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van Ingelgom T, Didone V, Godefroid L, Quertemont É. Effects of social housing conditions on ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization in Swiss mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:987-1000. [PMID: 38206359 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06527-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE In previous animal model studies, it was shown that drug sensitization is dependent upon physical environmental conditions. However, the effects of social housing conditions on drug sensitization is much less known. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of social conditions, through the size of housing groups, on ethanol stimulant effects and ethanol-induced behavioral sensitization in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS Male and female Swiss mice were housed in groups of different sizes (isolated mice, two mice per cage, four mice per cage and eight mice per cage) during a six-week period. A standard paradigm of ethanol-induced locomotor sensitization was then started with one daily injection of 2.5 g/kg ethanol for 8 consecutive days. RESULTS The results show that social housing conditions affect the acute stimulant effects of ethanol. The highest stimulant effects were observed in socially isolated mice and then gradually decreased as the size of the group increased. Although the rate of ethanol sensitization did not differ between groups, the ultimate sensitized levels of ethanol-induced stimulant effects were significantly reduced in mice housed in groups of eight. CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with the idea that higher levels of acute and sensitized ethanol stimulant effects are observed in mice housed in stressful housing conditions, such as social isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo van Ingelgom
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Vincent Didone
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Leeloo Godefroid
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Étienne Quertemont
- Psychologie et Neuroscience Cognitive (PsyNCog), Psychologie Quantitative, Université de Liège, Place des Orateurs 2 (B32), Liège, B-4000, Belgium.
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2
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Farmer AL, Lewis MH. Reduction of restricted repetitive behavior by environmental enrichment: Potential neurobiological mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105291. [PMID: 37353046 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Restricted repetitive behaviors (RRB) are one of two diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder and common in other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. The term restricted repetitive behavior refers to a wide variety of inflexible patterns of behavior including stereotypy, self-injury, restricted interests, insistence on sameness, and ritualistic and compulsive behavior. However, despite their prevalence in clinical populations, their underlying causes remain poorly understood hampering the development of effective treatments. Intriguingly, numerous animal studies have demonstrated that these behaviors are reduced by rearing in enriched environments (EE). Understanding the processes responsible for the attenuation of repetitive behaviors by EE should offer insights into potential therapeutic approaches, as well as shed light on the underlying neurobiology of repetitive behaviors. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the relationship between EE and RRB and discusses potential mechanisms for EE's attenuation of RRB based on the broader EE literature. Existing gaps in the literature and future directions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Farmer
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Mark H Lewis
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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3
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Ferreira de Sá N, Camarini R, Suchecki D. One day away from mum has lifelong consequences on brain and behaviour. Neuroscience 2023:S0306-4522(23)00276-2. [PMID: 37352967 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
This chapter presents a brief overview of attachment theory and discusses the importance of the neonatal period in shaping an individual's physiological and behavioural responses to stress later in life, with a focus on the role of the parent-infant relationship, particularly in rodents. In rodents, the role of maternal behaviours goes far beyond nutrition, thermoregulation and excretion, acting as hidden regulators of the pup's physiology and development. In this review, we will discuss the inhibitory role of specific maternal behaviours on the ACTH and corticosterone (CORT) stress response. The interest of our group to explore the long-term consequences of maternal deprivation for 24 h (DEP) at different ages (3 days and 11 days) in rats was sparked by its opposite effects on ACTH and CORT levels. In early adulthood, DEP3 animals (males and females alike) show greater negative impact on affective behaviours and stress related parameters than DEP11, indicating that the latter is more resilient in tests of anxiety-like behaviour. These findings create an opportunity to explore the neurobiological underpinnings of vulnerability and resilience to stress-related disorders. The chapter also provides a brief historical overview and highlights the relevance of attachment theory, and how DEP helps to understand the effects of childhood parental loss as a risk factor for depression, schizophrenia, and PTSD in both childhood and adulthood. Furthermore, we present the concept of environmental enrichment (EE), its effects on stress responses and related behavioural changes and its benefits for rats previously subjected to DEP, along with the clinical implications of DEP and EE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Ferreira de Sá
- Department of Psychobiology - Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo
| | - Rosana Camarini
- Department of Pharmacology - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo
| | - Deborah Suchecki
- Department of Psychobiology - Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo.
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4
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Hardi FA, Goetschius LG, Tillem S, McLoyd V, Brooks-Gunn J, Boone M, Lopez-Duran N, Mitchell C, Hyde LW, Monk CS. Early childhood household instability, adolescent structural neural network architecture, and young adulthood depression: A 21-year longitudinal study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 61:101253. [PMID: 37182338 PMCID: PMC10200816 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Unstable and unpredictable environments are linked to risk for psychopathology, but the underlying neural mechanisms that explain how instability relate to subsequent mental health concerns remain unclear. In particular, few studies have focused on the association between instability and white matter structures despite white matter playing a crucial role for neural development. In a longitudinal sample recruited from a population-based study (N = 237), household instability (residential moves, changes in household composition, caregiver transitions in the first 5 years) was examined in association with adolescent structural network organization (network integration, segregation, and robustness of white matter connectomes; Mage = 15.87) and young adulthood anxiety and depression (six years later). Results indicate that greater instability related to greater global network efficiency, and this association remained after accounting for other types of adversity (e.g., harsh parenting, neglect, food insecurity). Moreover, instability predicted increased depressive symptoms via increased network efficiency even after controlling for previous levels of symptoms. Exploratory analyses showed that structural connectivity involving the left fronto-lateral and temporal regions were most strongly related to instability. Findings suggest that structural network efficiency relating to household instability may be a neural mechanism of risk for later depression and highlight the ways in which instability modulates neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia A Hardi
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Leigh G Goetschius
- The Hilltop Institute, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Scott Tillem
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Vonnie McLoyd
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America; College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Montana Boone
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Nestor Lopez-Duran
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Colter Mitchell
- Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, United States of America; Population Studies Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, United States of America
| | - Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America; Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, United States of America
| | - Christopher S Monk
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America; Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, United States of America; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America.
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5
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Bibollet-Bahena O, Tissier S, Ho-Tran S, Rojewski A, Casanova C. Enriched environment exposure during development positively impacts the structure and function of the visual cortex in mice. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7020. [PMID: 37120630 PMCID: PMC10148800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33951-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Optimal conditions of development have been of interest for decades, since genetics alone cannot fully explain how an individual matures. In the present study, we used optical brain imaging to investigate whether a relatively simple enrichment can positively influence the development of the visual cortex of mice. The enrichment paradigm was composed of larger cages housing multiple mice that contained several toys, hiding places, nesting material and a spinning wheel that were moved or replaced at regular intervals. We compared C57BL/6N adult mice (> P60) that had been raised either in an enriched environment (EE; n = 16) or a standard (ST; n = 12) environment from 1 week before birth to adulthood, encompassing all cortical developmental stages. Here, we report significant beneficial changes on the structure and function of the visual cortex following environmental enrichment throughout the lifespan. More specifically, retinotopic mapping through intrinsic signal optical imaging revealed that the size of the primary visual cortex was greater in mice reared in an EE compared to controls. In addition, the visual field coverage of EE mice was wider. Finally, the organization of the cortical representation of the visual field (as determined by cortical magnification) versus its eccentricity also differed between the two groups. We did not observe any significant differences between females and males within each group. Taken together, these data demonstrate specific benefits of an EE throughout development on the visual cortex, which suggests adaptation to their environmental realities.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Bibollet-Bahena
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - S Tissier
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - S Ho-Tran
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - A Rojewski
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - C Casanova
- Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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6
