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. 2007 Oct 15;1(1):77–96. doi: 10.3389/neuro.01.1.1.006.2007

Table 4.

Behavioural alterations in the VPA rat model of autism.

Function Task Effect Species Gender Dose (mg/kg) GD VPA admin PND testing Reference
Motor development, locomotion, vestibular function (focal prenatal VPA exposure)
Vestibular function, motor development, Negative geotaxis No effect Rat M 600 12.5 7–10 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Vestibular function, motor development, Negative geotaxis No effect Mouse M, F 600 13 13–19 Wagner et al., 2006
Motor development Surface righting Impaired Mouse M, F 600 13 5–9 Wagner et al., 2006
Motor development Mid-air righting Impaired Mouse M, F 600 13 13–19 Wagner et al., 2006
Motor development Hanging wire grip strength Enhanced Mouse M, F 200 13 13–19 Wagner et al., 2006
Motor development Balance beam No effect Mouse M, F 600 13 20–26 Wagner et al., 2006
Motor development Swim performance Impaired Rat M 600 12.5 8, 12 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Motor development Swim performance No effect Rat M 600 12.5 10, 16 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Locomotion Open field Enhanced Rat 800 9 18 Tsujino et al., 2007
Locomotion Opto-Varimex cage Enhanced Rat M 600 12.5 30–50 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Locomotion Opto-Varimex cage Enhanced Rat M 600 12.5 90–120 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Locomotion Plexi-glass box Enhanced Mouse M, F 600 13 20–26 Wagner et al., 2006
Locomotion EPM No effect Rat M, F 500 12.5 110–120 Markram et al., 2007
Motor development, locomotion, vestibular function (prolonged prenatal VPA exposure)
Vestibular function, motor development Negative geotaxis Impaired Mouse M, F 200 12–17 13–19 Wagner et al., 2006
Motor development Surface righting No effect Mouse M, F 200 12–17 5–9 Wagner et al., 2006
Motor development Mid-air righting No effect Mouse M, F 200 12–17 13–19 Wagner et al., 2006
Motor development Hanging wire grip strength No effect Mouse M, F 200 12–17 13–19 Wagner et al., 2006
Motor development Balance beam No effect Mouse M, F 200 12–17 20–26 Wagner et al., 2006
Motor development Swim performance No effect Rat M, F 150 7–18 50 Vorhees, 1987
Motor development Swim performance Impaired Rat M, F 200 7–18 50 Vorhees, 1987
Locomotion Activity meter No effect Rat M, F 150 7–18 7,9, 11 Vorhees, 1987
Locomotion Activity meter No effect Rat M, F 200 7–18 7,9, 11 Vorhees, 1987
Locomotion Open field No effect Rat M, F 150 7–18 40–42 Vorhees, 1987
Locomotion Open field No effect Rat M, F 200 7–18 40–42 Vorhees, 1987
Locomotion Plexi-glass box No effect M M, F 200 12–17 20–26 Wagner et al., 2006
Exploration (focal prenatal VPA exposure)
Exploration Hole board Reduced Rat M 600 12.5 30–50 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Exploration Hole board Reduced Rat M 600 12.5 90–120 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Exploration (prolonged prenatal VPA exposure)
Activity, Eploration Figure 8 No effect Rat M, F 150 7–18 40–42 Vorhees, 1987
Activity, Eploration Figure 8 No effect Rat M, F 200 7–18 40–42 Vorhees, 1987
Eploration Hole board Enhanced Rat M, F 150 7–18 45 Vorhees, 1987
Eploration Hole board Reduced Rat M, F 200 7–18 45 Vorhees, 1987
Circadian Rhythm
Locomotion under 12 hours light/dark cycle Plastic cages Enhanced in light phase Rat 800 9 28–43 Tsujino et al., 2007
Feeding under 12 hours light/dark cycle Plastic cages Impaired cycle variation Rat 800 9 28–43 Tsujino et al., 2007
Perception (focal prenatal VPA exposure)
Olfactory Olfactory discrimination, nest seeking Impaired Rat M 600 12.5 9 Schneider et al., 2001
Olfactory Olfactory discrimination, nest seeking No effect Rat M 600 12.5 10, 11 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Tactile Von Frey test Enhanced Rat M 600 12.5 30–50 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Tactile Von Frey test No effect Rat M 600 12.5 90–120 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Auditory Auditory startle No effect Rat M 600 12.5 30–50 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Auditory Auditory startle No effect Rat M 600 12.5 90–120 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Auditory Auditory startle No effect Rat M, F 500 12.5 80–90 Markram et al., 2007
Sensori-motor gating PPI Reduced Rat M 600 12.5 30–50 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Sensori-motor gating PPI Reduced Rat M 600 12.5 90–120 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Sensori-motor gating PPI Reduced Rat M, F 500 12.5 80–90 Markram et al., 2007
Perception (prolonged prenatal VPA exposure)
