INTRODUCTION: Autism is a neuropsychiatric disorder with significant biological basis. Part of a group of conditions defined as pervasive developmental disorders, and is characterized from a behavioral point of view, with multiple etiologies and varying degrees of severity. Among the animal models of autism studied most extensively are those derived from exposure to teratogenic agents. OBJECTIVE: The The aim of this study was to provide evidence on the association between exposure to valproic acid and the development of clinical signs similar to those found in autistic patients, through a literature review. METHOD: This article is a literature review conducted by searching MedLine and SciELO. We used the keyword autism, valproic acid animal model of autism. We selected articles published between the years 2008 to 2012. RESULTS: We found a total of 119 articles were selected and these 22 articles. CONCLUSION: Animal models generated by exposure to prenatal or postnatal valproic acid have characteristics suitable for the study of autism, mainly because behavioral traits show similar to those found in autistic individuals.
Autism; animal model of autism; valproic acid
