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Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC)
Autism Research Database
Project Element Element Description

Project Title

Project Title

Neural circuitry linking oxytocin deficiency and social impairment in ASD

Principal Investigator

Principal Investigator

Choe, Katrina

Description

Description

Recent research has shown that CNTNAP2 is an autism risk gene, and creating a mutation of this gene in mice causes multiple autism-like behavioral phenotypes including abnormal social behavior. In these mice, a lowered level of brain oxytocin has been found, and supplementing the hormone remarkably improves their social behavior. It remains unknown how a mutation in this gene leads to lowered brain oxytocin, and also how this interferes with social behavior. I propose to investigate the brain circuit abnormalities involving oxytocin neurons in the Cntnap2 knockout mice, with aims to discover how gene disruptions can interfere with proper development of brain circuits, which may underlie abnormal social behavior observed in autism.

Funder

Funder

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Funding Country

Funding Country

Canada

Fiscal Year Funding

Fiscal Year Funding

52915

Current Award Period

Current Award Period

2016-2018

Strategic Plan Question

Strategic Plan Question

Question 2: What is the Biology Underlying ASD?

Funder’s Project Link

Funder’s Project Link

No URL available.

Institution

Institution

University of California (Los Angeles)

Institute Location

Institute Location

United States

Project Number

Project Number

359433

Government or Private

Government or Private

Government

History/Related Projects

History/Related Projects

Neural circuitry linking oxytocin deficiency and social impairment in ASD | 75000 | 2016 | 401457
Neural circuitry linking oxytocin deficiency and social impairment in ASD | 150000 | 2017 | 401457
Neural circuitry linking oxytocin deficiency and social impairment in ASD | 75000 | 2018 | 401457

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