Grant: Operating Grant

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are believed to be caused by a combination of gene mutations and influence from environmental experience that together disrupt early brain circuit formation. The period of brain development in which established networks are tested and refined to improve encoding appears to be particularly susceptible. Here, we propose a new model system to specifically investigate this period within an intact and unanesthetized vertebrate system. Experiments will use a powerful combination of cutting-edge technologies to directly image the growth and activity of individual brain neurons and their response to controlled sensory stimulation. Result will demonstrate how information flowing through developing brain circuits directs neuronal growth, their interconnectivity to other neurons, how neurons process input, and learn to better encode sensory information with experience. With this fundamental knowledge we will be able to understand how ASD-associated mutations in synaptic proteins may interfere with these events to create dysfunctional brain circuits.