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Han Y, Yuan M, Guo YS, Shen XY, Gao ZK, Bi X. The role of enriched environment in neural development and repair. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:890666. [PMID: 35936498 PMCID: PMC9350910 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.890666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to genetic information, environmental factors play an important role in the structure and function of nervous system and the occurrence and development of some nervous system diseases. Enriched environment (EE) can not only promote normal neural development through enhancing neuroplasticity but also play a nerve repair role in restoring functional activities during CNS injury by morphological and cellular and molecular adaptations in the brain. Different stages of development after birth respond to the environment to varying degrees. Therefore, we systematically review the pro-developmental and anti-stress value of EE during pregnancy, pre-weaning, and “adolescence” and analyze the difference in the effects of EE and its sub-components, especially with physical exercise. In our exploration of potential mechanisms that promote neurodevelopment, we have found that not all sub-components exert maximum value throughout the developmental phase, such as animals that do not respond to physical activity before weaning, and that EE is not superior to its sub-components in all respects. EE affects the developing and adult brain, resulting in some neuroplastic changes in the microscopic and macroscopic anatomy, finally contributing to enhanced learning and memory capacity. These positive promoting influences are particularly prominent regarding neural repair after neurobiological disorders. Taking cerebral ischemia as an example, we analyzed the molecular mediators of EE promoting repair from various dimensions. We found that EE does not always lead to positive effects on nerve repair, such as infarct size. In view of the classic issues such as standardization and relativity of EE have been thoroughly discussed, we finally focus on analyzing the essentiality of the time window of EE action and clinical translation in order to devote to the future research direction of EE and rapid and reasonable clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Han
- Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Mei Yuan
- Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi-Sha Guo
- Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin-Ya Shen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Department of Graduate School, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhen-Kun Gao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Department of Graduate School, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xia Bi
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences Affiliated Zhoupu Hospital, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Xia Bi
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7
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Sabzalizadeh M, Mollashahi M, Afarinesh MR, Mafi F, Joushy S, Sheibani V. Sex difference in cognitive behavioral alterations and barrel cortex neuronal responses in rats exposed prenatally to valproic acid under continuous environmental enrichment. Int J Dev Neurosci 2022; 82:513-527. [PMID: 35738908 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder that can affect social interactions and sensory-motor behaviors. The present study investigates the effect of environmental enrichment (EE) on behavioral alterations and neuron responses associated with the barrel cortex of young adult female and male rats exposed prenatally to valproic acid (VPA). Pregnant female rats were pretreated with either saline or VPA (500 mg/kg, IP) on day 12.5 of gestation. Male and female pups were exposed to either EE or standard-setting (non-enrichment) conditions for 1 month (between postnatal day [PND] 30 and 63-65) and were divided into non-EE (control), EE, VPA, and VPA + EE groups. Three-chamber sociability and social novelty, acoustic startle reflex, and texture discrimination tests were conducted on PND 62. Responses of barrel cortex neurons of male pups were evaluated using the extracellular single-unit recording technique on PND 63-65. Results showed that the performance of rats of both sexes in social interactions, texture discrimination tasks, and acoustic startle reflex significantly decreased in the VPA groups compared with the control rats (P < 0.05). In this regard, EE attenuated the altered deficit performance observed in the VPA animals compared with the VPA-EE animals (P < 0.05). The performance of females was better than males in the discrimination tasks and acoustic startle reflex. In contrast, males were better than females in the three-chamber social interaction test. Additionally, the excitatory receptive field response magnitude of the barrel cortex neurons in the VPA + EE group increased compared with the VPA group (P < 0.05). The results suggest that continuous EE can attenuate cognitive function disturbances in autistic-like rats and, at least at the behavioral level, the effects depend on sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansoureh Sabzalizadeh
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.,Cognitive Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mahtab Mollashahi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Afarinesh
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.,Cognitive Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.,Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Mafi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.,Cognitive Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Sara Joushy
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.,Cognitive Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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8
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Cabrera-Muñoz EA, Olvera-Hernández S, Vega-Rivera NM, Meneses-San Juan D, Reyes-Haro D, Ortiz-López L, Ramírez Rodríguez GB. Environmental Enrichment Differentially Activates Neural Circuits in FVB/N Mice, Inducing Social Interaction in Females but Agonistic Behavior in Males. Neurochem Res 2022; 47:781-794. [PMID: 34978003 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-021-03487-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment induces behavioral and structural modifications in rodents and influences the capability of mice to cope with stress. However, little is understood about hippocampal neurogenesis and the appearance of social/agonistic (aggressive) behavior upon activation of different neuronal circuits in FVB/N mice. Thus, in this study we hypothesized that environmental enrichment differentially regulates neurogenesis, neural circuit activation and social/agonistic behavior in male and female FVB/N mice. We explored the (1) neurogenic process as an indicative of neuroplasticity, (2) neuronal activation in the limbic system, and (3) social behavior using the resident-intruder test. On postnatal day 23 (PD23), mice were assigned to one of two groups: Standard Housing or Environmental Enrichment. At PD53, rodents underwent the resident-intruder test to evaluate social behaviors. Results revealed that environmental enrichment increased neurogenesis and social interaction in females. In males, environmental enrichment increased neurogenesis and agonistic behavior. Enriched male mice expressed higher levels of agonistic-related behavior than female mice housed under the same conditions. Neural circuit analysis showed lower activation in the amygdala of enriched males and higher activation in enriched females than their respective controls. Enriched females also showed higher activation in the frontal cortex without differences in male groups. Moreover, the insular cortex was less activated in females than in males. Thus, our results indicate that environmental enrichment has different effects on neuroplasticity and social/agonistic behavior in FVB/N mice, suggesting the relevance of sexual dimorphism in response to environmental stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Araceli Cabrera-Muñoz
- Laboratorio of Neurogénesis, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de La Fuente Muñiz", Calzada México-Xochimilco No. 101, Colonia San Lorenzo Huipulco, Delegación Tlalpan, C.P. 14370, México City, México
| | - Sandra Olvera-Hernández
- Laboratorio of Neurogénesis, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de La Fuente Muñiz", Calzada México-Xochimilco No. 101, Colonia San Lorenzo Huipulco, Delegación Tlalpan, C.P. 14370, México City, México
| | - Nelly Maritza Vega-Rivera
- Laboratorio of Neuropsicofarmacología, Dirección de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de La Fuente Muñiz", Calzada México-Xochimilco 101, C.P. 14370, México City, México
| | - David Meneses-San Juan
- Laboratorio of Neurogénesis, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de La Fuente Muñiz", Calzada México-Xochimilco No. 101, Colonia San Lorenzo Huipulco, Delegación Tlalpan, C.P. 14370, México City, México
| | - Daniel Reyes-Haro
- Departamento de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, Instituto de Neurobiología. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla. Boulevard Juriquilla 3001, C.P. 76230, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Leonardo Ortiz-López
- Laboratorio of Neurogénesis, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de La Fuente Muñiz", Calzada México-Xochimilco No. 101, Colonia San Lorenzo Huipulco, Delegación Tlalpan, C.P. 14370, México City, México
| | - Gerardo Bernabé Ramírez Rodríguez
- Laboratorio of Neurogénesis, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría "Ramón de La Fuente Muñiz", Calzada México-Xochimilco No. 101, Colonia San Lorenzo Huipulco, Delegación Tlalpan, C.P. 14370, México City, México.
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9
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Experience-dependent plasticity in early stations of sensory processing in mature brains: effects of environmental enrichment on dendrite measures in trigeminal nuclei. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:865-879. [PMID: 34807302 PMCID: PMC8930882 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02424-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Nervous systems respond with structural changes to environmental changes even in adulthood. In recent years, experience-dependent structural plasticity was shown not to be restricted to the cerebral cortex, as it also occurs at subcortical and even peripheral levels. We have previously shown that two populations of trigeminal nuclei neurons, trigeminothalamic barrelette neurons of the principal nucleus (Pr5), and intersubnuclear neurons in the caudal division of the spinal trigeminal nucleus (Sp5C) that project to Pr5 underwent morphometric and topological changes in their dendritic trees after a prolonged total or partial loss of afferent input from the vibrissae. Here we examined whether and what structural alterations could be elicited in the dendritic trees of the same cell populations in young adult rats after being exposed for 2 months to an enriched environment (EE), and how these changes evolved when animals were returned to standard housing for an additional 2 months. Neurons were retrogradely labeled with BDA delivered to, respectively, the ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus or Pr5. Fully labeled cells were digitally reconstructed with Neurolucida and analyzed with NeuroExplorer. EE gave rise to increases in dendritic length, number of trees and branching nodes, spatial expansion of the trees, and dendritic spines, which were less pronounced in Sp5C than in Pr5 and differed between sides. In Pr5, these parameters returned, but only partially, to control values after EE withdrawal. These results underscore a ubiquity of experience-dependent changes that should not be overlooked when interpreting neuroplasticity and developing plasticity-based therapeutic strategies.
