Abstract：
Gestational exposure to valproic acid (VPA) is a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Rodents exposed to VPA in utero display common features of ASD, including volumetric dysregulation in higher-order cognitive regions like the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and the hippocampus. Exercise has been shown in elderly populations to boost cognition and to buffer against brain volume losses with age. This study employed an adolescent treadmill exercise intervention to facilitate cognitive flexibility and regional brain volume regulation in rats exposed to VPA during gestation. It was found that exercise improved performance on extra-dimensional shifts of attention on a set-shifting task, which is indicative of improved cognitive flexibility. Exercise decreased frontal cortex volume in females, whereas in males exercise increased the ventral hippocampus. These findings suggest that aerobic exercise may be an effective intervention to counteract the altered development of prefrontal and hippocampal regions often observed in ASD.
摘要：
妊娠暴露于丙戊酸（VPA）是自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的危险因素。子宫内暴露于VPA的啮齿动物表现出ASD的共同特征，包括高阶认知区域如内侧前额叶皮质（mPFC）的体积失调，前扣带皮质（ACC），和海马体。在老年人群中，运动已被证明可以提高认知能力并缓冲大脑容量随年龄的减少。这项研究采用了青少年跑步机运动干预措施，以促进妊娠期间暴露于VPA的大鼠的认知灵活性和区域脑容量调节。结果发现，锻炼提高了在设定转移任务上注意力的额外维度转移的表现，这表明认知灵活性得到了改善。运动减少了女性的额叶皮质体积，而在男性运动中，腹侧海马体增加。这些发现表明，有氧运动可能是一种有效的干预措施，可以抵消ASD中经常观察到的前额叶和海马区发育的改变。
