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Conscious and Non-conscious Representations of Emotional Faces in Asperger's Syndrome

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Published on: July 31, 2016

Autism-like atypical face processing in Shank3 mutant dogs.

Siqi Yuan^1,2, Chenyu Pang³, Liang Wu^1,2

¹State Key Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Science Advances

|April 2, 2025

Summary

Dogs with Shank3 mutations show atypical face processing, including avoidance and altered neural responses. This provides a new animal model for studying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) mechanisms and potential treatments.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Genetics
Animal Models

Background:

Atypical face processing is linked to social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
The genetic basis for ASD-related atypical face processing is not fully understood.
Dogs, with their advanced face processing, offer a potential animal model for studying ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if Shank3 gene mutations cause atypical face processing in dogs.
To establish a canine model for studying the neurobiological underpinnings of ASD-like behaviors.

Main Methods:

Behavioral observations of face avoidance in Shank3 mutant dogs versus controls.
Electrocorticography to measure neural responses to faces in temporal and frontal/parietal cortices.
Comparison of neural activity between Shank3 mutant and wild-type dogs.

Main Results:

Shank3 mutant dogs displayed behavioral and attentional avoidance of faces.
Reduced and delayed neural responses to faces were observed in the temporal cortex of mutants.
Impaired cortical categorization of faces by species/breeds in the frontal/parietal region of Shank3 mutants.

Conclusions:

Shank3 mutations in dogs lead to atypical face processing, mirroring aspects of ASD.
These Shank3 mutant dogs serve as a valuable animal model for investigating ASD.
This model can aid in the study of ASD mechanisms and the development of therapeutic strategies.