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10
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Jacobs B, Rally H, Doyle C, O'Brien L, Tennison M, Marino L. Putative neural consequences of captivity for elephants and cetaceans. Rev Neurosci 2021; 33:439-465. [PMID: 34534428 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2021-0100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The present review assesses the potential neural impact of impoverished, captive environments on large-brained mammals, with a focus on elephants and cetaceans. These species share several characteristics, including being large, wide-ranging, long-lived, cognitively sophisticated, highly social, and large-brained mammals. Although the impact of the captive environment on physical and behavioral health has been well-documented, relatively little attention has been paid to the brain itself. Here, we explore the potential neural consequences of living in captive environments, with a focus on three levels: (1) The effects of environmental impoverishment/enrichment on the brain, emphasizing the negative neural consequences of the captive/impoverished environment; (2) the neural consequences of stress on the brain, with an emphasis on corticolimbic structures; and (3) the neural underpinnings of stereotypies, often observed in captive animals, underscoring dysregulation of the basal ganglia and associated circuitry. To this end, we provide a substantive hypothesis about the negative impact of captivity on the brains of large mammals (e.g., cetaceans and elephants) and how these neural consequences are related to documented evidence for compromised physical and psychological well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Jacobs
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903, USA
| | - Heather Rally
- Foundation to Support Animal Protection, Norfolk, VA, 23510, USA
| | - Catherine Doyle
- Performing Animal Welfare Society, P.O. Box 849, Galt, CA, 95632, USA
| | - Lester O'Brien
- Palladium Elephant Consulting Inc., 2408 Pinewood Dr. SE, Calgary, AB, T2B1S4, Canada
| | - Mackenzie Tennison
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Lori Marino
- Whale Sanctuary Project, Kanab, UT, 84741, USA
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11
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Ceanga M, Dahab M, Witte OW, Keiner S. Adult Neurogenesis and Stroke: A Tale of Two Neurogenic Niches. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:700297. [PMID: 34447293 PMCID: PMC8382802 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.700297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
In the aftermath of an acute stroke, numerous signaling cascades that reshape the brain both in the perilesional zone as well as in more distal regions are activated. Despite continuous improvement in the acute treatment of stroke and the sustained research efforts into the pathophysiology of stroke, we critically lag in our integrated understanding of the delayed and chronic responses to ischemic injury. As such, the beneficial or maladaptive effect of some stroke-induced cellular responses is unclear, restricting the advancement of therapeutic strategies to target long-term complications. A prominent delayed effect of stroke is the robust increase in adult neurogenesis, which raises hopes for a regenerative strategy to counter neurological deficits in stroke survivors. In the adult brain, two regions are known to generate new neurons from endogenous stem cells: the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the dentate subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampus. While both niches respond with an increase in neurogenesis post-stroke, there are significant regional differences in the ensuing stages of survival, migration, and maturation, which may differently influence functional outcome. External interventions such as rehabilitative training add a further layer of complexity by independently modulating the process of adult neurogenesis. In this review we summarize the current knowledge regarding the effects of ischemic stroke on neurogenesis in the SVZ and in the SGZ, and the influence of exogenous stimuli such as motor activity or enriched environment (EE). In addition, we discuss the contribution of SVZ or SGZ post-stroke neurogenesis to sensory, motor and cognitive recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihai Ceanga
- Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Section Translational Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Mahmoud Dahab
- Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Otto W Witte
- Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Silke Keiner
- Hans-Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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12
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van der Geest JN, Spoor M, Frens MA. Environmental Enrichment Improves Vestibular Oculomotor Learning in Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:676416. [PMID: 34211378 PMCID: PMC8239173 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.676416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We assessed the behavioral effects of environmental enrichment on contrast sensitivity, reflexive eye movements and on oculomotor learning in mice that were housed in an enriched environment for a period of 3 weeks. Research has shown that a larger cage and a more complex environment have positive effects on the welfare of laboratory mice and other animals held in captivity. It has also been shown that environmental enrichment affects various behavior and neuroanatomical and molecular characteristics. We found a clear effect on oculomotor learning. Animals that were housed in an enriched environment learned significantly faster than controls that were housed under standard conditions. In line with existing literature, the enriched group also outperformed the controls in behavioral tests for explorative behavior. Meanwhile, both visual and reflexive oculomotor performance in response to visual and vestibular stimuli was unaffected. This points toward an underlying mechanism that is specific for motor learning, rather than overall motor performance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcella Spoor
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Maarten A Frens
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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13
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Environmental Enrichment Sharpens Sensory Acuity by Enhancing Information Coding in Barrel Cortex and Premotor Cortex. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0309-20.2021. [PMID: 33893166 PMCID: PMC8143018 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0309-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) is beneficial to sensory functions. Thus, elucidating the neural mechanism underlying improvement of sensory stimulus discrimination is important for developing therapeutic strategies. We aim to advance the understanding of such neural mechanism. We found that tactile enrichment improved tactile stimulus feature discrimination. The neural correlate of such improvement was revealed by analyzing single-cell information coding in both the primary somatosensory cortex and the premotor cortex of awake behaving animals. Our results show that EE enhances the decision-information coding capacity of cells that are tuned to adjacent whiskers, and of premotor cortical cells.
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14
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Akyuz E, Eroglu E. Envisioning the crosstalk between environmental enrichment and epilepsy: A novel perspective. Epilepsy Behav 2021; 115:107660. [PMID: 33328107 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2020.107660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Epilepsies are a diverse group of neurological disorders characterized by an unprovoked seizure and a brain that has an enduring predisposition to seizures. The lack of disease-modifying treatment strategies against the same has led to the exploration of novel treatment strategies that could halt epileptic seizures. In this regard, environmental enrichment (EE) has gained increased attention in recent days. EE modulates the effects of interactions between the genes and the environment on the structure and function of the brain. EE therapy can improve seizure-related symptoms in neurological diseases such as epilepsy. EE therapy can have a significant effect on cognitive disorders such as learning and memory impairments associated with seizures. EE therapy in epileptic hippocampus tissue can improve seizure-related symptoms by inducing enhanced neurogenesis and neuroprotective mechanisms. In this context, the efficiency of EE is regulated in the epilepsy by the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway regulated by extracellular signaling. Herein, we provide experimental evidence supporting the beneficial effects of EE in epileptic seizures and its underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enes Akyuz
- Yozgat Bozok University, Medical School, Department of Biophysics, 66100 Yozgat, Turkey.
| | - Ece Eroglu
- Yozgat Bozok University, Medical School, 66100 Yozgat, Turkey.
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15
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Svobodová Burianová J, Syka J. Postnatal exposure to an acoustically enriched environment alters the morphology of neurons in the adult rat auditory system. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:1979-1995. [PMID: 32588120 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02104-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The structure of neurons in the central auditory system is vulnerable to various kinds of acoustic exposures during the critical postnatal developmental period. Here we explored long-term effects of exposure to an acoustically enriched environment (AEE) during the third and fourth weeks of the postnatal period in rat pups. AEE consisted of a spectrally and temporally modulated sound of moderate intensity, reinforced by a behavioral paradigm. At the age of 3-6 months, a Golgi-Cox staining was used to evaluate the morphology of neurons in the inferior colliculus (IC), the medial geniculate body (MGB), and the auditory cortex (AC). Compared to controls, rats exposed to AEE showed an increased mean dendritic length and volume and the soma surface in the external cortex and the central nucleus of the IC. The spine density increased in both the ventral and dorsal divisions of the MGB. In the AC, the total length and volume of the basal dendritic segments of pyramidal neurons and the number and density of spines on these dendrites increased significantly. No differences were found on apical dendrites. We also found an elevated number of spines and spine density in non-pyramidal neurons. These results show that exposure to AEE during the critical developmental period can induce permanent changes in the structure of neurons in the central auditory system. These changes represent morphological correlates of the functional plasticity, such as an improvement in frequency tuning and synchronization with temporal parameters of acoustical stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Svobodová Burianová
- Department of Auditory Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Josef Syka
- Department of Auditory Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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16
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Lindsey HM, Wilde EA, Caeyenberghs K, Dennis EL. Longitudinal Neuroimaging in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury: Current State and Consideration of Factors That Influence Recovery. Front Neurol 2019; 10:1296. [PMID: 31920920 PMCID: PMC6927298 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death and disability for children and adolescents in the U.S. and other developed and developing countries. Injury to the immature brain varies greatly from that of the mature, adult brain due to numerous developmental, pre-injury, and injury-related factors that work together to influence the trajectory of recovery during the course of typical brain development. Substantial damage to brain structure often underlies subsequent functional limitations that persist for years following pediatric TBI. Advances in neuroimaging have established an important role in the acute management of pediatric TBI, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have a particular relevance for the sequential assessment of long-term consequences from injuries sustained to the developing brain. The present paper will discuss the various factors that influence recovery and review the findings from the present neuroimaging literature to assess altered development and long-term outcome following pediatric TBI. Four MR-based neuroimaging modalities have been used to examine recovery from pediatric TBI longitudinally: (1) T1-weighted structural MRI is sensitive to morphological changes in gray matter volume and cortical thickness, (2) diffusion-weighted MRI is sensitive to changes in the microstructural integrity of white matter, (3) MR spectroscopy provides a sensitive assessment of metabolic and neurochemical alterations in the brain, and (4) functional MRI provides insight into the functional changes that occur as a result of structural damage and typical developmental processes. As reviewed in this paper, 13 cohorts have contributed to only 20 studies published to date using neuroimaging to examine longitudinal changes after TBI in pediatric patients. The results of these studies demonstrate considerable heterogeneity in post-injury outcome; however, the existing literature consistently shows that alterations in brain structure, function, and metabolism can persist for an extended period of time post-injury. With larger sample sizes and multi-site cooperation, future studies will be able to further examine potential moderators of outcome, such as the developmental, pre-injury, and injury-related factors discussed in the present review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M. Lindsey
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Elisabeth A. Wilde
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Karen Caeyenberghs
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
| | - Emily L. Dennis
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
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17
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Therapeutic efficacy of environmental enrichment for substance use disorders. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 188:172829. [PMID: 31778722 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.172829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Addiction to drug and alcohol is regarded as a major health problem worldwide for which available treatments show limited effectiveness. The biggest challenge remains to enhance the capacities of interventions to reduce craving, prevent relapse and promote long-term recovery. New strategies to meet these challenges are being explored. Findings from preclinical work suggest that environmental enrichment (EE) holds therapeutic potential for the treatment of substance use disorders, as demonstrated in a number of animal models of drug abuse. The EE intervention introduced after drug exposure leads to attenuation of compulsive drug taking, attenuation of the rewarding (and reinforcing) effects of drugs, reductions in control of behavior by drug cues, and, very importantly, relapse prevention. Clinical work also suggests that multidimensional EE interventions (involving physical activity, social interaction, vocational training, recreational and community involvement) might produce similar therapeutic effects, if implemented continuously and rigorously. In this review we survey preclinical and clinical studies assessing the efficacy of EE as a behavioral intervention for substance use disorders and address related challenges. We also review work providing empirical evidence for EE-induced neuroplasticity within the mesocorticolimbic system that is believed to contribute to the seemingly therapeutic effects of EE on drug and alcohol-related behaviors.
