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Curley JP, Champagne FA. Shaping the development of complex social behavior. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1530:46-63. [PMID: 37855311 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15076] [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] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Early life experiences can have an enduring impact on the brain and behavior, with implications for stress reactivity, cognition, and social behavior. In particular, the neural systems that contribute to the expression of social behavior are altered by early life social environments. However, paradigms that have been used to alter the social environment during development have typically focused on exposure to stress, adversity, and deprivation of species-typical social stimulation. Here, we explore whether complex social environments can shape the development of complex social behavior. We describe lab-based paradigms for studying early life social complexity in rodents that are generally focused on enriching the social and sensory experiences of the neonatal and juvenile periods of development. The impact of these experiences on social behavior and neuroplasticity is highlighted. Finally, we discuss the degree to which our current approaches for studying social behavior outcomes give insight into "complex" social behavior and how social complexity can be better integrated into lab-based methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Curley
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Frances A Champagne
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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2
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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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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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DeRosa H, Caradonna SG, Tran H, Marrocco J, Kentner AC. Milking It for All It's Worth: The Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Maternal Nurturance, Lactation Quality, and Offspring Social Behavior. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0148-22.2022. [PMID: 35995560 PMCID: PMC9417599 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0148-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Breastfeeding confers robust benefits to offspring development in terms of growth, immunity, and neurophysiology. Similarly, improving environmental complexity, i.e., environmental enrichment (EE), contributes developmental advantages to both humans and laboratory animal models. However, the impact of environmental context on maternal care and milk quality has not been thoroughly evaluated, nor are the biological underpinnings of EE on offspring development understood. Here, Sprague Dawley rats were housed and bred in either EE or standard-housed (SD) conditions. EE dams gave birth to a larger number of pups, and litters were standardized and cross-fostered across groups on postnatal day (P)1. Maternal milk samples were then collected on P1 (transitional milk phase) and P10 (mature milk phase) for analysis. While EE dams spent less time nursing, postnatal enrichment exposure was associated with heavier offspring bodyweights. Milk from EE mothers had increased triglyceride levels, a greater microbiome diversity, and a significantly higher abundance of bacterial families related to bodyweight and energy metabolism. These differences reflected comparable transcriptomic changes at the genome-wide level. In addition to changes in lactational quality, we observed elevated levels of cannabinoid receptor 1 in the hypothalamus of EE dams, and sex-dependent and time-dependent effects of EE on offspring social behavior. Together, these results underscore the multidimensional impact of the combined neonatal and maternal environments on offspring development and maternal health. Moreover, they highlight potential deficiencies in the use of "gold standard" laboratory housing in the attempt to design translationally relevant animal models in biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly DeRosa
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA 02115
| | | | - Hieu Tran
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Jordan Marrocco
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
- Department of Biology, Touro University, New York, NY 10023
| | - Amanda C Kentner
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA 02115
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Salmani N, Nozari M, Parvan M, Amini-Sardouei S, Shabani M, Khaksari M, Ezzatabadipour M. Nicotine-conditioned place preference, reversal learning, and social interaction in MK-801-induced schizophrenia model: Effects of post-weaning enriched environment. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2022; 49:871-880. [PMID: 35622536 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1681.13674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Based on the clinical observations of severe cognitive deficits in schizophrenia patients and the relationship between environmental parameters and the severity of schizophrenia symptoms, the present study investigated these parameters in an MK-801-induced schizophrenia model in rats. In addition to, it evaluated whether a post-weaning enriched environment (EE) would affect the nicotine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) and the motor and cognitive deficits caused by MK-801 treatment. Male Wistar rat pups were injected peritoneally with MK-801 (1 mg/kg) on a daily basis between the 6th and the 10th postnatal days (P) and were exposed to either an enriched or a standard cage from P21 until the end of the experiments. The rats were evaluated in open-field and three-chamber social interaction tests. Moreover, spatial and reversal learning was assessed by the Morris water maze (MWM). Also, the animals were conditioned with 0.6 mg/kg nicotine and tested for CPP. Increased self-grooming, exploratory behavior, potentiated nicotine-CPP, and decreased social behaviors, delayed spatial learning and memory, and impaired reversal learning in the water maze were observed in the MK-801 treatment group. Housing in an EE improved cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with postnatal MK-801 treatment. The results suggested that neonatal N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor hypofunction may cause susceptibility to these behaviors and indicated the importance of environmental conditions in the development of schizophrenia and probably other neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda Salmani
- Department of Psychology, Zarand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran
| | - Masoumeh Nozari
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mahdieh Parvan
- Physiology Research Center, Institute of Basic and Clinical Physiology Sciences, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Sara Amini-Sardouei
- Student Research Committee, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Khaksari
- Endocrinology and Metabolism Research, and Physiology Research Centers, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Massood Ezzatabadipour
- Anatomical Sciences Department, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
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Mahalakshmi AM, Ray B, Tuladhar S, Hediyal TA, Raj P, Rathipriya AG, Qoronfleh MW, Essa MM, Chidambaram SB. Impact of Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Modulators on Dendritic Spines Structure and Functions in Brain. Cells 2021; 10:3405. [PMID: 34943913 PMCID: PMC8699406 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dendritic spines are small, thin, hair-like protrusions found on the dendritic processes of neurons. They serve as independent compartments providing large amplitudes of Ca2+ signals to achieve synaptic plasticity, provide sites for newer synapses, facilitate learning and memory. One of the common and severe complication of neurodegenerative disease is cognitive impairment, which is said to be closely associated with spine pathologies viz., decreased in spine density, spine length, spine volume, spine size etc. Many treatments targeting neurological diseases have shown to improve the spine structure and distribution. However, concise data on the various modulators of dendritic spines are imperative and a need of the hour. Hence, in this review we made an attempt to consolidate the effects of various pharmacological (cholinergic, glutamatergic, GABAergic, serotonergic, adrenergic, and dopaminergic agents) and non-pharmacological modulators (dietary interventions, enriched environment, yoga and meditation) on dendritic spines structure and functions. These data suggest that both the pharmacological and non-pharmacological modulators produced significant improvement in dendritic spine structure and functions and in turn reversing the pathologies underlying neurodegeneration. Intriguingly, the non-pharmacological approaches have shown to improve intellectual performances both in preclinical and clinical platforms, but still more technology-based evidence needs to be studied. Thus, we conclude that a combination of pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention may restore cognitive performance synergistically via improving dendritic spine number and functions in various neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arehally M. Mahalakshmi
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
- SIG-Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Neurosciences Research (BBRC), JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Bipul Ray
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Sunanda Tuladhar
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Tousif Ahmed Hediyal
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
| | - Praveen Raj
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
| | | | - M. Walid Qoronfleh
- Q3CG Research Institute (QRI), Research and Policy Division, 7227 Rachel Drive, Ypsilanti, MI 48917, USA;
| | - Musthafa Mohamed Essa
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, CAMS, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
- Ageing and Dementia Research Group, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat 123, Oman
- Biomedical Sciences Department, University of Pacific, Sacramento, CA 95211, USA
| | - Saravana Babu Chidambaram
- Department of Pharmacology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India; (A.M.M.); (B.R.); (S.T.); (T.A.H.); (P.R.)
