Behavior-related alterations of striatal neurochemistry in a mouse model of stereotyped movement disorder

Motor stereotypy is a common component of several developmental, genetic, and neuropsychiatric disorders. In animals, these behaviors can be induced or attenuated via pharmacological manipulation of specific neural loci comprising cortico basal ganglia–cortical feedback circuits, including the striatum. The present study employed the deer mouse model of spontaneous and persistent stereotypy to assess the involvement of several endogenous neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in mediating the expression of the stereotypic behaviors (i.e., repetitive hindlimb jumping) exhibited by these mice. This was accomplished by employing a microdialysis sampling system coupled on-line to capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (CE–LIF) detection apparatus. Given the 13-s temporal resolution for analyte measurement afforded by this system, discrete behavior-related alterations in striatal neurochemical concentrations were detected. Rearing behavior was found to be associated with significant and selective elevations of striatal glutamate (Glu) and aspartate (Asp) concentrations. Moreover, rearing was found to most frequently precede repetitive jumping. The results also indicated that alterations in striatal serine (Ser) concentrations were involved in the modulation of locomotor activity. The present findings support a role of the striatal glutamatergic system in the mediation of spontaneous stereotypic behavior and suggest a potential neuronal mechanism by which transition to stereotypy occurs in these mice. Moreover, the present findings demonstrate the usefulness of the microdialysis system employed in studying the neurochemical substrates of rapidly transitioning behavior.