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18
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McAllister BB, Thackray SE, de la Orta BKG, Gosse E, Tak P, Chipak C, Rehal S, Valverde Rascón A, Dyck RH. Effects of enriched housing on the neuronal morphology of mice that lack zinc transporter 3 (ZnT3) and vesicular zinc. Behav Brain Res 2019; 379:112336. [PMID: 31689442 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In the central nervous system, certain neurons store zinc within the synaptic vesicles of their axon terminals. This vesicular zinc can then be released in an activity-dependent fashion as an intercellular signal. The functions of vesicular zinc are not entirely understood, but evidence suggests that it is important for some forms of experience-dependent plasticity in the brain. The ability of neurons to store and release vesicular zinc is dependent on expression of the vesicular zinc transporter, ZnT3. Here, we examined the neuronal morphology of mice that lack ZnT3. Brains were collected from mice housed under standard laboratory conditions and from mice housed in enriched environments - large, multilevel enclosures with running wheels, numerous objects and tunnels, and a greater number of cage mates. Golgi-Cox staining was used to visualize neurons for analysis of dendritic length and dendritic spine density. Neurons were analyzed from the barrel cortex, striatum, basolateral amygdala, and hippocampus (CA1). ZnT3 knockout mice, relative to wild type mice, exhibited increased basal dendritic length in the layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons of barrel cortex, independently of housing condition. Environmental enrichment decreased apical dendritic length in these same neurons and increased dendritic spine density on striatal medium spiny neurons. Elimination of ZnT3 did not modulate any of the effects of enrichment. Our results provide no evidence that vesicular zinc is required for the experience-dependent changes that occur in response to environmental enrichment. They are consistent, however, with recent reports suggesting increased cortical volume in ZnT3 knockout mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan B McAllister
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Sarah E Thackray
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Brenda Karina Garciá de la Orta
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Elise Gosse
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Purnoor Tak
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Colten Chipak
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Sukhjinder Rehal
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Abril Valverde Rascón
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Richard H Dyck
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada.
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19
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LoPilato AM, Goines K, Addington J, Bearden CE, Cadenhead KS, Cannon TD, Cornblatt BA, Mathalon DH, McGlashan TH, Seidman L, Perkins DO, Tsuang MT, Woods SW, Walker EF. Impact of childhood adversity on corticolimbic volumes in youth at clinical high-risk for psychosis. Schizophr Res 2019; 213:48-55. [PMID: 30745068 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.01.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Childhood adversity is among the strongest risk factors for psychosis-spectrum disorders, though the nature and specificity of the biological mechanisms underlying this association remains unclear. Previous research reveals overlaps in the volumetric alterations observed in both adversity-exposed individuals and in psychosis-spectrum populations, highlighting the possibility that deviations in corticolimbic gray matter development may be one mechanism linking adversity and psychosis. Given that childhood adversity encompasses a wide range of adverse experiences, there is also a critical need to examine whether these different types of experiences have unique effects on corticolimbic regions. This study examined the association between childhood adversity and cortical, hippocampal, and amygdalar volume in a large sample of youth at clinical-high risk (CHR) for psychosis. We utilized a novel differentiated adversity approach that distinguishes exposures along dimensions of threat (e.g., abuse) and deprivation (e.g., poverty, neglect) to test for differential associations. Participants were drawn from the North American Prodromal Longitudinal Study (NAPLS) and completed an MRI scan and a retrospective assessment of childhood adversity at baseline. We found that deprivation exposure, but not threat, was uniquely associated with smaller cortical volume and smaller right hippocampal volume in CHR youth. These associations were masked in a generalized risk model that utilized a total adversity score. The findings suggest that deprivation exposures during childhood contribute to the subtle volumetric reductions observed in clinical high-risk samples and highlight the importance of disentangling different dimensions of adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M LoPilato
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States.
| | - Katrina Goines
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States
| | - Jean Addington
- Department of Psychiatry, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N4Z6, Canada
| | - Carrie E Bearden
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and Department of Psychology, UCLA, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Kristin S Cadenhead
- Department of Psychiatry, UCSD, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0761, United States
| | - Tyrone D Cannon
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06511, United States; Department of Psychology, Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven, CT 06520-8205, United States
| | - Barbara A Cornblatt
- Department of Psychiatry, Zucker Hillside Hospital, 75-59 263rd St., Queens, NY 11004, United States
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- Department of Psychiatry, UCSF, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Thomas H McGlashan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06511, United States
| | - Larry Seidman
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, 401 Park Drive, 2 East, Boston, MA 02215, United States
| | - Diana O Perkins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 101 Manning Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, United States
| | - Ming T Tsuang
- Department of Psychiatry, UCSD, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0761, United States
| | - Scott W Woods
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, 300 George St., New Haven, CT 06511, United States
| | - Elaine F Walker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States; Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States
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20
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Lambert K, Eisch AJ, Galea LAM, Kempermann G, Merzenich M. Optimizing brain performance: Identifying mechanisms of adaptive neurobiological plasticity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 105:60-71. [PMID: 31356835 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Although neuroscience research has debunked the late 19th century claims suggesting that large portions of the brain are typically unused, recent evidence indicates that an enhanced understanding of neural plasticity may lead to greater insights related to the functional capacity of brains. Continuous and real-time neural modifications in concert with dynamic environmental contexts provide opportunities for targeted interventions for maintaining healthy brain functions throughout the lifespan. Neural design, however, is far from simplistic, requiring close consideration of context-specific and other relevant variables from both species and individual perspectives to determine the functional gains from increased and decreased markers of neuroplasticity. Caution must be taken in the interpretation of any measurable change in neurobiological responses or behavioral outcomes, as definitions of optimal functions are extremely complex. Even so, current behavioral neuroscience approaches offer unique opportunities to evaluate adaptive functions of various neural responses in an attempt to enhance the functional capacity of neural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly Lambert
- Dept of Psychology, B326 Gottwald Science Center, University of Richmond, VA, 23173, USA.
| | - Amelia J Eisch
- Dept of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-4399, USA.
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Dept of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T, Canada.
| | - Gerd Kempermann
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden and CRTD-Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden at Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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21
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Cheng L, Cortese D, Monti MM, Wang F, Riganello F, Arcuri F, Di H, Schnakers C. Do Sensory Stimulation Programs Have an Impact on Consciousness Recovery? Front Neurol 2018; 9:826. [PMID: 30333789 PMCID: PMC6176776 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Considering sensory stimulation programs (SSP) as a treatment for disorders of consciousness is still debated today. Previous studies investigating its efficacy were affected by various biases among which small sample size and spontaneous recovery. In this study, treatment-related changes were assessed using time-series design in patients with disorders of consciousness (i.e., vegetative state-VS and minimally conscious state-MCS). Methods: A withdrawal design (ABAB) was used. During B phases, patients underwent a SSP (3 days a week, including auditory, visual, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory stimulation). The program was not applied during A phases. To assess behavioral changes, the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) was administered by an independent rater on a weekly basis, across all phases. Each phase lasted 4 weeks. In a subset of patients, resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected at the end of each phase. Results: Twenty nine patients (48 ± 19 years old; 15 traumatic; 21 > a year post-injury; 11 VS and 18 MCS) were included in our study. Higher CRS-R total scores (medium effect size) as well as higher arousal and oromotor subscores were observed in the B phases (treatment) as compared to A phases (no treatment), in the MCS group but not in the VS group. In the three patients who underwent fMRI analyses, a modulation of metabolic activity related to treatment was observed in middle frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus as well as ventro-anterior thalamic nucleus. Conclusion: Our results suggest that SSP may not be sufficient to restore consciousness. SSP might nevertheless lead to improved behavioral responsiveness in MCS patients. Our results show higher CRS-R total scores when treatment is applied, and more exactly, increased arousal and oromotor functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Cheng
- International Vegetative State and Consciousness Science Institute, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Daniela Cortese
- Research in Advanced Neurorehabilitation, S. Anna Institute, Crotone, Italy
| | - Martin M. Monti
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Fuyan Wang
- International Vegetative State and Consciousness Science Institute, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Francesco Arcuri
- Research in Advanced Neurorehabilitation, S. Anna Institute, Crotone, Italy
| | - Haibo Di
- International Vegetative State and Consciousness Science Institute, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Caroline Schnakers
- Research Institute, Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, Pomona, CA, United States
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22
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McDonald MW, Hayward KS, Rosbergen ICM, Jeffers MS, Corbett D. Is Environmental Enrichment Ready for Clinical Application in Human Post-stroke Rehabilitation? Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:135. [PMID: 30050416 PMCID: PMC6050361 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) has been widely used as a means to enhance brain plasticity mechanisms (e.g., increased dendritic branching, synaptogenesis, etc.) and improve behavioral function in both normal and brain-damaged animals. In spite of the demonstrated efficacy of EE for enhancing brain plasticity, it has largely remained a laboratory phenomenon with little translation to the clinical setting. Impediments to the implementation of enrichment as an intervention for human stroke rehabilitation and a lack of clinical translation can be attributed to a number of factors not limited to: (i) concerns that EE is actually the "normal state" for animals, whereas standard housing is a form of impoverishment; (ii) difficulty in standardizing EE conditions across clinical sites; (iii) the exact mechanisms underlying the beneficial actions of enrichment are largely correlative in nature; (iv) a lack of knowledge concerning what aspects of enrichment (e.g., exercise, socialization, cognitive stimulation) represent the critical or active ingredients for enhancing brain plasticity; and (v) the required "dose" of enrichment is unknown, since most laboratory studies employ continuous periods of enrichment, a condition that most clinicians view as impractical. In this review article, we summarize preclinical stroke recovery studies that have successfully utilized EE to promote functional recovery and highlight the potential underlying mechanisms. Subsequently, we discuss how EE is being applied in a clinical setting and address differences in preclinical and clinical EE work to date. It is argued that the best way forward is through the careful alignment of preclinical and clinical rehabilitation research. A combination of both approaches will allow research to fully address gaps in knowledge and facilitate the implementation of EE to the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W McDonald
