Role of Cl- homeostasis in aberrant brain rhythms, from oscillations to sleep-wake cycles, in a mouse model of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder.

We live in a world that is largely based on social relationships, in which we are constantly exposed to and influenced by a series of circumstances that require us to interpret the other's attitude. These relationships are complex and require the integration of a series of information, such as external sensory stimuli, the individual's mood, and attention. All this information is processed in the brain, in distinct areas, but must be integrated, to lead to an understanding of the situation as a whole and enable the individual to act appropriately. The interaction takes place through the coordinated activity of neuronal groups.

The ability to interact with others is one of the critical points of pathologies of the development of the autism spectrum, often also accompanied by cognitive deficits.

In this project, we aim to understand the mechanisms underlying the deficits in social behavior and cognitive functions associated with autism spectrum disorders. For this, we will study the traces of brain activity, in particular the oscillations, which result from the correlated activity of groups of neurons in the same area or in different brain areas. It is known that the synchrony between the activity of neuronal groups placed in different areas is necessary for the appropriate integration of various information. In particular, we will analyze the role of an ion, the Cl^-, which critically regulates these activity patterns.

The results obtained will allow us to characterize brain rhythms altered in the pathology and use them as markers to design effective therapies.