- SIG-Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Neurosciences Research (BBRC), JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
- Centre for Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology, Central Animal Facility, JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research, Mysuru 570015, Karnataka, India
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Roubinov D, Meaney MJ, Boyce WT. Change of pace: How developmental tempo varies to accommodate failed provision of early needs. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:120-134. [PMID: 34547365 PMCID: PMC8648258 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The interplay of genes and environments (GxE) is a fundamental source of variation in behavioral and developmental outcomes. Although the role of developmental time (T) in the unfolding of such interactions has yet to be fully considered, GxE operates within a temporal frame of reference across multiple timescales and degrees of biological complexity. Here, we consider GxExT interactions to understand adversity-induced developmental acceleration or deceleration whereby environmental conditions hasten or hinder children's development. To date, developmental pace changes have been largely explained through a focus on the individual: for example, how adversity "wears down" aging biological systems or how adversity accelerates or decelerates maturation to optimize reproductive fitness. We broaden such theories by positing shifts in developmental pace in response to the parent-child dyad's capacity or incapacity for meeting children's early, physiological and safety needs. We describe empirical evidence and potential neurobiological mechanisms supporting this new conceptualization of developmental acceleration and deceleration. We conclude with suggestions for future research on the developmental consequences of early adverse exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Roubinov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States.
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Department of Psychiatry and Sackler Program for Epigenetics and Psychobiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3H 1R4, Canada; Child and Brain Development Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1M1, Canada; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A ⁎STAR), 117609, Singapore; Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - W Thomas Boyce
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; Child and Brain Development Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1M1, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, United States
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Consorti A, Di Marco I, Sansevero G. Physical Exercise Modulates Brain Physiology Through a Network of Long- and Short-Range Cellular Interactions. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:710303. [PMID: 34489641 PMCID: PMC8417110 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.710303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, the effects of sedentary lifestyles have emerged as a critical aspect of modern society. Interestingly, recent evidence demonstrated that physical exercise plays an important role not only in maintaining peripheral health but also in the regulation of central nervous system function. Many studies have shown that physical exercise promotes the release of molecules, involved in neuronal survival, differentiation, plasticity and neurogenesis, from several peripheral organs. Thus, aerobic exercise has emerged as an intriguing tool that, on one hand, could serve as a therapeutic protocol for diseases of the nervous system, and on the other hand, could help to unravel potential molecular targets for pharmacological approaches. In the present review, we will summarize the cellular interactions that mediate the effects of physical exercise on brain health, starting from the factors released in myocytes during muscle contraction to the cellular pathways that regulate higher cognitive functions, in both health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Consorti
- Neuroscience Institute, National Research Council (CNR), Pisa, Italy
- NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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Zhao X, Mohammed R, Tran H, Erickson M, Kentner AC. Poly (I:C)-induced maternal immune activation modifies ventral hippocampal regulation of stress reactivity: prevention by environmental enrichment. Brain Behav Immun 2021; 95:203-215. [PMID: 33766701 PMCID: PMC8187276 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2021.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) has been successfully implemented in human rehabilitation settings. However, the mechanisms underlying its success are not understood. Incorporating components of EE protocols into our animal models allows for the exploration of these mechanisms and their role in mitigation. Using a mouse model of maternal immune activation (MIA), the present study explored disruptions in social behavior and associated hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis functioning, and whether a supportive environment could prevent these effects. We show that prenatal immune activation of toll-like receptor 3, by the viral mimetic polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), led to disrupted maternal care in that dams built poorer quality nests, an effect corrected by EE housing. Standard housed male and female MIA mice engaged in higher rates of repetitive rearing and had lower levels of social interaction, alongside sex-specific expression of several ventral hippocampal neural stress markers. Moreover, MIA males had delayed recovery of plasma corticosterone in response to a novel social encounter. Enrichment housing, likely mediated by improved maternal care, protected against these MIA-induced effects. We also evaluated c-Fos immunoreactivity associated with the novel social experience and found MIA to decrease neural activation in the dentate gyrus. Activation in the hypothalamus was blunted in EE housed animals, suggesting that the putative circuits modulating social behaviors may be different between standard and complex housing environments. These data demonstrate that augmentation of the environment supports parental care and offspring safety/security, which can offset effects of early health adversity by buffering HPA axis dysregulation. Our findings provide further evidence for the viability of EE interventions in maternal and pediatric settings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Amanda C. Kentner
- Corresponding author: Amanda Kentner, , Office #617-274-3360, Fax # 617-732-2959
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Núñez-Murrieta MA, Noguez P, Coria-Avila GA, García-García F, Santiago-García J, Bolado-García VE, Corona-Morales AA. Maternal behavior, novelty confrontation, and subcortical c-Fos expression during lactation period are shaped by gestational environment. Behav Brain Res 2021; 412:113432. [PMID: 34186145 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The environmental context during gestation may modulate the postpartum variations in maternal behaviors observed within different animal species. Most of our experimental knowledge on this phenomenon and its physiological effects have been gained by confronting the pregnant mother with stressful situations, with the consensual results indicating a reduced maternal behavior and a hyper reactivity of stress-related neural paths. Here, in contrast, by exposing nulliparous rats strictly during pregnancy to a standard laboratory environment (STD) or a highly stimulating sensory and social environment (EE), we investigated the hypothesis that subjects frequently exposed to social stimuli and novel situations during pregnancy will show postpartum changes in subcortical brain areas' activity related to the processing of social stimuli and novelty, such that there will be modifications in maternal behavior. We found that EE mothers doubled the levels of licking and grooming, and active hovering over pups during the first postpartum week than STD dams, without a difference in the time of contact with the pups. Associated with these behaviors, EE dams showed increased c-Fos immunoreaction in hypothalamic nuclei and distinct responses in amygdalar nuclei, than STD dams. In the maternal defensive test, EE dams tripled the levels of aggressive behaviors of the STD rats. Additionally, in two different tests, EE mothers showed lower levels of postpartum anxiety-like behaviors when confronted with novel situations. Our results demonstrate that the activity of brain areas related to social behavior is adaptable by environmental circumstances experienced during gestation, presumably to prepare the progeny for these particular conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paula Noguez
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biomédicas, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, UNAM, Mexico.
