October 17, 2014
Juvenile Reciprocal Social Behavior in Mice
As the diagnosis for Autism becomes more effective, a growing concern to find treatment options is on the rise. According to the National Institute of Health, “one out of every 88 children in the United States currently has autism.” This summer I worked at the Department of Neuroscience in Mount Holyoke College investigating Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) by exposing different mice strains to a Maternal Immune Activation virus (Poly:IC), which is said to activate neurological disorders such as Schizophrenia and Autism. The independent study in juvenile mice attempted to dismantle the social deficits in ASD by exploring the early social interaction within mice strains. The juvenile behavioral animal assessment was conducted during the 2014 spring semester. Then, the collected data was analyzed during the summer using the behavioral coding computer program called JWatcher. As a scientist, my responsibilities included monitoring animal behavior, statistical analysis and animal testing. The project revealed unexpected results, as the mice with the maternal immune activation virus were hypersocial.
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