Effects of environmental complexity and training on brain chemistry and anatomy: A replication and extension.

Rosenzweig, Mark R.; Krech, David; Bennett, Edward L.; Diamond, Marian C.

doi:10.1037/h0041137

Cited by 462 publications

(217 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Central to activity-related brain plasticity are enriched environments (Rosenweig et al, 1962). A great number of studies have demonstrated that environmental stimulation increases dendritic arborization and produces change at the level of the synapse in a manner that results in more robust cognitive function (Walsh et al, 1969;Greenough and Volkmar, 1973;Diamond et al, 1976;Moser et al, 1994;Nilsson et al, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic Exposure of Rats to Cognition Enhancing Drugs Produces a Neuroplastic Response Identical to that Obtained by Complex Environment Rearing

Murphy

Foley

O’Connell

et al. 2005

Neuropsychopharmacol

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Recent data suggest that Alzheimer's patients who discontinue treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors have a significantly delayed cognitive decline as compared to patients receiving placebo. Such observations suggest cholinesterase inhibitors to provide a diseasemodifying effect as well as symptomatic relief and, moreover, that this benefit remains after drug withdrawal. Consistent with this suggestion, we now demonstrate that chronic administration of tacrine, nefiracetam, and deprenyl, drugs that augment cholinergic function, increases the basal frequency of dentate polysialylated neurons in a manner similar to the enhanced neuroplasticity achieved through complex environment rearing. While both drug-treated and complex environment reared animals continue to exhibit memoryassociated activation of hippocampal polysialylated neurons, the magnitude is significantly reduced suggesting that such interventions induce a more robust memory pathway that can acquire and consolidate new information more efficiently. This hypothesis is supported by our findings of improved learning behavior and enhanced resistance to cholinergic deficits seen following either intervention. Furthermore, the level of enhancement of basal neuroplastic status achieved by either drug or environmental intervention correlates directly with improved spatial learning ability. As a combination of both interventions failed to further increase basal polysialylated cell frequency, complex environment rearing and chronic drug regimens most likely enhanced cognitive performance by the same mechanism(s). These findings suggest that improved memory-associated synaptic plasticity may be the fundamental mechanism underlying the disease modifying action of drugs such as cholinesterase inhibitors. Moreover, the molecular and cellular events underpinning neuroplastic responses are identified as novel targets in the search for interventive drug strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chronic Exposure of Rats to Cognition Enhancing Drugs Produces a Neuroplastic Response Identical to that Obtained by Complex Environment Rearing

Murphy

Foley

O’Connell

et al. 2005

Neuropsychopharmacol

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“…Experience-based change in brain functioning and topographic organization has also been demonstrated in normally developing brains, beginning with the seminal studies of Rosenzweig and colleagues (e.g., Rosenzweig & Bennett, 1972;Rosenzweig, Krech, Bennett, & Diamond, 1962;Rosenzweig, Krech, Bennett, & Zolman, 1962) and Greenough and colleagues (see Greenough et al, 1987). In the former studies, newly weaned rats were exposed to varying degrees of social and environmental enrichment or impoverishment.…”

Section: Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

Brain and cognitive evolution: Forms of modularity and functions of mind.

Geary¹,

Huffman²

2002

Psychological Bulletin

208

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Genetic and neurobiological research is reviewed as related to controversy over the extent to which neocortical organization and associated cognitive functions are genetically constrained or emerge through patterns of developmental experience. An evolutionary framework that accommodates genetic constraint and experiential modification of brain organization and cognitive function is then proposed. The authors argue that 4 forms of modularity and 3 forms of neural and cognitive plasticity define the relation between genetic constraint and the influence of developmental experience. For humans, the result is the ontogenetic emergence of functional modules in the domains of folk psychology, folk biology, and folk physics. The authors present a taxonomy of these modules and review associated research relating to brain and cognitive plasticity in these domains.For several millennia, scholars have debated whether human traits largely result from our biological nature or are a reflection of nurture, specifically our developmental experiences. The debate continues to this day and has recently pervaded the cognitive neurosciences, at least with respect to theoretical models of brain and cognitive evolution (Elman et al

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“…·The animal was decapitated, and· the brain was dissected following oU.r standard procedures (Rosenzweig et al , 1962).…”

Section: Removal Artd Weighirig Of Brain Tissuementioning

confidence: 99%

Excitant and depressant drugs modulate effects of environment on brain weight and cholinesterases

Bennett

Rosenzweig

1973

Psychopharmacologia

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Effects of environmental complexity and training on brain chemistry and anatomy: A replication and extension.

Cited by 462 publications

References 6 publications

Chronic Exposure of Rats to Cognition Enhancing Drugs Produces a Neuroplastic Response Identical to that Obtained by Complex Environment Rearing

Chronic Exposure of Rats to Cognition Enhancing Drugs Produces a Neuroplastic Response Identical to that Obtained by Complex Environment Rearing

Brain and cognitive evolution: Forms of modularity and functions of mind.

Excitant and depressant drugs modulate effects of environment on brain weight and cholinesterases

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