| | - Genaro A Coria-Avila
- Centro de Investigaciones Cerebrales, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver., Mexico.
| | - Fabio García-García
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver., Mexico.
| | - Juan Santiago-García
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver., Mexico.
| | - Victoria E Bolado-García
- Laboratorio de Investigación Genómica y Fisiológica, Facultad de Nutrición, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver., Mexico.
| | - Aleph A Corona-Morales
- Laboratorio de Investigación Genómica y Fisiológica, Facultad de Nutrición, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Ver., Mexico.
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11
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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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12
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Experience-Dependent Inhibitory Plasticity Is Mediated by CCK+ Basket Cells in the Developing Dentate Gyrus. J Neurosci 2021; 41:4607-4619. [PMID: 33906898 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1207-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Early postnatal experience shapes both inhibitory and excitatory networks in the hippocampus. However, the underlying circuit plasticity is unclear. Using an enriched environment (EE) paradigm during the preweaning period in mice of either sex, we assessed the circuit plasticity of inhibitory cell types in the hippocampus. We found that cholecystokinin (CCK)-expressing basket cells strongly increased somatic inhibition on the excitatory granular cells (GCs) following EE, whereas another pivotal inhibitory cell type, parvalbumin (PV)-expressing cells, did not show changes. Using electrophysiological analysis and the use of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) agonist WIN 55 212-2, we demonstrate that the change in somatic inhibition from CCK+ neurons increases CB1R-mediated inhibition in the circuit. By inhibiting activity of the entorhinal cortex (EC) using a chemogenetic approach, we further demonstrate that the activity of the projections from the EC mediates the developmental assembly of CCK+ basket cell network. Altogether, our study places the experience-dependent remodeling of CCK+ basket cell innervation as a central process to adjust inhibition in the dentate gyrus and shows that cortical inputs to the hippocampus play an instructional role in controlling the refinement of the synaptic connections during the preweaning period.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Brain plasticity is triggered by experience during postnatal brain development and shapes the maturing neural circuits. In humans, altered experience-dependent plasticity can have long-lasting detrimental effects on circuit function and lead to psychiatric disorders. Yet, the cellular mechanisms governing how early experience fine-tunes the maturing synaptic network is not fully understood. Here, taking advantage of an enrichment-housing paradigm, we unravel a new plasticity mechanism involved in the maintenance of the inhibitory to excitatory balance in the hippocampus. Our findings demonstrate that cortical activity instructs the assembly of the CCK+ basket cell network. Considering the importance of this specific cell type for learning and memory, experience-dependent remodeling of CCK+ cells may be a critical determinant for establishing appropriate neural networks.
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Carbone BE, Abouleish M, Watters KE, Vogel S, Ribic A, Schroeder OHU, Bader BM, Biederer T. Synaptic Connectivity and Cortical Maturation Are Promoted by the ω-3 Fatty Acid Docosahexaenoic Acid. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:226-240. [PMID: 31034037 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain development is likely impacted by micronutrients. This is supported by the effects of the ω-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) during early neuronal differentiation, when it increases neurite growth. Aiming to delineate DHA roles in postnatal stages, we selected the visual cortex due to its stereotypic maturation. Immunohistochemistry showed that young mice that received dietary DHA from birth exhibited more abundant presynaptic and postsynaptic specializations. DHA also increased density and size of synapses in a dose-dependent manner in cultured neurons. In addition, dendritic arbors of neurons treated with DHA were more complex. In agreement with improved connectivity, DHA enhanced physiological parameters of network maturation in vitro, including bursting strength and oscillatory behavior. Aiming to analyze functional maturation of the cortex, we performed in vivo electrophysiological recordings from awake mice to measure responses to patterned visual inputs. Dietary DHA robustly promoted the developmental increase in visual acuity, without altering light sensitivity. The visual acuity of DHA-supplemented animals continued to improve even after their cortex had matured and DHA abolished the acuity plateau. Our findings show that the ω-3 fatty acid DHA promotes synaptic connectivity and cortical processing. These results provide evidence that micronutrients can support the maturation of neuronal networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice E Carbone
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Malik Abouleish
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine E Watters
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Seth Vogel
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adema Ribic
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Thomas Biederer
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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An Extracellular Perspective on CNS Maturation: Perineuronal Nets and the Control of Plasticity. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22052434. [PMID: 33670945 PMCID: PMC7957817 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During restricted time windows of postnatal life, called critical periods, neural circuits are highly plastic and are shaped by environmental stimuli. In several mammalian brain areas, from the cerebral cortex to the hippocampus and amygdala, the closure of the critical period is dependent on the formation of perineuronal nets. Perineuronal nets are a condensed form of an extracellular matrix, which surrounds the soma and proximal dendrites of subsets of neurons, enwrapping synaptic terminals. Experimentally disrupting perineuronal nets in adult animals induces the reactivation of critical period plasticity, pointing to a role of the perineuronal net as a molecular brake on plasticity as the critical period closes. Interestingly, in the adult brain, the expression of perineuronal nets is remarkably dynamic, changing its plasticity-associated conditions, including memory processes. In this review, we aimed to address how perineuronal nets contribute to the maturation of brain circuits and the regulation of adult brain plasticity and memory processes in physiological and pathological conditions.