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Kathryn S Hayward
- Stroke Division, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia.,NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Stroke Rehabilitation and Brain Recovery, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Ingrid C M Rosbergen
- Division of Physiotherapy, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Allied Health Services, Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, Birtinya, QLD, Australia
| | - Matthew S Jeffers
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Dale Corbett
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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23
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McEwen BS. Redefining neuroendocrinology: Epigenetics of brain-body communication over the life course. Front Neuroendocrinol 2018; 49:8-30. [PMID: 29132949 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The brain is the central organ of stress and adaptation to stress that perceives and determines what is threatening, as well as the behavioral and physiological responses to the stressor, and it does so somewhat differently in males and females. The expression of steroid hormone receptors throughout the brain has broadened the definition of 'neuroendocrinology' to include the reciprocal communication between the entire brain and body via hormonal and neural pathways. Mediated in part via systemic hormonal influences, the adult and developing brain possess remarkable structural and functional plasticity in response to stress, including neuronal replacement, dendritic remodeling, and synapse turnover. This article is both an account of an emerging field elucidating brain-body interactions at multiple levels, from molecules to social organization, as well as a personal account of my laboratory's role and, most importantly, the roles of trainees and colleagues, along with my involvement in interdisciplinary groups working on this topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce S McEwen
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, 1230 York Ave, New York, NY 10065, USA. http://www.rockefeller.edu/labheads/mcewen/mcewen-lab.php
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Bansal R, Hellerstein DJ, Peterson BS. Evidence for neuroplastic compensation in the cerebral cortex of persons with depressive illness. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:375-383. [PMID: 28265119 PMCID: PMC5589468 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We yoked anatomical brain magnetic resonance imaging to a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (RCT) of antidepressant medication for 10-week's duration in patients with dysthymia. The RCT study design mitigated ascertainment bias by randomizing patients to receive either duloxetine or placebo, and it supported true causal inferences about treatment effects on the brain by controlling treatment assignment experimentally. We acquired 121 anatomical scans: at baseline and end point in 41 patients and once in 39 healthy controls. At baseline, patients had diffusely thicker cortices than did healthy participants, and patients who had thicker cortices had proportionately less severe symptoms. During the trial, symptoms improved significantly more in medication-compared with placebo-treated patients; concurrently, thicknesses in medication-treated patients declined toward values in healthy controls, but they increased slightly, away from control values, in placebo-treated patients. Changes in symptom severity during the trial mediated the association of treatment assignment with the change in thickness, suggesting that the beneficial effects of medication on symptom severity were at least partially responsible for normalizing cortical thickness. Together our findings suggest that baseline cortical hypertrophy in medication-free patients likely represented a compensatory, neuroplastic response that attenuated symptom severity. Medication then reduced symptoms and lessened the need for compensation, thereby normalizing thickness. This is to the best of our knowledge the first study to report within an RCT a differential change in cortical morphology during medication treatment for depressive illness and the first to provide within an RCT in vivo evidence for the presence of neuroanatomical plasticity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Bansal
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, CA, USA 90027
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90033
| | - David J. Hellerstein
- Depression Evaluation Service, Division of Clinical Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032
| | - Bradley S. Peterson
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, CA, USA 90027
- Department of Psychiatry, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90033
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Sampedro-Piquero P, Begega A. Environmental Enrichment as a Positive Behavioral Intervention Across the Lifespan. Curr Neuropharmacol 2018; 15:459-470. [PMID: 27012955 PMCID: PMC5543669 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x14666160325115909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In recent decades, the interest in behavioral interventions has been growing due to the higher prevalence of age-related cognitive impairments. Hence, behavioral interventions, such as cognitive stimulation and physical activity, and along with these, our lifestyle (education level, work position, frequency of cognitive and social activities) have shown important benefits during the cognitive impairment, dementia and even recovery after brain injury. This is due to the fact that this type of intervention and activities promote the formation of a cognitive and brain reserve that allows tolerating brain damage during a long period of time without the appearance of cognitive symptoms. With regard to this, animal models have proved very useful in providing information about the brain mechanisms involved in the development of these cognitive and brain reserves and how they interact with each other. METHODS We summarize several studies showing the positive effects of Environmental Enrichment (EE), understood as a housing condition in which animals benefit from the sensory, physical, cognitive and social stimulation provided, on brain and cognitive functions usually impaired during aging. RESULTS Most of studies have shown that EE is a successful protocol to improve cognitive functions and reduce anxiety-related behaviors across the lifespan, as well as in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. CONCLUSION Therefore, EE is a laboratory condition in which some aspects of an active lifestyle are reproduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sampedro-Piquero
- Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Autonomous University of Madrid, Cantoblanco 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - A Begega
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Department, University of Oviedo, Plaza Feijoo s/n 33003 Oviedo, INEUROPA, Spain
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Wenger E, Brozzoli C, Lindenberger U, Lövdén M. Expansion and Renormalization of Human Brain Structure During Skill Acquisition. Trends Cogn Sci 2017; 21:930-939. [PMID: 29149999 PMCID: PMC5697733 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2017] [Revised: 09/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Research on human brain changes during skill acquisition has revealed brain volume expansion in task-relevant areas. However, the large number of skills that humans acquire during ontogeny militates against plasticity as a perpetual process of volume growth. Building on animal models and available theories, we promote the expansion-renormalization model for plastic changes in humans. The model predicts an initial increase of gray matter structure, potentially reflecting growth of neural resources like neurons, synapses, and glial cells, which is followed by a selection process operating on this new tissue leading to a complete or partial return to baseline of the overall volume after selection has ended. The model sheds new light on available evidence and current debates and fosters the search for mechanistic explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Wenger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Claudio Brozzoli
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; ImpAct Team, Neuroscience Research Centre of Lyon (CRNL), Lyon, France
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Berlin, Germany; European University Institute, San Domenico di Fiesole (FI), Italy
| | - Martin Lövdén
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Cox CD, Palmer LC, Pham DT, Trieu BH, Gall CM, Lynch G. Experiential learning in rodents: past experience enables rapid learning and localized encoding in hippocampus. Learn Mem 2017; 24:569-579. [PMID: 29038218 PMCID: PMC5647927 DOI: 10.1101/lm.045559.117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Humans routinely use past experience with complexity to deal with novel, challenging circumstances. This fundamental aspect of real-world behavior has received surprisingly little attention in animal studies, and the underlying brain mechanisms are unknown. The present experiments tested for transfer from past experience in rats and then used quantitative imaging to localize synaptic modifications in hippocampus. Six daily exposures to an enriched environment (EE) caused a marked enhancement of short- and long-term memory encoded during a 30-min session in a different and complex environment relative to rats given extensive handling or access to running wheels. Relatedly, the EE animals investigated the novel environment in a different manner than the other groups, suggesting transfer of exploration strategies acquired in earlier interactions with complexity. This effect was not associated with changes in the number or size of excitatory synapses in hippocampus. Maps of synapses expressing a marker for long-term potentiation indicated that encoding in the EE group, relative to control animals, was concentrated in hippocampal field CA1. Importantly, <1% of the total population of synapses was involved in production of the regional map. These results constitute the first evidence that the transfer of experience profoundly affects the manner in which hippocampus encodes complex information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor D Cox
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Linda C Palmer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Danielle T Pham
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Brian H Trieu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Christine M Gall
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
| | - Gary Lynch
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697, USA
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28
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Bilkey DK, Cheyne KR, Eckert MJ, Lu X, Chowdhury S, Worley PF, Crandall JE, Abraham WC. Exposure to complex environments results in more sparse representations of space in the hippocampus. Hippocampus 2017; 27:1178-1191. [PMID: 28686801 PMCID: PMC5752118 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The neural circuitry mediating sensory and motor representations is adaptively tuned by an animal's interaction with its environment. Similarly, higher order representations such as spatial memories can be modified by exposure to a complex environment (CE), but in this case the changes in brain circuitry that mediate the effect are less well understood. Here, we show that prolonged CE exposure was associated with increased selectivity of CA1 "place cells" to a particular recording arena compared to a social control (SC) group. Furthermore, fewer CA1 and DG neurons in the CE group expressed high levels of Arc protein, a marker of recent activation, following brief exposure to a completely novel environment. The reduced Arc expression was not attributable to overall changes in cell density or number. These data indicate that one effect of CE exposure is to modify high-level spatial representations in the brain by increasing the sparsity of population coding within networks of neurons. Greater sparsity could result in a more efficient and compact coding system that might alter behavioural performance on spatial tasks. The results from a behavioural experiment were consistent with this hypothesis, as CE-treated animals habituated more rapidly to a novel environment despite showing equivalent initial responding.
