Grant: Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

"Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently the fastest-growing neurodevelopmental disorder in North America. Approximately 1 in 66 Canadians aged 5-17 are diagnosed with ASD, a disorder characterized by impairments in communication, difficulty with social interaction, and repetitive patterns of behaviour. Given that the diagnosis of ASD has been steadily rising in recent years, there is growing urgency for the development of novel treatments and therapies. Although many previous studies have documented synaptic aberrations present in ASD, less is known about how these neural abnormalities can be restored. In this project, we will explore if certain types of synaptic plasticity can be manipulated to alleviate ASD symptomology. Specifically, we will focus on the interaction between ""Hebbian"" and ""homeostatic"" mechanisms. Hebbian plasticity is a highly specific process dealing with strengthening or weakening of individual synapses, while homeostatic plasticity occurs at a global scale of neuronal activity. The interplay of both forms is required to ensure optimal functioning, where homeostatic processes prevent Hebbian mechanisms from causing increasing extremes of excitatory or inhibitory synaptic strength. ASD is marked by imbalances of excitatory to inhibitory synapses (E/I ratio), and we speculate this is due to lack of homeostatic influence over Hebbian plasticity. Thus, we propose that homeostatic scaling can be utilized to improve Hebbian learning and normalize E/I ratio. Furthermore, we predict that by restoring synaptic composition, homeostatic scaling may prove useful in alleviating other symptoms as well, including deficits in cognition and social behaviour. "