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Cordier JM, Aguggia JP, Danelon V, Mir FR, Rivarola MA, Mascó D. Postweaning Enriched Environment Enhances Cognitive Function and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Signaling in the Hippocampus in Maternally Separated Rats. Neuroscience 2020; 453:138-147. [PMID: 33039520 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.09.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Adverse environments during early life may lead to different neurophysiological and behavioral consequences, including depression and learning and memory deficits that persist into adulthood. Previously, we demonstrated that exposure to an enriched environment during adolescence mitigates the cognitive impairment observed after maternal separation in a task-specific manner. However, underlying neural mechanisms are still not fully understood. The current study examines the effects of neonatal maternal separation (MS) and postweaning environmental enrichment (EE) on spatial learning and memory performance in a short version of the Barnes Maze, active and passive behaviors in the forced swim test, and on TrkB/BDNF receptor expression in the hippocampus. Our results revealed that MS impaired acquisition learning and that enriched rats performed better than non-enriched rats in acquisition trials, regardless of early conditions. During the probe, enriched-housed rats demonstrated better performance than those reared in standard conditions. No significant differences between groups were found in the forced swim test. Both MS and EE increase full-length TrkB expression, and the combination of MS and EE treatment caused the highest levels of this protein expression. Similarly, truncated TrkB expression was higher in the MS/EE group. Animal facility rearing (AFR) non-enriched groups present the lowest activation of phosphorylated Erk, a canonical downstream kinase of TrkB signaling. Taken together, our results demonstrate the importance of enriched environment as an intervention to ameliorate the effects of maternal separation on spatial learning and memory. TrkB/BDNF signaling could mediate neuroplastic changes related to learning and memory during exposure to enriched environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Maximiliano Cordier
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba -Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Julieta Paola Aguggia
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enrique Barros esq. Enfermera Gordillo. Ciudad Universitaria, CP: 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Víctor Danelon
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP: 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Franco Rafael Mir
- Cátedra de Fisiología Animal, Departamento de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de La Rioja, Av. Luis M. de la Fuente S/N, Ciudad Universitaria de la Ciencia y de la Técnica, F5300 La Rioja, Argentina; Cátedra de Fisiología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299 X5000JJC- Córdoba, Argentina
| | - María Angélica Rivarola
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (INICSA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Enrique Barros esq. Enfermera Gordillo. Ciudad Universitaria, CP: 5016, Córdoba, Argentina; Cátedra de Fisiología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 299 X5000JJC- Córdoba, Argentina.
| | - Daniel Mascó
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas (IIBYT), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611, CP: 5016, Córdoba, Argentina
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Charles James J, Funke K. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation reverses reduced excitability of rat visual cortex induced by dark rearing during early critical period. Dev Neurobiol 2020; 80:399-410. [PMID: 33006265 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Early critical period of visual cortex is characterized by enhanced activity-driven neuronal plasticity establishing the specificity of neuronal connections required for optimal processing of sensory signals. Deprivation from visual input by dark rearing (DR) during this period leads to a lasting impairment of visual performance. Previously, we demonstrated that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) applied with intermittent theta-burst (iTBS) pattern during the critical period improved the visual performance of the DR rats. In this study, we describe that the excitability of the binocular part of the visual cortex (V1b), as measured in acute brain slices by input-output ratios of field excitatory synaptic potentials (fEPSPs), is lowered in DR rats compared to normal controls. Verum rTMS applied with the iTBS pattern during DR reversed this DR effect, while no rTMS effect was evident in the non-DR (nDR) rats. In addition, verum rTMS reduced the number of neurons expressing the 67 kD isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67), the calcium-binding protein calbindin (CB) and the zinc-finger transcription factor zif268/EGR1, as determined via immunohistochemistry, only in DR rats but not in nDR rats. Moreover, rTMS reduced the number of neurons expressing the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV) only in nDR rats which showed more PV+ neurons compared to DR rats. This study confirms that iTBS-rTMS may be able to prevent or reverse the effects of DR on visual cortex physiology, likely through a modulation of the activity of inhibitory interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Klaus Funke
- Department of Neurophysiology, Medical Faculty, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Abstract
The great majority of children with neurodevelopmental challenges do not get specific intervention until after their second birthday. This worsens their outcomes, because a great part of the entire neuroplastic window for learning is misspent. There is emerging evidence that the impact on outcomes of early goal-directed training involving the parents in infants with neurodevelopmental disabilities is significantly superior to the results achieved in older children and adults, especially if intervention commences in the first months of life. This chapter outlines the common elements of neurodevelopment and early intervention. It includes an outline of some of the primary early intervention practices and the scientific evidence driving them.
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Demaestri C, Pan T, Critz M, Ofray D, Gallo M, Bath KG. Type of early life adversity confers differential, sex-dependent effects on early maturational milestones in mice. Horm Behav 2020; 124:104763. [PMID: 32407728 PMCID: PMC7487052 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) increases risk for negative health outcomes, with sex disparities in prevalence and form of ELA experienced and risk for neuropsychiatric pathology. ELA comes in many forms (e.g. parental neglect/loss, limited access to resources) but whether disparate forms of ELA have common effects on outcomes, and if males and females are equally affected, remains unknown. Epidemiological studies often fail to accurately account for differences in type, timing, and duration of adversity experienced. Rodent models allow precise control of many of these variables. However, differences in the form of ELA, species, strain, housing, and testing paradigms used may contribute to differences in outcomes leading to questions of whether differences are the result of the form of ELA or these other variables. Here, we directly compared two mouse models of ELA, maternal separation (MS) and limited bedding (LB) in males and females on development of the body, motor and visual milestones, stress physiology, and anxiety-like behavior. LB affected timing of early milestones, somatic growth, and stress physiology in both sexes, yet only females showed later anxiety-like behaviors. MS rearing affected males and females similarly in early milestone development, yet only males showed changes in stress physiology and anxiety-like outcomes. These studies provide a platform to directly compare MS and LB models within one lab. The current work advances our understanding of the unique features of ELA that shape early neurodevelopmental events and risk for later pathology, increasing the translational relevance of these ELA models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Demaestri
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Tracy Pan
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Madalyn Critz