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Affiliation(s)
- David K. Bilkey
- Department of Psychology and the Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kirsten R. Cheyne
- Department of Psychology and the Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Michael J. Eckert
- Department of Psychology and the Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Xiaodong Lu
- Department of Psychology and the Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Shoaib Chowdhury
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Paul F. Worley
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 725 North Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - James E. Crandall
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School Waltham, MA 02452, USA
| | - Wickliffe C. Abraham
- Department of Psychology and the Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Abstract
Many biomedical research studies use captive animals to model human health and disease. However, a surprising number of studies show that the biological systems of animals living in standard laboratory housing are abnormal. To make animal studies more relevant to human health, research animals should live in the wild or be able to roam free in captive environments that offer a natural range of both positive and negative experiences. Recent technological advances now allow us to study freely roaming animals and we should make use of them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garet P Lahvis
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, United States
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Galaj E, Shukur A, Manuszak M, Newman K, Ranaldi R. No evidence that environmental enrichment during rearing protects against cocaine behavioral effects but as an intervention reduces an already established cocaine conditioned place preference. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 156:56-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Gursky ZH, Klintsova AY. Wheel Running and Environmental Complexity as a Therapeutic Intervention in an Animal Model of FASD. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 28190057 DOI: 10.3791/54947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Aerobic exercise (e.g., wheel running (WR) extensively used in animal research) positively impacts many measures of neuroplastic potential in the brain, such as rates of adult neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and expression of neurotrophic factors in rodents. This intervention has also been shown to mitigate behavioral and neuroanatomical aspects of the negative impacts of teratogens (i.e., developmental exposure to alcohol) and age-related neurodegeneration in rodents. Environmental complexity (EC) has been shown to produce numerous neuroplastic benefits in cortical and subcortical structures and can be coupled with wheel running to increase the proliferation and survival of new cells in the adult hippocampus. The combination of these two interventions provides a robust "superintervention" (WR-EC) that can be implemented in a range of rodent models of neurological disorders. We will discuss the implementation of WR/EC and its constituent interventions for use as a more powerful therapeutic intervention in rats using the animal model of prenatal exposure to alcohol in humans. We will also discuss which elements of the procedures are absolutely necessary for the interventions and which ones may be altered depending on the experimenter's question or facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary H Gursky
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware
| | - Anna Y Klintsova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware;
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Fernández-Montoya J, Buendia I, Martin YB, Egea J, Negredo P, Avendaño C. Sensory Input-Dependent Changes in Glutamatergic Neurotransmission- Related Genes and Proteins in the Adult Rat Trigeminal Ganglion. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:132. [PMID: 27965535 PMCID: PMC5124698 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience-dependent plasticity induces lasting changes in the structure of synapses, dendrites, and axons at both molecular and anatomical levels. Whilst relatively well studied in the cortex, little is known about the molecular changes underlying experience-dependent plasticity at peripheral levels of the sensory pathways. Given the importance of glutamatergic neurotransmission in the somatosensory system and its involvement in plasticity, in the present study, we investigated gene and protein expression of glutamate receptor subunits and associated molecules in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) of young adult rats. Microarray analysis of naïve rat TG revealed significant differences in the expression of genes, coding for various glutamate receptor subunits and proteins involved in clustering and stabilization of AMPA receptors, between left and right ganglion. Long-term exposure to sensory-enriched environment increased this left–right asymmetry in gene expression. Conversely, unilateral whisker trimming on the right side almost eliminated the mentioned asymmetries. The above manipulations also induced side-specific changes in the protein levels of glutamate receptor subunits. Our results show that sustained changes in sensory input induce modifications in glutamatergic transmission-related gene expression in the TG, thus supporting a role for this early sensory-processing node in experience-dependent plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Fernández-Montoya
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid, Spain
| | - Izaskun Buendia
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario de La PrincesaMadrid, Spain; Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Instituto Teófilo Hernando, Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadrid, Spain
| | - Yasmina B Martin
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadrid, Spain; Departamento de Anatomía, Universidad Francisco de VitoriaMadrid, Spain
| | - Javier Egea
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario de La PrincesaMadrid, Spain; Departamento de Farmacología y Terapéutica, Instituto Teófilo Hernando, Universidad Autónoma de MadridMadrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Negredo
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Avendaño
- Departamento de Anatomía, Histología y Neurociencia, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid Madrid, Spain
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Schnakers C, Magee WL, Harris B. Sensory Stimulation and Music Therapy Programs for Treating Disorders of Consciousness. Front Psychol 2016; 7:297. [PMID: 27014119 PMCID: PMC4780279 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Schnakers
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wendy L Magee
- Music Therapy Program, Boyer College of Music and Dance, Temple University Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian Harris
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Boston, MA, USA
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Plasticity in the Neonatal Brain following Hypoxic-Ischaemic Injury. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:4901014. [PMID: 27047695 PMCID: PMC4800097 DOI: 10.1155/2016/4901014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2015] [Revised: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypoxic-ischaemic damage to the developing brain is a leading cause of child death, with high mortality and morbidity, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and cognitive disabilities. The developmental stage of the brain and the severity of the insult influence the selective regional vulnerability and the subsequent clinical manifestations. The increased susceptibility to hypoxia-ischaemia (HI) of periventricular white matter in preterm infants predisposes the immature brain to motor, cognitive, and sensory deficits, with cognitive impairment associated with earlier gestational age. In term infants HI causes selective damage to sensorimotor cortex, basal ganglia, thalamus, and brain stem. Even though the immature brain is more malleable to external stimuli compared to the adult one, a hypoxic-ischaemic event to the neonate interrupts the shaping of central motor pathways and can affect normal developmental plasticity through altering neurotransmission, changes in cellular signalling, neural connectivity and function, wrong targeted innervation, and interruption of developmental apoptosis. Models of neonatal HI demonstrate three morphologically different types of cell death, that is, apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy, which crosstalk and can exist as a continuum in the same cell. In the present review we discuss the mechanisms of HI injury to the immature brain and the way they affect plasticity.
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Llorens-Martín M, Rábano A, Ávila J. The Ever-Changing Morphology of Hippocampal Granule Neurons in Physiology and Pathology. Front Neurosci 2016; 9:526. [PMID: 26834550 PMCID: PMC4717329 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Newborn neurons are continuously added to the hippocampal dentate gyrus throughout adulthood. In this review, we analyze the maturational stages that newborn granule neurons go through, with a focus on their unique morphological features during each stage under both physiological and pathological circumstances. In addition, the influence of deleterious (such as schizophrenia, stress, Alzheimer's disease, seizures, stroke, inflammation, dietary deficiencies, or the consumption of drugs of abuse or toxic substances) and neuroprotective (physical exercise and environmental enrichment) stimuli on the maturation of these cells will be examined. Finally, the regulation of this process by proteins involved in neurodegenerative and neurological disorders such as Glycogen synthase kinase 3β, Disrupted in Schizophrenia 1 (DISC-1), Glucocorticoid receptor, pro-inflammatory mediators, Presenilin-1, Amyloid precursor protein, Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5), among others, will be evaluated. Given the recently acquired relevance of the dendritic branch as a functional synaptic unit required for memory storage, a full understanding of the morphological alterations observed in newborn neurons may have important consequences for the prevention and treatment of the cognitive and affective alterations that evolve in conjunction with impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Llorens-Martín
- Molecular Neurobiology, Function of Microtubular Proteins, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (Instituto de Salud Carlos III)Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Rábano
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (Instituto de Salud Carlos III)Madrid, Spain; Neuropathology Department, CIEN FoundationMadrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ávila
- Molecular Neurobiology, Function of Microtubular Proteins, Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid)Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (Instituto de Salud Carlos III)Madrid, Spain
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36
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Zanca RM, Braren SH, Maloney B, Schrott LM, Luine VN, Serrano PA. Environmental Enrichment Increases Glucocorticoid Receptors and Decreases GluA2 and Protein Kinase M Zeta (PKMζ) Trafficking During Chronic Stress: A Protective Mechanism? Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:303. [PMID: 26617502 PMCID: PMC4642137 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) housing paradigms have long been shown beneficial for brain function involving neural growth and activity, learning and memory capacity, and for developing stress resiliency. The expression of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor subunit GluA2, which is important for synaptic plasticity and memory, is increased with corticosterone (CORT), undermining synaptic plasticity and memory. Thus, we determined the effect of EE and stress on modulating GluA2 expression in Sprague-Dawley male rats. Several markers were evaluated which include: plasma CORT, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), GluA2, and the atypical protein kinase M zeta (PKMζ). For 1 week standard-(ST) or EE-housed animals were treated with one of the following four conditions: (1) no stress; (2) acute stress (forced swim test, FST; on day 7); (3) chronic restraint stress (6 h/day for 7 days); and (4) chronic + acute stress (restraint stress 6 h/day for 7 days + FST on day 7). Hippocampi were collected on day 7. Our results show that EE animals had reduced time immobile on the FST across all conditions. After chronic + acute stress EE animals showed increased GR levels with no change in synaptic GluA2/PKMζ. ST-housed animals showed the reverse pattern with decreased GR levels and a significant increase in synaptic GluA2/PKMζ. These results suggest that EE produces an adaptive response to chronic stress allowing for increased GR levels, which lowers neuronal excitability reducing GluA2/PKMζ trafficking. We discuss this EE adaptive response to stress as a potential underlying mechanism that is protective for retaining synaptic plasticity and memory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roseanna M Zanca
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen H Braren
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brigid Maloney
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lisa M Schrott
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, LA, USA
| | - Victoria N Luine
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College City University of New York, New York, NY, USA ; The Graduate Center of CUNY New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter A Serrano
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College City University of New York, New York, NY, USA ; The Graduate Center of CUNY New York, NY, USA
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Tost H, Champagne FA, Meyer-Lindenberg A. Environmental influence in the brain, human welfare and mental health. Nat Neurosci 2015; 18:1421-31. [PMID: 26404717 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The developing human brain is shaped by environmental exposures--for better or worse. Many exposures relevant to mental health are genuinely social in nature or believed to have social subcomponents, even those related to more complex societal or area-level influences. The nature of how these social experiences are embedded into the environment may be crucial. Here we review select neuroscience evidence on the neural correlates of adverse and protective social exposures in their environmental context, focusing on human neuroimaging data and supporting cellular and molecular studies in laboratory animals. We also propose the inclusion of innovative methods in social neuroscience research that may provide new and ecologically more valid insight into the social-environmental risk architecture of the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike Tost
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
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38
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Huzard D, Mumby DG, Sandi C, Poirier GL, van der Kooij MA. The effects of extrinsic stress on somatic markers and behavior are dependent on animal housing conditions. Physiol Behav 2015. [PMID: 26220463 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Properties of the environment play an important role in animal wellbeing and may modulate the effects of external threats. Whereas stressors can affect emotion and impair cognition, environmental enrichment may prevent the occurrence of such negative sequelae. Animals exposed to semi-natural group-housing experience a complex environment; whereas environmental enrichment might protect against stressors, a socially-enriched environment(SEE) could entail aggressive inter-male encounters with additive stress effects. In the present study, we investigated the effects of exposure to external stressors, footshocks and forced swimming, on adrenal gland and body weights as well as on behavior in rats housed under SEE or standard, non-enriched environment (NEE), conditions. We found that SEEs reduced the anxiogenic effects of stress. Moreover, SEEs improved the performance in an operant task and prevented the increase in impulsive behavior produced by external stressors on NEE animals. Whereas these findings are indicative of stress-buffering effects of SEEs, adrenal gland weights were increased while total body weights were decreased in SEE rats, suggesting that SEEs may simultaneously exacerbate physiological measurements of stress. Finally, in the SEE, total aggressive behaviors and body wounds were paradoxically reduced in animals that received external stressors in comparison to non-stressed controls. The consequences of the external stressors applied here are not uniform, varying according to the housing condition and the outcome considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damien Huzard
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland; Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Dave G Mumby
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Guillaume L Poirier
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Michael A van der Kooij
- Laboratory of Behavioral Genetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne 1015, Switzerland.
