Disrupted Hippocampal-Prefrontal Networks in a Rat Model of Fragile X Syndrome: A Study Linking Neural Dynamics to Autism-Like Behavioral Impairments.

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FMR-KO and control rats underwent a battery of behavioral tests assessing sociability, memory, and anxiety. Single-unit electrophysiology recordings were then conducted to measure patterns of neural activity in H-PFC circuit. Advanced mathematical models were used to characterize the patterns that were then compared between groups using generalized linear mixed models. FMR-KO rats demonstrated significant behavioral deficits in sociability, spatial learning, and anxiety, aligning with symptoms of ASD. At the neural level, these rats exhibited abnormal firing patterns in the H-PFC circuit that is critical for learning, memory, and social behavior. The neural networks in FMR-KO rats were also less densely connected and more fragmented, particularly in hippocampal-PFC correlated firing. These findings suggest that disruptions in neural network dynamics underlie the observed behavioral impairments in FMR-KO rats. FMR-KO significantly disrupts several characteristics of action potential firing in the H-PFC network, leading to deficits in social behavior, memory, and anxiety, as seen in FXS. This disruption is characterized by less organized and less resilient hippocampal-PFC networks. These findings suggest that therapeutic strategies aimed at normalizing neural dynamics, such as with brain stimulation, could potentially improve behavior and cognitive functions in autistic individuals. Fragile X Syndrome is associated with autism, cognitive challenges and anxietyThe loss of Fmr1 protein disrupts processes involved in building neural networksThe consequence is abnormal neural dynamics in hippocampal-prefrontal cortex networksNormalization of dynamics could improve outcomes in FXS and ASD.