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Dayshalis Ofray
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Meghan Gallo
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St., Box 1821, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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Xu W, Löwel S, Schlüter OM. Silent Synapse-Based Mechanisms of Critical Period Plasticity. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:213. [PMID: 32765222 PMCID: PMC7380267 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Critical periods are postnatal, restricted time windows of heightened plasticity in cortical neural networks, during which experience refines principal neuron wiring configurations. Here, we propose a model with two distinct types of synapses, innate synapses that establish rudimentary networks with innate function, and gestalt synapses that govern the experience-dependent refinement process. Nascent gestalt synapses are constantly formed as AMPA receptor-silent synapses which are the substrates for critical period plasticity. Experience drives the unsilencing and stabilization of gestalt synapses, as well as synapse pruning. This maturation process changes synapse patterning and consequently the functional architecture of cortical excitatory networks. Ocular dominance plasticity (ODP) in the primary visual cortex (V1) is an established experimental model for cortical plasticity. While converging evidence indicates that the start of the critical period for ODP is marked by the maturation of local inhibitory circuits, recent results support our model that critical periods end through the progressive maturation of gestalt synapses. The cooperative yet opposing function of two postsynaptic signaling scaffolds of excitatory synapses, PSD-93 and PSD-95, governs the maturation of gestalt synapses. Without those proteins, networks do not progress far beyond their innate functionality, resulting in rather impaired perception. While cortical networks remain malleable throughout life, the cellular mechanisms and the scope of critical period and adult plasticity differ. Critical period ODP is initiated with the depression of deprived eye responses in V1, whereas adult ODP is characterized by an initial increase in non-deprived eye responses. Our model proposes the gestalt synapse-based mechanism for critical period ODP, and also predicts a different mechanism for adult ODP based on the sparsity of nascent gestalt synapses at that age. Under our model, early life experience shapes the boundaries (the gestalt) for network function, both for its optimal performance as well as for its pathological state. Thus, reintroducing nascent gestalt synapses as plasticity substrates into adults may improve the network gestalt to facilitate functional recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weifeng Xu
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Siegrid Löwel
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology & Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Campus Institute for Dynamics of Biological Networks, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Oliver M. Schlüter
- Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Disruption of Critical Period Plasticity in a Mouse Model of Neurofibromatosis Type 1. J Neurosci 2020; 40:5495-5509. [PMID: 32527982 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2235-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common monogenic neurodevelopmental disorder associated with physical and cognitive problems. The cognitive issues are thought to arise from increased release of the neurotransmitter GABA. Modulating the signaling pathways causing increased GABA release in a mouse model of NF1 reverts deficits in hippocampal learning. However, clinical trials based on these approaches have so far been unsuccessful. We therefore used a combination of slice electrophysiology, in vivo two-photon calcium imaging, and optical imaging of intrinsic signal in a mouse model of NF1 to investigate whether cortical development is affected in NF1, possibly causing lifelong consequences that cannot be rescued by reducing inhibition later in life. We find that, in NF1 mice of both sexes, inhibition increases strongly during the development of the visual cortex and remains high. While this increase in cortical inhibition does not affect spontaneous cortical activity patterns during early cortical development, the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity is shortened in NF1 mice due to its early closure but unaltered onset. Notably, after environmental enrichment, differences in inhibitory innervation and ocular dominance plasticity between NF1 mice and WT littermates disappear. These results provide the first evidence for critical period dysregulation in NF1 and suggest that treatments aimed at normalizing levels of inhibition will need to start at early stages of development.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neurofibromatosis type 1 is associated with cognitive problems for which no treatment is currently available. This study shows that, in a mouse model of neurofibromatosis type 1, cortical inhibition is increased during development and critical period regulation is disturbed. Rearing the mice in an environment that stimulates cognitive function overcomes these deficits. These results uncover critical period dysregulation as a novel mechanism in the pathogenesis of neurofibromatosis type 1. This suggests that targeting the affected signaling pathways in neurofibromatosis type 1 for the treatment of cognitive disabilities may have to start at a much younger age than has so far been tested in clinical trials.
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Zhou F, Yin G, Gao Y, Ouyang L, Liu S, Jia Q, Yu H, Zha Z, Wang K, Xie J, Fan Y, Shao L, Feng C, Fan G. Insights into cognitive deficits caused by low-dose toxic heavy metal mixtures and their remediation through a postnatal enriched environment in rats. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2020; 388:122081. [PMID: 31958610 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The heavy metals, namely lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and mercury (Hg), have been studied extensively in various independent studies. It has been seen that these metals are usually detected simultaneously in the human blood at low levels. However, it is unknown whether exposure to these heavy metal mixtures (MM) can induce neurological damages at these low levels. Therefore, we investigated the influence of the Pb, Cd, and Hg mixture on the nervous system in rats at exposure doses equivalent to those normally found in the human blood. After pregnant rats being exposed to MM via drinking water throughout the gestation and lactation, their offspring were followed-up till adulthood. MM caused cognitive deficits and impairments in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, MM disrupted dendritic spines, the structural basis of learning and memory, and induced changes in spine-related pathways. Meanwhile, we explored an early and safe way to remedy these impairments through a postnatal enriched environment. The enriched environment ameliorated MM-impaired cognitive function, synaptic plasticity, and spine-related pathways. This study demonstrated that low-dose co-exposure to Pb, Cd, and Hg can cause cognitive and synaptic plasticity deficits and timely intervention through the enriched environment has a certain corrective effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fankun Zhou
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Guangming Yin
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Yanyan Gao
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Lu Ouyang
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Sisi Liu
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Qiyue Jia
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Han Yu
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Zhipeng Zha
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Jie Xie
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Ying Fan
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Lijian Shao
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Chang Feng
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China
| | - Guangqin Fan
- Department of Occupational Health and Toxicology, School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Preventive Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, PR China.
