Funny sight that these almost bald mice combing their thin band of hair between the ears. A punk cut that rodents frantically maintain by the toilet.
It is not an animal coquetry but a symptomatic obsession of a autism disorder. A team of scientists from NYU Langone Medical Center, located in Manhattan, New York, has taken a close look at this hair mania in rodents.
They discovered that this over-grooming of the skull betrays a repetitive behavior that is also found in some patients with autism.
Based on this observation, the American researchers assumed that understanding the biological mechanism at work in the repetitive styling of mice could constitute a lead for treating autism. They outline their conclusions in the scientific journal Nature: “punk” mice may lack a gene encoding a protein called Cntnap4.
Low levels of this protein lead to abnormal releases of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in feelings of pleasure, and GABA, a neurotransmitter that inhibits the central nervous system and regulates muscle tension.
Reversible effects of the disease
In other words, mice lacking the gene responsible for producing this key protein would tend to obsessively groom themselves, suggesting a link between genetics, brain function, and autistic behaviors.
An association that could advance research on new treatments in humans, say the researchers. “Our research suggests that reversing the effects of disease on labeling mechanisms like GABA and dopamine are options for processing potential, ”they conclude.
