NADPH-d positive neurons in the developing somatosensory cortex of the rat: effects of early and late environmental enrichment

Effects of Preweaning Polysensorial Enrichment upon Development of the Parietal Cortical Plate of Undernourished Rats: A Stereological Study

“…Thus, changes in density scores are thought to reflect deficits in dendritic growth during the early postnatal life, such as reduced amount of terminal dendritic branching, reduction of the surface occupied by their appendages, decrease in the number and length of segments as well as delayed development of their dendritic fields. The anatomical substratum observed in this study was the parietal cortical plate, an area of the neocortex that shows in the rat a significant developmental acceleration of neuronal differentiation after enriched rearing (Fernández et al, 1998Inzunza et al). The effects of early environmental enrichment on the structure of visual and motor cortices of eutrophic rats have already been addressed in other studies (Beaulieu & Colonnier, 1989;Venable et al, 1989).…”

Lasting facilitatory effects of neonatal vibrissae removal on the propagation of cortical spreading depression: an electrophysiological study in well-nourished and early-malnourished adult rats

“…These data confirm previous studies in which large litters are used to induce unfavorable conditions of nutrition. 3,60,61 It is probable that, in this experimental malnutrition model, maternal milk quantity was insufficient to supply the developmental demands of the pups suckled in the large litters. This nutritional condition induced long-lasting impairment of body development, since the reduced body weight was observed in all ages assessed.…”

“…On the other hand, several pieces of evidence indicate that sensory stimulation can help in recovering the effects of neural injuries subsequent to malnutrition or sensory deprivation in laboratory animals 3,55 and even in humans. 56,57 Nevertheless, in the present study, the animals were submitted to chronic sensory deprivation, and the CSD enhancement observed in the hemisphere contralateral to the vibrissae removal persisted until the adulthood.…”

“…1,2 It has also been demonstrated that complex mechanisms of neural plasticity underlying the development of the cerebral cortex are influenced by social, nutritional and environmental factors. 3,4 The higher degree of brain plasticity in the young human brain is promptly recognized in the higher ability of children to learn new tasks, or to recover from brain injuries, 2 as compared to the adult brain. However, some degree of plasticity still remains in adult cortex [5][6][7][8] and a variety of studies to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of neural plasticity are leading to better understanding neurological disorders both in the developing and in the adult brain.…”

Early physical activity minimizes the adverse effects of a low-energy diet on growth and development parameters

“…11 The partial reactions of compensation or recuperation have been demonstrated by treatment with environmental stimulation and by the process of nutritional recovery. 12 Physical activity is considered as a favorable stimulus for the process of neural plasticity. It is widely accepted that physical exercise promotes the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) 13 and the synthesis of growth hormone (GH).…”