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Gold BT. Lifelong bilingualism and neural reserve against Alzheimer's disease: a review of findings and potential mechanisms. Behav Brain Res 2015; 281:9-15. [PMID: 25496781 PMCID: PMC4305453 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2014] [Revised: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive brain disorder that initially affects medial temporal lobe circuitry and memory functions. Current drug treatments have only modest effects on the symptomatic course of the disease. In contrast, a growing body of evidence suggests that lifelong bilingualism may delay the onset of clinical AD symptoms by several years. The purpose of the present review is to summarize evidence for bilingualism as a reserve variable against AD and discuss potential underlying neurocognitive mechanisms. Evidence is reviewed suggesting that bilingualism may delay clinical AD symptoms by protecting frontostriatal and frontoparietal executive control circuitry rather than medial temporal lobe memory circuitry. Cellular and molecular mechanisms that may contribute to bilingual cognitive reserve effects are discussed, including those that may affect neuronal metabolic functions, dynamic neuronal-glial interactions, vascular factors, myelin structure and neurochemical signaling. Future studies that may test some of these potential mechanisms of bilingual CR effects are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian T Gold
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA; Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
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MAEGELE M, BRAUN M, WAFAISADE A, SCHÄFER N, LIPPERT-GRUENER M, KREIPKE C, RAFOLS J, SCHÄFER U, ANGELOV DN, STUERMER E. Long-Term Effects of Enriched Environment on Neurofunctional Outcome and CNS Lesion Volume After Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats. Physiol Res 2015; 64:129-45. [DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.932664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
To determine whether the exposure to long term enriched environment (EE) would result in a continuous improvement of neurological recovery and ameliorate the loss of brain tissue after traumatic brain injury (TBI) vs. standard housing (SH). Male Sprague-Dawley rats (300-350 g, n=28) underwent lateral fluid percussion brain injury or SHAM operation. One TBI group was held under complex EE for 90 days, the other under SH. Neuromotor and sensorimotor dysfunction and recovery were assessed after injury and at days 7, 15, and 90 via Composite Neuroscore (NS), RotaRod test, and Barnes Circular Maze (BCM). Cortical tissue loss was assessed using serial brain sections. After day 7 EE animals showed similar latencies and errors as SHAM in the BCM. SH animals performed notably worse with differences still significant on day 90 (p<0.001). RotaRod test and NS revealed superior results for EE animals after day 7. The mean cortical volume was significantly higher in EE vs. SH animals (p=0.003). In summary, EE animals after lateral fluid percussion (LFP) brain injury performed significantly better than SH animals after 90 days of recovery. The window of opportunity may be wide and also lends further credibility to the importance of long term interventions in patients suffering from TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. MAEGELE
- Department for Traumatology and Orthopedic Surgery, Cologne-Merheim Medical Center (CMMC), University Witten-Herdecke (Campus Cologne-Merheim), Cologne, Germany
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41
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Kolb B, Gibb R. Plasticity in the prefrontal cortex of adult rats. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:15. [PMID: 25691857 PMCID: PMC4315042 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We review the plastic changes of the prefrontal cortex of the rat in response to a wide range of experiences including sensory and motor experience, gonadal hormones, psychoactive drugs, learning tasks, stress, social experience, metaplastic experiences, and brain injury. Our focus is on synaptic changes (dendritic morphology and spine density) in pyramidal neurons and the relationship to behavioral changes. The most general conclusion we can reach is that the prefrontal cortex is extremely plastic and that the medial and orbital prefrontal regions frequently respond very differently to the same experience in the same brain and the rules that govern prefrontal plasticity appear to differ for those of other cortical regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Kolb
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Robbin Gibb
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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42
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Halperin JM, Berwid OG, O'Neill S. Healthy body, healthy mind?: the effectiveness of physical activity to treat ADHD in children. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 2014; 23:899-936. [PMID: 25220093 DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2014.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Data from animal studies provide convincing evidence that physical exercise enhances brain development and neurobehavioral functioning in areas believed to be impaired in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To a lesser but still compelling extent, results from studies in typically developing children and adults indicate beneficial effects of exercise on many of the neurocognitive functions that have been shown to be impaired in children with ADHD. Together, these data provide a strong rationale for why a program of structured physical exercise might serve as an effective intervention for children with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Halperin
- Psychology Department, Queens College, The City University of New York (CUNY), 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY 11367, USA.
