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Comment
. 2016 Jul 14;166(2):273-274.
doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2016.06.054.

The Troubled Touch of Autism

Alexander H Tuttle  1 , Victoria B Bartsch  1 , Mark J Zylka  2
Affiliations
Comment

The Troubled Touch of Autism

Alexander H Tuttle et al. Cell. .

Abstract

A study finds that deficits in touch-sensing somatosensory neurons contribute to social interaction and anxiety phenotypes in mouse models of autism and Rett syndrome. These findings suggest that some core symptoms of autism might originate from aberrant development or function of the peripheral nervous system.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Deletion of Mecp2 in peripheral sensory ganglia is sufficient to produce some autism-related phenotypes
A) Mecp2 mutation in B) the indicated tissues (black X) caused C) behavioral changes relative to wild-type mice (red plus sign). “Tactile deficits” denote problems with tactile discrimination, tactile prepulse inhibition, and hypersensitivity to gentle tactile stimuli. “Social deficits” include deficits in sociability, social novelty, and social approach. “Anxiety” signifies reduced exploration in an open field and failure to habituate to repeat presentations of a startling tone.
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