Long-Term Environmental Enrichment Leads to Regional Increases in Neurotrophin Levels in Rat Brain

Ickes, Brian; Pham, T. M.; Sanders, Linda; Albeck, David; Mohammed, Abdul K.; Granholm, Ann‐Charlotte

doi:10.1006/exnr.2000.7415

Cited by 492 publications

(339 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…To our knowledge, there are only two studies that have so far evaluated this issue and their results are inconsistent (Renner and Rosenzweig, 1986;Morley-Fletcher et al, 2003). In elucidating the attenuating effects of environmental enrichment in VPA rats, the known effects of enrichment on neurogenesis (Kemperman et al, 1997;Nilsson et al, 1999), neurotrophin gene expression (Torasdotter et al, 1996(Torasdotter et al, , 1998Young et al, 1999;Olsson et al, 1994;Ickes et al, 2000), and anatomical features (Diamond et al, 1964;Diamond, 1967;Rampon et al, 2000;Floeter and Greenough, 1979) should also be taken into account. However, it has been suggested that the most Animal model of autism T Schneider et al important single factor in stimulating brain changes in enriched rats is the enforced interaction with the physical environment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Experiments have shown that improvements in behavioral performances were accompanied with changes in various neurochemical and anatomical features in rat brains. These changes include, for example, thicker cortex; increased dendritic spine density, and branching in the cerebral cortex (eg Volkmar and Greenough, 1972;Diamond et al, 1964;Diamond, 1967;Greenough et al, 1973), hippocampus (Rampon et al, 2000), striatum (Comery et al, 1995), and cerebellum (Floeter and Greenough, 1979); reduced apoptosis (Young et al, 1999); increased expression of neurotrophic factors (Torasdotter et al, 1996(Torasdotter et al, , 1998Young et al, 1999;Olsson et al, 1994;Ickes et al, 2000); and enhanced neurogenesis (Kempermann et al, 1997;Nilsson et al, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental Enrichment Reverses Behavioral Alterations in Rats Prenatally Exposed to Valproic Acid: Issues for a Therapeutic Approach in Autism

Schneider

Turczak

Przewłocki

2005

Neuropsychopharmacol

255

155

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Environmental enrichment has been repeatedly shown to affect multiple aspects of brain function, and is known to improve cognitive, behavioral, and histopathological outcome after brain injuries. The purpose of the present experiments was to determine the effect of an enriched environment on behavioral aberrations observed in male rats exposed to valproic acid on day 12.5 of gestation (VPA rats), and proposed on the basis of etiological, anatomical, and behavioral data as an animal model of autism. Environmental enrichment reversed almost all behavioral alterations observed in the model. VPA rats after environmental enrichment (VPA-E) compared to VPA rats reared in standard conditions have higher sensitivity to pain and lower sensitivity to nonpainful stimuli; stronger acoustic prepulse inhibition; lower locomotor, repetitive/stereotypic-like activity, and enhanced exploratory activity; decreased anxiety; increased number of social behaviors; and shorter latency to social explorations. In comparison with control animals (Con), VPA-E rats exhibited increased number of pinnings in adolescence and social explorations in adulthood, and were less anxious in the elevated plus maze. Similar differences in social behavior and anxiety were observed between control rats exposed to environmental enrichment (Con-E) and control group reared in standard conditions. These results suggest that postnatal environmental manipulations can counteract the behavioral alterations in VPA rats. We propose environmental enrichment as an important tool for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Enrichment Reverses Behavioral Alterations in Rats Prenatally Exposed to Valproic Acid: Issues for a Therapeutic Approach in Autism

Schneider

Turczak

Przewłocki

2005

Neuropsychopharmacol

255

155

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“…This diVerence did, however, not lead to a higher number of errors or a longer latency to reach the exit in HR animals. Schmajuk et al (1993) suggested hippocampal involvement in latent learning and detour spatial tasks, and the beneWcial eVects of environmental enrichment on hippocampal development have been well-described in rodents (Kempermann et al 1997;Ickes et al 2000), arguing against the suggestion that environmental enrichment does not aVect latent learning. It cannot be ruled out that the enrichment provided in our study, i.e.…”