Auditory Auditory startle No effect Rat M, F 150 7–18 85 Vorhees, 1987
Auditory Auditory startle Reduced Rat M, F 200 7–18 85 Vorhees, 1987
Tactile Air-puff startle No effect Rat M, F 150 7–18 85 Vorhees, 1987
Tactile Air-puff startle Reduced Rat M, F 200 7–18 85 Vorhees, 1987
Nociception (focal prenatal VPA exposure)
Tactile Tail flick Reduced Rat M 600 12.5 <30 Schneider et al., 2001
Tactile Tail flick Reduced Rat M 600 12.5 30–50 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Tactile Tail flick Reduced Rat M 600 12.5 90–120 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Tactile Tail flick Reduced Rat M 600 12.5 >90 Schneider et al., 2001
Thermal Hot plate No effect Rat M 600 12.5 <30 Schneider et al., 2001
Thermal Hot plate Reduced Rat M 600 12.5 30–50 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Thermal Hot plate Reduced Rat M 600 12.5 90–120 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Thermal Hot plate Reduced Rat M 600 12.5 >90 Schneider et al., 2001
Thermal Hot plate Reduced Rat M, F 500 12.5 80–90 Markram et al., 2007
Anxiety (focal prenatal VPA exposure)
Anxiety EPM Enhanced Rat M 600 12.5 30–50 Schneider et al., 2006
Anxiety EPM Enhanced Rat M 600 12.5 60–90 Schneider et al., 2007
Anxiety EPM Enhanced Rat M 600 12.5 90–120 Schneider et al., 2006
Anxiety EPM Enhanced Rat M, F 500 12.5 110–120 Markram et al., 2007
Anxiety (prolonged prenatal VPA exposure)
Anxiety Open field No effect Rat M, F 150 7–18 40–42 Vorhees, 1987
Anxiety Open field Enhanced Rat M, F 200 7–18 40–42 Vorhees, 1987
Social behaviours (focal prenatal VPA exposure)
Social behaviour Free interaction Impaired Rat M 600 12.5 30–50 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Social behaviour Free interaction Impaired Rat M, F 500 12.5 90–100 Markram et al., 2007
Social behaviour Free interaction Impaired Rat M 600 12.5 90–120 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Stereotyped, repetitive behaviours (focal prenatal VPA exposure)
Repetitive behaviour Opto-Varimex cage Enhanced Rat M 600 12.5 30–50 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Repetitive behaviour Opto-Varimex cage Enhanced Rat M 600 12.5 90–120 Schneider and Przewlocki, 2005
Spontan. alterations Y-maze Reduced Rat M, F 500 12.5 80–90 Markram et al., 2007
Stereotyped, repetitive behaviours (prolonged prenatal VPA exposure)
Spontan. alterations T-maze No effect Rat M, F 150 7–18 70 Vorhees, 1987
Spontan. alterations T-maze Reduced Rat M, F 200 7–18 70 Vorhees, 1987
Learning and memory (focal prenatal VPA exposure)
Spatial learning Morris water maze Impaired Mouse M, F 600 13 20–26 Wagner et al., 2006
Spatial learning Object recognition No effect Rat M 600 12.5 60–90 Schneider et al., 2007
Spatial learning Morris water maze No effect Rat M, F 500 12.5 90–110 Markram et al., 2007
Eye blink conditioning Discriminative eye-blink conditioning Enhanced Rat M, F 600 12 26–31 Stanton et al., 2006
Fear conditioning Auditory fear conditioning training No effect Rat M, F 500 12.5 120–122 Markram et al., 2007
Fear conditioning Auditory fear generalization Enhanced Rat M, F 500 12.5 124 Markram et al., 2007
Fear conditioning Auditory fear memory Enhanced Rat M, F 500 12.5 124–174 Markram et al., 2007
Fear conditioning Contextual fear memory Enhanced Rat M, F 500 12.5 123–173 Markram et al., 2007
Conditioned place aversion Conditioned place aversion to naloxone Impaired Rat M 600 12.5 60–90 Schneider et al., 2007
Fear extinction Contextual fear extinction Impaired Rat M, F 500 12.5 174–180 Markram et al., 2007
Fear extinction Tone fear extinction in same context Impaired Rat M, F 500 12.5 174–180 Markram et al., 2007
Fear extinction Tone fear extinction in different context No effect Rat M, F 500 12.5 174–180 Markram et al., 2007
Reversal learning Discriminative eye-blink reversal Impaired Rat M, F 600 12 26–31 Stanton et al., 2006
Learning and memory (prolonged prenatal VPA exposure)
Spatial learning Cincinnati water maze No effect Rat M, F 150 7–18 51–54; 57–58 Vorhees, 1987
Spatial learning Cincinnati water maze No effect Rat M, F 200 7–18 51–54; 57–58 Vorhees, 1987
Spatial learning Morris water maze No effect Mouse M, F 200 12–17 20–26 Wagner et al., 2006
Spatial reversal learning Cincinnati water maze No effect Rat M, F 150 7–18 59–61; 64–66 Vorhees, 1987
Spatial reversal learning Cincinnati water maze M No effect F Impaired Rat M, F 200 7–18 59–61; 64–66 Vorhees, 1987

Results describe the VPA-treated offspring group relative to controls. Abbreviations: ED, embryonic day; EPM, elevated plus maze; F, female; M, male; N, number; PND, postnatal day; PPI, pre-pulse inhibition; VPA, valproic acid.