Critical periods and Autism Spectrum Disorders, a role for sleep
Brain development relies on both experience and genetically defined programs. Time windows where certain brain circuits are particularly receptive to external stimuli, resulting in heightened plasticity, are referred to as “critical periods”. Sleep is thought to be essential for normal brain develop...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451994422000141 |
| _version_ | 1797798688768131072 |
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| author | Elizabeth Medina Sarah Peterson Kaitlyn Ford Kristan Singletary Lucia Peixoto |
| author_facet | Elizabeth Medina Sarah Peterson Kaitlyn Ford Kristan Singletary Lucia Peixoto |
| author_sort | Elizabeth Medina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Brain development relies on both experience and genetically defined programs. Time windows where certain brain circuits are particularly receptive to external stimuli, resulting in heightened plasticity, are referred to as “critical periods”. Sleep is thought to be essential for normal brain development. Importantly, studies have shown that sleep enhances critical period plasticity and promotes experience-dependent synaptic pruning in the developing mammalian brain. Therefore, normal plasticity during critical periods depends on sleep. Problems falling and staying asleep occur at a higher rate in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) relative to typical development. In this review, we explore the potential link between sleep, critical period plasticity, and ASD. First, we review the importance of critical period plasticity in typical development and the role of sleep in this process. Next, we summarize the evidence linking ASD with deficits in synaptic plasticity in rodent models of high-confidence ASD gene candidates. We then show that the high-confidence rodent models of ASD that show sleep deficits also display plasticity deficits. Given how important sleep is for critical period plasticity, it is essential to understand the connections between synaptic plasticity, sleep, and brain development in ASD. However, studies investigating sleep or plasticity during critical periods in ASD mouse models are lacking. Therefore, we highlight an urgent need to consider developmental trajectory in studies of sleep and plasticity in neurodevelopmental disorders. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:08:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b0468378a4b74f1f81b46574af545f50 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2451-9944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:08:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms |
| spelling | doaj.art-b0468378a4b74f1f81b46574af545f502023-06-21T06:58:42ZengElsevierNeurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms2451-99442023-05-0114100088Critical periods and Autism Spectrum Disorders, a role for sleepElizabeth Medina0Sarah Peterson1Kaitlyn Ford2Kristan Singletary3Lucia Peixoto4Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United StatesDepartment of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United StatesDepartment of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United StatesDepartment of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United StatesCorresponding author. Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Science, Building #220, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd. Spokane, WA, 99202, United States.; Department of Translational Medicine and Physiology, Sleep and Performance Research Center, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United StatesBrain development relies on both experience and genetically defined programs. Time windows where certain brain circuits are particularly receptive to external stimuli, resulting in heightened plasticity, are referred to as “critical periods”. Sleep is thought to be essential for normal brain development. Importantly, studies have shown that sleep enhances critical period plasticity and promotes experience-dependent synaptic pruning in the developing mammalian brain. Therefore, normal plasticity during critical periods depends on sleep. Problems falling and staying asleep occur at a higher rate in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) relative to typical development. In this review, we explore the potential link between sleep, critical period plasticity, and ASD. First, we review the importance of critical period plasticity in typical development and the role of sleep in this process. Next, we summarize the evidence linking ASD with deficits in synaptic plasticity in rodent models of high-confidence ASD gene candidates. We then show that the high-confidence rodent models of ASD that show sleep deficits also display plasticity deficits. Given how important sleep is for critical period plasticity, it is essential to understand the connections between synaptic plasticity, sleep, and brain development in ASD. However, studies investigating sleep or plasticity during critical periods in ASD mouse models are lacking. Therefore, we highlight an urgent need to consider developmental trajectory in studies of sleep and plasticity in neurodevelopmental disorders.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451994422000141AutismSleepSynaptic plasticityCritical periods of development |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth Medina Sarah Peterson Kaitlyn Ford Kristan Singletary Lucia Peixoto Critical periods and Autism Spectrum Disorders, a role for sleep Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms Autism Sleep Synaptic plasticity Critical periods of development |
| title | Critical periods and Autism Spectrum Disorders, a role for sleep |
| title_full | Critical periods and Autism Spectrum Disorders, a role for sleep |
| title_fullStr | Critical periods and Autism Spectrum Disorders, a role for sleep |
| title_full_unstemmed | Critical periods and Autism Spectrum Disorders, a role for sleep |
| title_short | Critical periods and Autism Spectrum Disorders, a role for sleep |
| title_sort | critical periods and autism spectrum disorders a role for sleep |
| topic | Autism Sleep Synaptic plasticity Critical periods of development |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451994422000141 |
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