Production and perception of vocalizations by a mouse model of autism

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders that 1 in 54 children are diagnosed with by the age of 8. ASD is characterized by social communication deficits and stereotyped, repetitive behaviors. Several researchers over the years have indicated hearing abnormalities in children with ASD, but it is not clear if these abnormalities contribute to communication deficits. Researchers have utilized several mouse models of autism to study communication deficits as these mouse models produce abnormal ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) which have similarities to human communication signals. However, very few studies have investigated the hearing abilities of these mouse models, and none have looked at both the production and perception of USVs. We recorded USVs from BTBR to compare the number and proportion of USVs produced in three different social contexts. We also trained a group of BTBR and C57BL/6 mice using an operant conditioning paradigm with positive reinforcement to collect absolute thresholds for four USVs (chevron, upsweep, downsweep, and complex). Absolute thresholds for each strain were compared for differences. These experiments can provide important data for the relationship between perception and production in animal models of ASD.