Environmental Enrichment Ameliorates Repetitive Behaviors in a Rat Model of Autism

Adverse environmental experiences during early life are identified as potential concerns for neurodevelopmental disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with 1% prevalence among populations. Maternal separation (MS) is an animal model that widely used to study long-term behavioral abnormality. To date, a great deal of studies focused on the therapeutic role enrichment (EE) stress consequences inducing anxiety, depression, and learning deficits. However, influence sex effect autistic-like behaviors induced by maternal has not been studied. The focus current investigate deficits related ASD in female Wistar rats. Pups were separated from mothers 3 hours daily PND1 PND14. After weaning time (PND21), rats subjected until tests day. On PND42-PND50 autism-related such social interaction, stereotype behaviors, anxiety behavior, locomotion tested. results showed EE reduced rat but increased behavior (p<0.05). Social decreased (p<0.05) had no significant these abnormalities (p>0.05). demonstrates repetitive can be treated exacerbation may occur which needs more exploration.