Deep phenotyping reveals movement phenotypes in mouse neurodevelopmental models.

The study was done in mice, not people, and tested no therapy. Only male autism-model mice were tested, so the findings may not apply to females with autism-related models. Only two mouse models were studied out of about a dozen available models of genetic risk for autism. The paper did not track social behavior or use a task condition, so it does not address social communication or complex environment interactions. Human annotators and the algorithm agreed less often, partly because behavior classes and timescales were hard to capture.

Funding was from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Mental Health and National Science Foundation. The supplied text does not state author conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that these mouse movement patterns should guide autism assessment or therapy. The study used genetically modified mice in an open field, not human patients, and it tested no treatment.