A group of scientists at the NYU Langone Medical Center (USA), who studies the biological origins of autism , has made a revealing discovery , as just published in the journal Nature .
After breeding several mice with a mutation in the gene that codes for the Cntnap4 protein , they realized that these individuals exhibited a very striking behavior : they obsessively groomed the fur of their congeners, to the point of making them comb-shaped hairstyles, while purest punk style.
Experts suspected that this genetic modification affects the normal functioning of two neurotransmitters : dopamine, related to pleasure, and GABA, which regulates brain impulses and muscle tone.
The result of the experiment confirms this, and also points out that the dysfunction produces as a secondary effect a repetitive and compulsive behavior similar to that of autistics . This finding could help develop new treatments that attack the genetic roots of the disease.
