If genes related to autism are missing, it will lead to a decrease in myelin

A new study found that in mice with missing genes related to autism spectrum disorders, myelin (an insulating sheath that surrounds nerves that allows electrical impulses to effectively propagate through the central nervous system) is reduced

On November 5, scientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (also known as UT Health San Antonio) reported this discovery in the journal Molecular Psychiatry

"This gene variant, Tbx1, is associated with autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disability, and many other developmental problems," said Dr.

The researchers found that the lack of Tbx1 significantly affected the cognitive speed of mice in two tests: Morris water maze, which challenged spatial memory; attention shift, which challenged cognitive flexibility

In collaboration with scientists from Tohoku University in Japan who conduct whole-brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) research, scientists at the University of Texas are trying to understand which areas of the brain have altered white matter

"This is a very specific regional deficit," Dr.

When analyzing the slower cognitive abilities exhibited by mice, the researchers hypothesized that myelin (a sheath of fat and protein that increases the transmission of nerve impulses) was negatively affected

In fact, mice lacking a copy of Tbx1 do not have as many oligodendrocytes

"This has a negative effect on the production of myelin, causing these mice to not have enough protective fibers," said Dr.

The limitation of this study is that the researchers were unable to compare the speed of mice in a pair of tests with the actual cognitive abilities of humans

"In a mouse model, we found structural changes in the brain and a specific gene that, when defective, can cause these changes," he said

Funded by three institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)