Basal Ganglia circuitry has been implicated in a number of behavioural processes, from motor function to instrumental learning, repetitive/stereotyped behaviour, reward mechanisms and drug addiction. In recent years, growing evidence indicates a central role for both dorsal striatum and Nucleus Accumbens in aspects related to social behaviour, including motivation, familiarity, and valence (positive or negative) of the social experience, as well as repetitive and compulsive behaviour. This has also been associated to changes in the release of dopamine and in downstream cell signalling and plasticity. Importantly, in genetic models of social dysfunctions, often associated to autism spectrum disorder and neurodevelopmental disorders, alterations of basal ganglia circuitry have been observed. In addition, imaging studies in human patients have already pointed to alterations in the cortico-striatal circuitry.
This Research topic will critically assess the involvement of basal ganglia and their cortical and sub-cortical connections in establishing normal and pathological social behaviours across multiple species (non-mammalian, rodents, non-human primates and humans). This research topic will consider genetic and molecular mechanisms regulating the connectivity within and outside the basal ganglia, imaging and neurophysiological studies, as well as behavioural approaches investigating social and repetitive behaviours. Particularly relevant, but currently poorly understood, is the role of different cell populations and the implication of different neurotransmitter systems underlying social and repetitive behaviours. In addition, recent research in animal models of autism spectrum disorder demonstrated sex-specific differences in behaviours dependent on cortico-striatal functioning, such as locomotor activity and reward learning. This evidence could explain the preponderance of autism in males. However, the mechanisms underlying these sex-specific alterations have not been fully investigated and human studies are still limited in this context. Therefore, this research topic also aims to collect and discuss the current evidence addressing the potential mechanisms underlying sex-differences in social and repetitive behaviours, in terms of cell signaling, genetics, neurophysiology and neuroimaging.
This Research Topic will address the goal through original experimental articles, reviews commentaries and methods on the following themes:
- Human imaging studies focussing on basal ganglia in healthy individuals or patients affected by social dysfunctions and/or repetitive behaviour
- Transcriptomic studies exploring the connections between transcriptional programs, social and repetitive behaviours
- Metanalyses of preclinical and clinical studies using either pharmacological or non-pharmacological approaches to modulate social dysfunctions and repetitive behaviours
- Studies on genetic and non-genetic animal models including non-mammalian ones (e.g. zebrafish)
- 2D and 3D human cellular models assessing the development of striatal circuitry in normal and pathological conditions
- Novel behavioural paradigms for social/repetitive behaviours
- Opto/chemogenetic approaches to study the role of basal ganglia in social and repetitive behaviours, in the dorsal and ventral striatum, but also in their input and output nuclei and in cortical regions.
Basal Ganglia circuitry has been implicated in a number of behavioural processes, from motor function to instrumental learning, repetitive/stereotyped behaviour, reward mechanisms and drug addiction. In recent years, growing evidence indicates a central role for both dorsal striatum and Nucleus Accumbens in aspects related to social behaviour, including motivation, familiarity, and valence (positive or negative) of the social experience, as well as repetitive and compulsive behaviour. This has also been associated to changes in the release of dopamine and in downstream cell signalling and plasticity. Importantly, in genetic models of social dysfunctions, often associated to autism spectrum disorder and neurodevelopmental disorders, alterations of basal ganglia circuitry have been observed. In addition, imaging studies in human patients have already pointed to alterations in the cortico-striatal circuitry.
This Research topic will critically assess the involvement of basal ganglia and their cortical and sub-cortical connections in establishing normal and pathological social behaviours across multiple species (non-mammalian, rodents, non-human primates and humans). This research topic will consider genetic and molecular mechanisms regulating the connectivity within and outside the basal ganglia, imaging and neurophysiological studies, as well as behavioural approaches investigating social and repetitive behaviours. Particularly relevant, but currently poorly understood, is the role of different cell populations and the implication of different neurotransmitter systems underlying social and repetitive behaviours. In addition, recent research in animal models of autism spectrum disorder demonstrated sex-specific differences in behaviours dependent on cortico-striatal functioning, such as locomotor activity and reward learning. This evidence could explain the preponderance of autism in males. However, the mechanisms underlying these sex-specific alterations have not been fully investigated and human studies are still limited in this context. Therefore, this research topic also aims to collect and discuss the current evidence addressing the potential mechanisms underlying sex-differences in social and repetitive behaviours, in terms of cell signaling, genetics, neurophysiology and neuroimaging.
This Research Topic will address the goal through original experimental articles, reviews commentaries and methods on the following themes:
- Human imaging studies focussing on basal ganglia in healthy individuals or patients affected by social dysfunctions and/or repetitive behaviour
- Transcriptomic studies exploring the connections between transcriptional programs, social and repetitive behaviours
- Metanalyses of preclinical and clinical studies using either pharmacological or non-pharmacological approaches to modulate social dysfunctions and repetitive behaviours
- Studies on genetic and non-genetic animal models including non-mammalian ones (e.g. zebrafish)
- 2D and 3D human cellular models assessing the development of striatal circuitry in normal and pathological conditions
- Novel behavioural paradigms for social/repetitive behaviours
- Opto/chemogenetic approaches to study the role of basal ganglia in social and repetitive behaviours, in the dorsal and ventral striatum, but also in their input and output nuclei and in cortical regions.