Testing Hypotheses about Autism - 6/11/08

Dr. Jacqueline Crawley
National Institute of Mental Health/NIH

Perhaps the most puzzling thing about autism is that more than a decade into this public health crisis, our best, smartest government scientists and public health officials still say they have no idea what's causing it. Unfortunately, because the behaviors we associate with autism are so fundamentally human in nature, it has been difficult for researchers to decide which mouse behaviors are optimal for assessing autism-like traits in mouse models.

Dr. Crawley is developing methods to assay communication deficits in animal models of autism. The three defining clinical symptoms of autism are aberrant reciprocal social interactions, deficits in social communication, and repetitive behaviors, including motor stereotypes and insistence on sameness. Her lab is developing a set of behavioral tasks designed to model components of these core symptoms in mice. Once available, mice with autistic characteristics will allow practical laboratory testing. This will eventually lead to a greater understanding of a disease that has eluded the understanding of so many in the research community and continues to frustrate parents of autistic children.