Hippocampal dynamics in health and ASD during the first two postnatal weeks. – HippoDevInAu

The function of the mature hippocampus is to create a mental representation (cognitive map) of locations and experiences in the context in which they occur. In this framework, a mismatch between external information and the dynamics of the local hippocampal network could create an incorrect mental representation and be at the origin of a broad continuum of disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It has been suggested that, in addition to being a cognitive area, the hippocampus should also be considered as a sensory area, especially during development where its activity is closely linked to sensorimotor inputs. We thus hypothesize that an early disruption of the integration of external inputs would lead to deficits in the formation of cognitive maps that, in turn, would contribute to ASD. Based on recent findings from our lab (Dard et al., 2022), our experimental expertise, and preliminary results, we propose to study the evolution of CA1 dynamics in ASD models during the first two weeks of life.