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Rojas-Líbano D, Parada FJ. Body-World Coupling, Sensorimotor Mechanisms, and the Ontogeny of Social Cognition. Front Psychol 2020; 10:3005. [PMID: 31993013 PMCID: PMC6971058 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Rojas-Líbano
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Social, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco J Parada
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Social, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
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Bertheaux C, Toscano R, Fortunier R, Roux JC, Charier D, Borg C. Emotion Measurements Through the Touch of Materials Surfaces. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 13:455. [PMID: 32009917 PMCID: PMC6978750 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2019.00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The emotion generated by the touch of materials is studied via a protocol based on blind assessment of various stimuli. The human emotional reaction felt toward a material is estimated through (i) explicit measurements, using a questionnaire collecting valence and intensity, and (ii) implicit measurements of the activity of the autonomic nervous system, via a pupillometry equipment. A panel of 25 university students (13 women, 12 men), aged from 18 to 27, tested blind twelve materials such as polymers, sandpapers, wood, velvet and fur, randomly ordered. After measuring the initial pupil diameter, taken as a reference, its variation during the tactile exploration was recorded. After each touch, the participants were asked to quantify the emotional value of the material. The results show that the pupil size variation follows the emotional intensity. It is significantly larger during the touch of materials considered as pleasant or unpleasant, than with the touch of neutral materials. Moreover, after a time period of about 0.5 s following the stimulus, the results reveal significant differences between pleasant and unpleasant stimuli, as well as differences according to gender, i.e., higher pupil dilatation of women than men. These results suggest (i) that the autonomic nervous system is initially sensitive to high arousing stimulation, and (ii) that, after a certain period, the pupil size changes according to the cognitive interest induced and the emotional regulation adopted. This research shows the interest of the emotional characterization of materials for product design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Bertheaux
- Université de Lyon, ENISE, LTDS, UMR 5513 CNRS, Saint-Étienne, France
| | - Rosario Toscano
- Université de Lyon, ENISE, LTDS, UMR 5513 CNRS, Saint-Étienne, France
| | - Roland Fortunier
- Université de Lyon, ENISE, LTDS, UMR 5513 CNRS, Saint-Étienne, France
- ISAE-ENSMA, Chasseneuil-du-Poitou, France
| | | | - David Charier
- University Hospital of Saint-Étienne, SNA-EPI Laboratory, EA 4607, CHU, Université de Lyon, Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, France
| | - Céline Borg
- University Hospital of Saint-Étienne, CMRR Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology, Université de Lyon, Saint-Priest-en-Jarez, France
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Fontana C, De Carli A, Ricci D, Dessimone F, Passera S, Pesenti N, Bonzini M, Bassi L, Squarcina L, Cinnante C, Mosca F, Fumagalli M. Effects of Early Intervention on Visual Function in Preterm Infants: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Front Pediatr 2020; 8:291. [PMID: 32582595 PMCID: PMC7287146 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2020.00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of an early intervention program in enhancing visual function in very preterm infants. Methods: We conducted a RCT. We included preterm infants born between 25+0 and 29+6 weeks of gestational age (GA), without severe morbidities, and their families. Infants were randomized to either receive Standard Care (SC) or Early Intervention (EI). SC, according to NICU protocols, included Kangaroo Mother Care and minimal handling. EI included, in addition to routine care, parental training according to the PremieStart program, and multisensory stimulation (infant massage and visual interaction) performed by parents. Visual function was assessed at term equivalent age (TEA) using a prevalidated battery evaluating ocular spontaneous motility, ability to fix and follow a target, reaction to color, stripes discrimination and visual attention at distance. Results: Seventy preterm (EI n = 34, SC n = 36) infants were enrolled. Thirteen were excluded according to protocol. Fifty-seven infants (EI = 27, SC = 30) were assessed at TEA. The two groups were comparable for parental and infant characteristics. In total, 59% of infants in the EI group achieved the highest score in all the nine assessed items compared to 17% in the SC group (p = 0.001): all infants in both groups showed complete maturation in four items, but EI infants showed more mature findings in the other five items (ocular motility both spontaneous and with target, tracking arc, stripes discrimination and attention at distance). Conclusions: Our results suggest that EI has a positive effect on visual function maturation in preterm infants at TEA. Trial Registration: clinicalTrial.gov (NCT02983513).
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla Fontana
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Agnese De Carli
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, NICU, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniela Ricci
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Human and Child Health and Public Health, Child Health Area, Catholic University UCSC, Rome, Italy.,Department of Ophthalmology, National Centre of Services and Research for the Prevention of Blindness and Rehabilitation of the Visually Impaired, IAPB, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Dessimone
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, NICU, Milan, Italy
| | - Sofia Passera
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, NICU, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Pesenti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, NICU, Milan, Italy.,Department of Statistics and Quantitative Methods, Division of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Bonzini
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Occupational Health Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Bassi
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, NICU, Milan, Italy
| | - Letizia Squarcina
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Cinnante
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuroradiology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Mosca
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, NICU, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Fumagalli
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, NICU, Milan, Italy
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Environmental influences on placental programming and offspring outcomes following maternal immune activation. Brain Behav Immun 2020; 83:44-55. [PMID: 31493445 PMCID: PMC6906258 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.08.192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse experiences during pregnancy induce placental programming, affecting the fetus and its developmental trajectory. However, the influence of 'positive' maternal experiences on the placenta and fetus remain unclear. In animal models of early life stress, environmental enrichment (EE) has ameliorated and even prevented associated impairments in brain and behavior. Here, using a maternal immune activation (MIA) model in rats, we test whether EE attenuates maternal, placental and/or fetal responses to an inflammatory challenge, thereby offering a mechanism by which fetal programming may be prevented. Moreover, we evaluate life-long EE exposure on offspring development and examine a constellation of genes and epigenetic writers that may protect against MIA challenges. In our model, maternal plasma corticosterone and interleukin-1β were elevated 3 h after MIA, validating the maternal inflammatory response. Evidence for developmental programming was demonstrated by a simultaneous decrease in the placental enzymes Hsd11b2 and Hsd11b2/Hsd11b1, suggesting disturbances in glucocorticoid metabolism. Reductions of Hsd11b2 in response to challenge is thought to result in excess glucocorticoid exposure to the fetus and altered glucocorticoid receptor expression, increasing susceptibility to behavioral impairments later in life. The placental, but not maternal, glucocorticoid implications of MIA were attenuated by EE. There were also sustained changes in epigenetic writers in both placenta and fetal brain as a consequence of environmental experience and sex. Following MIA, both male and female juvenile animals were impaired in social discrimination ability. Life-long EE mitigated these impairments, in addition to the sex specific MIA associated disruptions in central Fkbp5 and Oprm1. These data provide the first evidence that EE protects placental functioning during stressor exposure, underscoring the importance of addressing maternal health and well-being throughout pregnancy. Future work must evaluate critical periods of EE use to determine if postnatal EE experience is necessary, or if prenatal exposure alone is sufficient to confer protection.