Section: Memory Testsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial learning in pigs: effects of environmental enrichment and individual characteristics on behaviour and performance

et al. 2008

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This study investigated the eVects of both environmental enrichment and individual behavioural characteristics on spatial cognitive capabilities of pigs, using a novel latent spatial learning paradigm based on Tolman's detour experiments (1948). Pigs were housed either in 'barren' pens or in pens enriched with straw bedding from birth. Pigs were restrained in a Backtest at 10 and 17 days postpartum. Based on their escape behaviour in this test, which has been shown to reXect their behavioural style, six 'high-resisting'(HR) and six 'low-resisting' (LR) pigs were selected from each housing environment (n = 24 in total). At 12 weeks of age, pairs of pen mates (LR and HR) were exposed to a maze three times (exploration trials). Pigs were then placed individually in the maze, and social reinstatement proved to be a strong incentive to Wnd the exit leading to the home pen. We subsequently blocked the direct route to the exit, forcing animals to Wnd a detour (memory test 1, MT1). This test was repeated once to investigate the relative improvement, i.e. detour learning (memory test 2, MT2). Housing condition and Backtest response strongly aVected exploration patterns. In spite of this, no eVects on performance during the subsequent memory tests were found. Performance was substantially improved in MT2, indicating that once a goal is apparent, pigs are able to solve a complex spatial memory task easily. In conclusion, social reinstatement provided a good incentive to complete a spatial task, and the substantial improvement in performance between MT1 and MT2 stresses the need for task complexity when testing spatial memory in pigs. Housing conditions or individual behavioural style did not aVect spatial memory during MT1 or MT2. However, housing environment and behavioural style strongly aVected explorative behaviour of pigs in an unfamiliar maze during both exploration trials and memory tests. This implicates that apparent eVects of environmental enrichment on spatial learning and memory in pigs might reXect diVerences in explorative patterns rather than in cognitive processes.

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“…Although the fact that enrichment tended to decrease BDNF levels may seem surprising, it should be noted that studies reporting increased BDNF expression following environmental enrichment or exercise utilized male or intact female rats (Berchtold et al, 2001;Ickes et al, 2000;Neeper et al, 1996). Importantly, however, estrogen deprivation resulting from OVX reduces hippocampal BDNF mRNA and protein relative to baseline levels (Berchtold et al, 2001;Singh et al, 1995).…”

Section: Effects Of Enrichment Alonementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, a recent study in aging female mice found that enrichment-induced increases in hippocampal synaptophysin levels were associated with enhanced spatial memory (Frick and Fernandez, 2003). Additionally, exposure to enrichment increases hippocampal BDNF protein in rats (Ickes et al, 2000). Interestingly, one aspect of environmental enrichment, voluntary exercise, has also consistently increased hippocampal BDNF protein and mRNA levels in rats (Berchtold et al, 2001;Neeper et al, 1996;van Praag et al, 2000;Widenfalk et al, 1999).…”

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confidence: 99%

Environmental enrichment reduces the mnemonic and neural benefits of estrogen

Gresack

Frick

2004

Neuroscience

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The degree to which memory is enhanced by estrogen replacement in postmenopausal women may depend on environmental factors such as education. The present study utilized an animal model of environmental enrichment to determine whether environmental factors influence the mnemonic and neural response to estrogen. Female mice were raised in standard (SC) or enriched (EC) conditions from weaning until adulthood (7 months). All mice were ovariectomized at 10 weeks, and tested in object recognition and water-escape motivated radial arm maze (WRAM) tasks at 6 months. Each day at the completion of training, mice received injections of 0.1 mg/kg cyclodextrin-encapsulated

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Long-Term Environmental Enrichment Leads to Regional Increases in Neurotrophin Levels in Rat Brain

Cited by 492 publications

References 63 publications

Environmental Enrichment Reverses Behavioral Alterations in Rats Prenatally Exposed to Valproic Acid: Issues for a Therapeutic Approach in Autism

Environmental Enrichment Reverses Behavioral Alterations in Rats Prenatally Exposed to Valproic Acid: Issues for a Therapeutic Approach in Autism

Spatial learning in pigs: effects of environmental enrichment and individual characteristics on behaviour and performance

Environmental enrichment reduces the mnemonic and neural benefits of estrogen

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