 KOs and wildtype rats will be trained on categorical
perception tasks with touchscreens in operant chambers. Single-unit neurophysiology and local field potentials
will be collected from the frontal cortex (including the anterior cingulate) during the tasks. It is important to
understand how altered neural function within the KOs impacts cognitive function and learning. This project will
compare neural activity from putative pyramidal and interneurons to examine differential functions during
cognition. Examining these differences in neural function between KOs and WT will enhance our
understanding of how cortical excitability impacts cognition. The local field potentials can provide templates of
neural signatures that in future studies can be compared to electroencephalography data from humans with
ASD or Fragile X.

Terms: <ASD><Affect><Animals><Anterior><Attention><Autism><Autistic Disorder><Brain><Brain Nervous System><Categories><Cognition><Cognitive><Cognitive deficits><Common Rat Strains><Connector Neuron><Cues><Data><Depakote><Depakote ER><Dimensions><Divalproex><EEG><Early Infantile Autism><Electroencephalogram><Electroencephalography><Encephalon><Escalante syndrome><Exhibits><Face><Female><Fragile X><Fragile X Syndrome><Frequencies><Future><Genetic><Genetic Models><Genetic Risk><Glutamate Receptor><Goals><Human><Impairment><Individual><Infantile Autism><Intellectual disability><Intellectual functioning disability><Intellectual limitation><Intercalary Neuron><Intercalated Neurons><Interneurons><Internuncial Cell><Internuncial Neuron><Investigators><Kanner's Syndrome><Knock-out><Knockout><Learning><Left><Martin-Bell Syndrome><Martin-Bell-Renpenning syndrome><Measures><Medial><Methods><Mission><Modeling><Modern Man><NICHD><National Institute of Child Health and Human Development><National Institute of Children's Health and Human Development><Neurodevelopmental Disorder><Neurological Development Disorder><Neurophysiology - biologic function><Outcome><Pathology><Perception><Performance><Persons><Phase><Prefrontal Cortex><Publications><Pyramidal Cells><Rat><Rats Mammals><Rattus><Renpenning syndrome 2><Research Personnel><Researchers><Reversal Learning><Role><Rotation><Scientific Publication><Side><Stimulus><Syndrome><Time><Training><Valproic Acid><Work><X-linked mental deficiency-megalotestes syndrome><X-linked mental retardation with fragile X syndrome><X-linked mental retardation-fragile site 1 syndrome><autism spectral disorder><autism spectrum disorder><autism-fragile X (AFRAX) syndrome><autistic individuals><autistic people><autistic spectrum disorder><behavior phenotype><behavioral phenotyping><cingulate cortex><cognitive defects><cognitive function><cognitive task><developmental disease><developmental disorder><faces><facial><flexibility><flexible><fra(X) syndrome><fra(X)(28) syndrome><fra(X)(q27) syndrome><fra(X)(q27-28) syndrome><fragile X-mental retardation syndrome><fragile Xq syndrome><fragile site mental retardation 1><frontal cortex><frontal lobe><human data><improved><in vivo><individuals on the autism spectrum><individuals on the spectrum><individuals with ASD><individuals with autism><individuals with autism spectrum disorder><intellectual and developmental disability><limited intellectual functioning><macro-orchidism-marker X (MOMX) syndrome><macro-orchidism-marker X syndrome><male><mar(X) syndrome><marker X syndrome><mental retardation-macroorchidism syndrome><neural><neural function><neurodevelopmental disease><neurophysiological><neurophysiology><people on the autism spectrum><people with ASD><people with autism><people with autism spectrum disorder><receptor function><social role><touch panel><touch screen><touch screen panel><touchscreen><touchscreen panel>