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Environment and early life: Decisive factors for stress-resilience and vulnerability. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 150:155-185. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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O'Connor AM, Burton TJ, Mansuri H, Hand GR, Leamey CA, Sawatari A. Environmental Enrichment From Birth Impacts Parvalbumin Expressing Cells and Wisteria Floribunda Agglutinin Labelled Peri-Neuronal Nets Within the Developing Murine Striatum. Front Neuroanat 2019; 13:90. [PMID: 31708753 PMCID: PMC6821641 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2019.00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment can dramatically affect both the development and function of neural circuits. This is accomplished, at least in part, by the regulation of inhibitory cellular networks and related extracellular matrix glycoprotein structures known as perineuronal nets. The degree to which enhanced housing can influence brain areas involved in the planning and execution of actions is not well known. We examined the effect of enriching mice from birth on parvalbumin expression and perineuronal net formation in developing and adult striatum. This input nucleus of the basal ganglia consists of topographically discernible regions that serve different functions, providing a means of simultaneously examining the influence of environmental factors on discrete, but related networks. Greater densities of striatal parvalbumin positive cells and wisteria floribunda agglutinin labelled perineuronal nets were present in enriched pups during the second postnatal week, primarily within the lateral portion of the nucleus. Housing conditions continued to have an impact into adulthood, with enriched mice exhibiting higher parvalbumin positive cell densities in both medial and lateral striatum. Curiously, no differences due to housing conditions were detected in striatal perineuronal net densities of mature animals. The degree of overlap between striatal parvalbumin expression and perineuronal net formation was also increased, suggesting that heightened neural activity associated with enrichment may have contributed to greater engagement of networks affiliated with cells that express the calcium binding protein. Brain derived neurotrophic factor, an important regulator of inhibitory network maturation, is also subtly, but significantly affected within the striatum of enriched cohorts. Together, these findings suggest that environmental enrichment can exert cell specific effects within different divisions of an area vital for the regulation of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela May O'Connor
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and the Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas Joseph Burton
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and the Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Hannan Mansuri
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and the Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Gabriel Rhys Hand
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and the Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Catherine Anne Leamey
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and the Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Atomu Sawatari
- Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Discipline of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences and the Bosch Institute, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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28
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Strzelewicz AR, Ordoñes Sanchez E, Rondón-Ortiz AN, Raneri A, Famularo ST, Bangasser DA, Kentner AC. Access to a high resource environment protects against accelerated maturation following early life stress: A translational animal model of high, medium and low security settings. Horm Behav 2019; 111:46-59. [PMID: 30708031 PMCID: PMC6527488 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Early life exposure to a low security setting, characterized by a scarcity of resources and limited food access, increases the risk for psychiatric illness and metabolic dysfunction. We utilized a translational rat model to mimic a low security environment and determined how this manipulation affected offspring behavior, metabolism, and puberty. Because food insecurity in humans is associated with reduced access to healthy food options the "low security" rat manipulation combined a Western diet with exposure to a limited bedding and nesting manipulation (WD-LB). In this setting, dams were provided with limited nesting materials during the pups' early life (P2-P10). This manipulation was contrasted with standard rodent caging (SD) and environmental enrichment (EE), to model "medium security" and "high security" environments, respectively. To determine if transitioning from a low to high security environment improved outcomes, some juvenile WD-LB offspring were exposed to EE. Maternal care was impacted by these environments such that EE dams engaged in high quality care when on the nest, but spent less time on the nest than SD dams. Although WD-LB dams excessively chased their tails, they were very attentive to their pups, perhaps to compensate for limited resources. Offspring exposed to WD-LB only displayed subtle changes in behavior. However, WD-LB exposure resulted in significant metabolic dysfunction characterized by increased body weight, precocious puberty and alterations in the hypothalamic kisspeptin system. These negative effects of WD-LB on puberty and weight regulation were mitigated by EE exposure. Collectively, these studies suggest that both compensatory maternal care and juvenile enrichment can reduce the impact of a low security environment. Moreover, they highlight how utilizing diverse models of resource (in)stability can reveal mechanisms that confer vulnerability and resilience to early life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arielle R Strzelewicz
- School of Pharmacy, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston,MA 02115, United States
| | | | - Alejandro N Rondón-Ortiz
- School of Pharmacy, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston,MA 02115, United States
| | - Anthony Raneri
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Sydney T Famularo
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, United States
| | - Amanda C Kentner
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston, MA 02115, United States.
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29
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Transgenerational Transmission of Enhanced Ocular Dominance Plasticity from Enriched Mice to Their Non-enriched Offspring. eNeuro 2019; 6:eN-NWR-0252-18. [PMID: 30805555 PMCID: PMC6361622 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0252-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, evidence has accumulated that non-Mendelian transgenerational inheritance of qualities acquired through experience is possible. In particular, it has been shown that raising rodents in a so-called enriched environment (EE) can not only modify the animals’ behavior and increase their susceptibility to activity-dependent neuronal network changes, but also influences both behavior and neuronal plasticity of the non-enriched offspring. Here, we tested whether such a transgenerational transmission can also be observed in the primary visual cortex (V1) using ocular dominance (OD) plasticity after monocular deprivation (MD) as a paradigm. Whereas OD plasticity after 7 d of MD is absent in standard-cage (SC) raised mice beyond postnatal day (P)110, it is present lifelong in EE-raised mice. Using intrinsic signal optical imaging to visualize cortical activity, we confirm these previous observations and additionally show that OD plasticity is not only preserved in adult EE mice but also in their adult non-enriched offspring: mice born to enriched parents, but raised in SCs at least until P110 displayed similar OD shifts toward the open eye after 7 d of MD as age-matched EE-raised animals. Furthermore, testing the offspring of EE-female versus EE-males with SC-mating partners revealed that only pups of EE-females, but not of EE-males, preserved OD plasticity into adulthood, suggesting that the life experiences of the mother have a greater impact on the continued V1 plasticity of the offspring. The OD plasticity of the non-enriched pups of EE-mothers was, however, mechanistically different from that of non-enriched pups of EE-parents or EE mice.