| | - Olga G Berwid
- York College, The City University of New York (CUNY), 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, Jamaica, NY 11451, USA
| | - Sarah O'Neill
- Psychology Department, The City College, The City University of New York (CUNY), 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, USA
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43
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Hanson KL, Hrvoj-Mihic B, Semendeferi K. A dual comparative approach: integrating lines of evidence from human evolutionary neuroanatomy and neurodevelopmental disorders. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2014; 84:135-55. [PMID: 25247986 DOI: 10.1159/000365409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of the human brain has been marked by a nearly 3-fold increase in size since our divergence from the last common ancestor shared with chimpanzees and bonobos. Despite increased interest in comparative neuroanatomy and phylogenetic methods, relatively little is known regarding the effects that this enlargement has had on its internal organization, and how certain areas of the brain have differentially expanded over evolutionary time. Analyses of the microstructure of several regions of the human cortex and subcortical structures have demonstrated subtle changes at the cellular and molecular level, suggesting that the human brain is more than simply a 'scaled-up' primate brain. Ongoing research in comparative neuroanatomy has much to offer regarding our understanding of human brain evolution. Through analysis of the neuroanatomical phenotype at the level of reorganization in cytoarchitecture and cellular morphology, new data continue to highlight changes in cell density and organization associated with volumetric changes in discrete regions. An understanding of the functional significance of variation in neural circuitry can further be approached through studies of atypical human development. Many neurodevelopmental disorders cause disruption in systems associated with uniquely human features of cognition, including language and social cognition. Understanding the genetic and developmental mechanisms that underlie variation in the human cognitive phenotype can help to clarify the functional significance of interspecific variation. By uniting approaches from comparative neuroanatomy and neuropathology, insights can be gained that clarify trends in human evolution. Here, we explore these lines of evidence and their significance for understanding functional variation between species as well as within neuropathological variation in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kari L Hanson
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, Calif., USA
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44
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Alwis DS, Rajan R. Environmental enrichment and the sensory brain: the role of enrichment in remediating brain injury. Front Syst Neurosci 2014; 8:156. [PMID: 25228861 PMCID: PMC4151031 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2014.00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain's life-long capacity for experience-dependent plasticity allows adaptation to new environments or to changes in the environment, and to changes in internal brain states such as occurs in brain damage. Since the initial discovery by Hebb (1947) that environmental enrichment (EE) was able to confer improvements in cognitive behavior, EE has been investigated as a powerful form of experience-dependent plasticity. Animal studies have shown that exposure to EE results in a number of molecular and morphological alterations, which are thought to underpin changes in neuronal function and ultimately, behavior. These consequences of EE make it ideally suited for investigation into its use as a potential therapy after neurological disorders, such as traumatic brain injury (TBI). In this review, we aim to first briefly discuss the effects of EE on behavior and neuronal function, followed by a review of the underlying molecular and structural changes that account for EE-dependent plasticity in the normal (uninjured) adult brain. We then extend this review to specifically address the role of EE in the treatment of experimental TBI, where we will discuss the demonstrated sensorimotor and cognitive benefits associated with exposure to EE, and their possible mechanisms. Finally, we will explore the use of EE-based rehabilitation in the treatment of human TBI patients, highlighting the remaining questions regarding the effects of EE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dasuni S Alwis
- Department of Physiology, Monash University Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Ramesh Rajan
- Department of Physiology, Monash University Clayton, VIC, Australia
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45
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Boschen KE, Hamilton GF, Delorme JE, Klintsova AY. Activity and social behavior in a complex environment in rats neonatally exposed to alcohol. Alcohol 2014; 48:533-41. [PMID: 25150044 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2014.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Environmental complexity (EC) is a powerful, stimulating paradigm that engages animals through a variety of sensory and motor pathways. Exposure to EC (30 days) following 12 days of wheel running preserves hippocampal neuroplasticity in male rats neonatally exposed to alcohol during the third-trimester equivalent (binge-like exposure on postnatal days [PD] 4-9). The current experiment investigates the importance of various components of EC (physical activity, exploration, social interaction, novelty) and examines whether neonatal alcohol exposure affects how male rats interact with their environment and other male rats. Male pups were assigned to 1 of 3 neonatal conditions from PD 4-9: suckle control (SC), sham-intubated (SI), or alcohol-exposed (AE, 5.25 g/kg/day). From PD 30-42 animals were housed with 24-h access to a voluntary running wheel. The animals were then placed in EC from PD 42-72 (9 animals/cage, counterbalanced by neonatal condition). During EC, the animals were filmed for five 30-min sessions (PD 42, 48, 56, 64, 68). For the first experiment, the videos were coded for distance traveled in the cage, overall locomotor activity, time spent near other animals, and interaction with toys. For the second experiment, the videos were analyzed for wrestling, mounting, boxing, grooming, sniffing, and crawling over/under. AE animals were found to be less active and exploratory and engaged in fewer mounting behaviors compared to control animals. Results suggest that after exposure to wheel running, AE animals still have deficits in activity and social behaviors while housed in EC compared to control animals with the same experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Boschen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Gillian F Hamilton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - James E Delorme
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Anna Y Klintsova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA.
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46
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Ratajczak P, Nowakowska E, Kus K, Danielewicz R, Herman S, Woźniak A. Neuroleptics and enrichment environment treatment in memory disorders and other central nervous system function observed in prenatally stressed rats. Hum Exp Toxicol 2014; 34:526-37. [PMID: 25062975 DOI: 10.1177/0960327114543934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
It is believed that the most effective method of treatment in schizophrenia is pharmacotherapy, in particular, the use of atypical neuroleptics like aripiprazole (ARI) and olanzapine (OLA). Moreover, studies of many authors have shown that enriched living conditions and tobacco smoke exposure can also affect the cognitive functions that are disturbed in the course of schizophrenia. The aim of the study was to find whether tobacco smoke and enrichment living conditions have the influence on cognitive functions in the newborn offspring of prenatally stressed rats and whether drugs such as ARI (1.5 mg/kg intraperitoneally (i.p.)) and OLA (0.5 mg/kg ip) in single and chronic treatment modify those functions (Morris water maze). The study (in the same conditions) also analyses immobility time (Porsolt test) and motor activity of animals that received ARI and OLA. It has been shown that ARI and OLA as well as enriched environment reduce cognitive function disorders and modify cognitive functions in rats exposed to tobacco smoke. In turn, current research has shown that nicotine has increased cognitive function disorders compared to the previous study (animals without tobacco smoke exposure).
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Affiliation(s)
- P Ratajczak
- Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Social Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - E Nowakowska
- Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Social Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - K Kus
- Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Social Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - R Danielewicz
- Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Social Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - S Herman
- Department of Pharmacoeconomics and Social Pharmacy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - A Woźniak
- Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
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47
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Promoting our understanding of neural plasticity by exploring developmental plasticity in early and adult life. Brain Res Bull 2014; 107:31-6. [PMID: 24942566 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2014.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Revised: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Developmental plasticity (DP) is widely considered to be a property of early life stages, but evidence suggests it can be reactivated in mature brains. For example, recent developments on animal models suggest that experience in enriched environments (EE) can induce DP and enable adult recovery from amblyopia; even when the typical critical period for that recovery has closed. An interesting body of evidence suggests that extrapolation of the rejuvenatory power of that paradigm in mature human brains is feasible. These studies show that exposure to EE throughout life is associated with a delay, or even prevention, of age-related cognitive deficits. Consequently, it can be concluded that DP might underlie the neuroprotective effects against a neurocognitive breakdown that have been observed, and that EE exposure later in life might induce DP in a similar way to early EE exposure. Thus, the DP might exert its influence beyond the typical developing age ranges: childhood and adolescence. Although further research is still required, the observation of EE related neuroprotective effects are a breakthrough in the study of DP in humans and new advances in our understanding of neural plasticity have thus been reached.
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48
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Chau LS, Prakapenka AV, Zendeli L, Davis AS, Galvez R. Training-dependent associative learning induced neocortical structural plasticity: a trace eyeblink conditioning analysis. PLoS One 2014; 9:e95317. [PMID: 24760074 PMCID: PMC3997347 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies utilizing general learning and memory tasks have suggested the importance of neocortical structural plasticity for memory consolidation. However, these learning tasks typically result in learning of multiple different tasks over several days of training, making it difficult to determine the synaptic time course mediating each learning event. The current study used trace-eyeblink conditioning to determine the time course for neocortical spine modification during learning. With eyeblink conditioning, subjects are presented with a neutral, conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with a salient, unconditioned stimulus (US) to elicit an unconditioned response (UR). With multiple CS-US pairings, subjects learn to associate the CS with the US and exhibit a conditioned response (CR) when presented with the CS. Trace conditioning is when there is a stimulus free interval between the CS and the US. Utilizing trace-eyeblink conditioning with whisker stimulation as the CS (whisker-trace-eyeblink: WTEB), previous findings have shown that primary somatosensory (barrel) cortex is required for both acquisition and retention of the trace-association. Additionally, prior findings demonstrated that WTEB acquisition results in an expansion of the cytochrome oxidase whisker representation and synaptic modification in layer IV of barrel cortex. To further explore these findings and determine the time course for neocortical learning-induced spine modification, the present study utilized WTEB conditioning to examine Golgi-Cox stained neurons in layer IV of barrel cortex. Findings from this study demonstrated a training-dependent spine proliferation in layer IV of barrel cortex during trace associative learning. Furthermore, findings from this study showing that filopodia-like spines exhibited a similar pattern to the overall spine density further suggests that reorganization of synaptic contacts set the foundation for learning-induced neocortical modifications through the different neocortical layers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily S. Chau
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Alesia V. Prakapenka
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Liridon Zendeli
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Ashley S. Davis
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Roberto Galvez
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America
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49
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Increase of glucocorticoid receptor expression after environmental enrichment: Relations to spatial memory, exploration and anxiety-related behaviors. Physiol Behav 2014; 129:118-29. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.02.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Revised: 01/26/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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50
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Mychasiuk R, Muhammad A, Kolb B. Environmental enrichment alters structural plasticity of the adolescent brain but does not remediate the effects of prenatal nicotine exposure. Synapse 2014; 68:293-305. [PMID: 24616009 DOI: 10.1002/syn.21737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2013] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to both drugs of abuse and environmental enrichment (EE) are widely studied experiences that induce large changes in dendritic morphology and synaptic connectivity. As there is an abundance of literature using EE as a treatment strategy for drug addiction, we sought to determine whether EE could remediate the effects of prenatal nicotine (PN) exposure. Using Golgi-Cox staining, we examined eighteen neuroanatomical parameters in four brain regions [medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), orbital frontal cortex (OFC), nucleus accumben, and Par1] of Long-Evans rats. EE in adolescence dramatically altered structural plasticity in the male and female brain, modifying 60% of parameters investigated. EE normalized three parameters (OFC spine density and dendritic branching and mPFC dendritic branching) in male offspring exposed to nicotine prenatally but did not remediate any measures in female offspring. PN exposure interfered with adolescent EE-induced changes in five neuroanatomical measurements (Par1 spine density and dendritic branching in both male and female offspring, and mPFC spine density in male offspring). And in four neuroanatomical parameters examined, PN exposure and EE combined to produce additive effects [OFC spine density in females and mPFC dendritic length (apical and basilar) and branching in males]. Despite demonstrated efficacy in reversing drug addiction, EE was not able to reverse many of the PN-induced changes in neuronal morphology, indicating that modifications in neural circuitry generated in the prenatal period may be more resistant to change than those generated in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richelle Mychasiuk
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
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