The Cerebellar Involvement in Autism Spectrum Disorders: From the Social Brain to Mouse Models

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders that include a variety of forms and clinical phenotypes. This heterogeneity complicates the clinical and experimental approaches to ASD etiology and pathophysiology. To date, a unifying theory of these diseases is still missing. Nevertheless, the intense work of researchers and clinicians in the last decades has identified some ASD hallmarks and the primary brain areas involved. Not surprisingly, the areas that are part of the so-called “social brain”, and those strictly connected to them, were found to be crucial, such as the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, limbic system, and dopaminergic pathways. With the recent acknowledgment of the cerebellar contribution to cognitive functions and the social brain, its involvement in ASD has become unmistakable, though its extent is still to be elucidated. In most cases, significant advances were made possible by recent technological developments in structural/functional assessment of the human brain and by using mouse models of ASD. Mouse models are an invaluable tool to get insights into the molecular and cellular counterparts of the disease, acting on the specific genetic background generating ASD-like phenotype. Given the multifaceted nature of ASD and related studies, it is often difficult to navigate the literature and limit the huge content to specific questions. This review fulfills the need for an organized, clear, and state-of-the-art perspective on cerebellar involvement in ASD, from its connections to the social brain areas (which are the primary sites of ASD impairments) to the use of monogenic mouse models.

Home-cage behavior in the Stargazer mutant mouse

“…No such differences were identified in the temporal structure of feeding bouts. Abnormal licking patterns may reflect primary deficits in cerebellar coordination ( licking ataxia ) and/or an underlying limbic disturbance in consumptive behavior ( psychogenic polydipsia 46 ), which may also be driven by cerebellar influences on forebrain function 47 , 48 . While abnormal licking patterns were seen at both spouts, Stargazer mutants displayed a significantly lowered overall preference for sucrose water.…”

A rigorous in silico genomic interrogation at 1p13.3 reveals 16 autosomal dominant candidate genes in syndromic neurodevelopmental disorders

“…The cerebellum is known to be involved in motor learning and coordination. Consequentially, impairment of this region leads to dysfunctions in movement ( Mapelli et al, 2022 ). This suggests a reason for the short stature, bone anomalies, and jerky gait pertaining to Subject 1 in this study ( Table 1 ).…”

Cerebellar Structure and Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…Mouse models of ASD which involve specific deletions or mutations of candidate genes shown to be influential in the development of the disorder, such as CADPS2 and GABRB3. For a more detailed review on animal models and ASD, see Mapelli et al [ 23 ].…”

“…There is specific emphasis on the mechanisms by which the cerebellum contributes to social-cognitive processes within ASD. For other recent reviews on the topic of the cerebellum and ASD, see Mapelli et al [ 23 ].…”