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30
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Cutuli D, Berretta E, Laricchiuta D, Caporali P, Gelfo F, Petrosini L. Pre-reproductive Parental Enriching Experiences Influence Progeny's Developmental Trajectories. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:254. [PMID: 30483072 PMCID: PMC6240645 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
While the positive effects of environmental enrichment (EE) applied after weaning, in adulthood, during aging, or even in the presence of brain damage have been widely described, the transgenerational effects of pre-reproductive EE have been less examined. And yet, this issue is remarkable given that parental environmental experience may imprint offspring’s phenotype over generations through many epigenetic processes. Interactions between individual and environment take place lifelong even before conception. In fact, the environment pre-reproductively experienced by the mother and/or the father exerts a substantial impact on neural development and motor and cognitive performances of the offspring, even if not directly exposed to social, cognitive, physical and/or motor enrichment. Furthermore, pre-reproductive parental enrichment exerts a transgenerational impact on coping response to stress as well as on the social behavior of the offspring. Among the effects of pre-reproductive parental EE, a potentiation of the maternal care and a decrease in global methylation levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of the progeny have been described. Finally, pre-reproductive EE modifies different pathways of neuromodulation in the brain of the offspring (involving brain-derived neurotrophic factor, oxytocin and glucocorticoid receptors). The present review highlights the importance of pre-reproductive parental enrichment in altering the performances not only of animals directly experiencing it, but also of their progeny, thus opening the way to new hypotheses on the inheritance mechanisms of behavioral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Cutuli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Erica Berretta
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Laricchiuta
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Caporali
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.,Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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31
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Cutuli D, Berretta E, Caporali P, Sampedro-Piquero P, De Bartolo P, Laricchiuta D, Gelfo F, Pesoli M, Foti F, Farioli Vecchioli S, Petrosini L. Effects of pre-reproductive maternal enrichment on maternal care, offspring's play behavior and oxytocinergic neurons. Neuropharmacology 2018; 145:99-113. [PMID: 29462694 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Potentiating social, cognitive, and sensorimotor stimulations the Environmental Enrichment (EE) increases levels of novelty and complexity experienced by individuals. Growing evidence demonstrates that parental EE experience, even occurring in the pre-reproductive phase, affects behavioral and neural developmental trajectories of the offspring. To discover how the accumulation of early maternal complex experiences may inform and shape the social behavior of the following generation, we examined the effects of pre-reproductive enrichment of dams (post-natal days 21-72) on the play performances of their male and female adolescent offspring. Furthermore, we examined the effects of pre-reproductive enrichment on maternal behavior (during post-partum days 1-10) and male intruder aggression (on post-partum day 11). Since oxytocin modulates maternal care, social bonding, and agonistic behavior, the number of oxytocinergic neurons of the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei was examined in both dams and offspring. Results revealed that enriched females exhibited higher levels of pup-oriented behaviors, especially Crouching, and initiated pup-retrieval more quickly than standard females after the maternal aggression test. Such behavioral peculiarities were accompanied by increased levels of oxytocinergic neurons in PVN and SON. Moreover, pre-reproductive maternal EE cross-generationally influenced the offspring according to sex. Indeed, male pups born to enriched females exhibited a reduced play fighting associated with a higher number of oxytocinergic neurons in SON in comparison to male pups born to standard-housed females. In conclusion, pre-reproductive EE to the mothers affects their maternal care and has a cross-generational impact on the social behavior of their offspring that do not directly experiences EE. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Neurobiology of Environmental Enrichment".
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Cutuli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy.
| | - Erica Berretta
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Caporali
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Patricia Sampedro-Piquero
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento. Facultad de Psicología, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - Paola De Bartolo
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of TeCoS, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Laricchiuta
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of TeCoS, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Pesoli
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Motor Science and Wellness, University Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Foti
- Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | | | - Laura Petrosini
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Narducci R, Baroncelli L, Sansevero G, Begenisic T, Prontera C, Sale A, Cenni MC, Berardi N, Maffei L. Early impoverished environment delays the maturation of cerebral cortex. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1187. [PMID: 29352131 PMCID: PMC5775315 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19459-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of exposure to impoverished environments on brain development is unexplored since most studies investigated how environmental impoverishment affects adult brain. To shed light on the impact of early impoverishment on developmental trajectories of the nervous system, we developed a protocol of environmental impoverishment in which dams and pups lived from birth in a condition of reduced sensory-motor stimulation. Focusing on visual system, we measured two indexes of functional development, that is visual acuity, assessed by using Visual Evoked Potentials (VEPs), and VEP latency. In addition, we assessed in the visual cortex levels of Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) and myelin maturation, together with the expression of the GABA biosynthetic enzyme GAD67. We found that early impoverishment strongly delays visual acuity and VEP latency development. These functional changes were accompanied by a significant reduction of IGF-1 protein and GAD67 expression, as well as by delayed myelination of nerve fibers, in the visual cortex of impoverished pups. Thus, exposure to impoverished living conditions causes a significant alteration of developmental trajectories leading to a prominent delay of brain maturation. These results underscore the significance of adequate levels of environmental stimulation for the maturation of central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Narducci
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Area San Salvi - Pad. 26, I-50135, Florence, Italy
| | - Laura Baroncelli
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Gabriele Sansevero
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Area San Salvi - Pad. 26, I-50135, Florence, Italy
| | - Tatjana Begenisic
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Concetta Prontera
- Fondazione G. Monasterio CNR-Regione Toscana, via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sale
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Cenni
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Berardi
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health NEUROFARBA, University of Florence, Area San Salvi - Pad. 26, I-50135, Florence, Italy
| | - Lamberto Maffei
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Research Council (CNR), Via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy
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Teichert M, Isstas M, Wenig S, Setz C, Lehmann K, Bolz J. Cross-modal refinement of visual performance after brief somatosensory deprivation in adult mice. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 47:184-191. [PMID: 29247462 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2017] [Revised: 12/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that the congenital lack of one sensory modality enhances functionality in the spared senses. However, whether a late onset deprivation of one sense leads to such alterations is largely unknown. Here, we investigated whether a somatosensory deprivation induced by bilateral whisker removal affects visual acuity and contrast sensitivity in fully adult mice. Using the visual cortex-dependent visual water task, we found that a brief somatosensory deprivation markedly improved behavioral visual acuity and contrast sensitivity by about 40%. Determining these attributes of vision using periodic optical imaging of intrinsic signals in the same mice revealed that visual cortex responses elicited by weak visual stimuli were massively increased after somatosensory deprivation. Strikingly, comparison of visual acuity and contrast sensitivity values determined by the visual water task and intrinsic signal imaging revealed that these measurements were almost identical, even at the level of individual animals. In summary, our results suggest that a brief manipulation of somatosensory experience profoundly boosts visual cortex-dependent vision in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Teichert
- Institute for General Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Jena, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Marcel Isstas
- Institute for General Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Jena, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Steven Wenig
- Institute for General Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Jena, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Christoph Setz
- Institute for General Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Jena, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Konrad Lehmann
- Institute for General Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Jena, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Jürgen Bolz
- Institute for General Zoology and Animal Physiology, University of Jena, Erbertstraße 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
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Environmental enrichment accelerates ocular dominance plasticity in mouse visual cortex whereas transfer to standard cages resulted in a rapid loss of increased plasticity. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186999. [PMID: 29073219 PMCID: PMC5658117 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In standard cage (SC) raised mice, experience-dependent ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in the primary visual cortex (V1) rapidly declines with age: in postnatal day 25–35 (critical period) mice, 4 days of monocular deprivation (MD) are sufficient to induce OD-shifts towards the open eye; thereafter, 7 days of MD are needed. Beyond postnatal day 110, even 14 days of MD failed to induce OD-plasticity in mouse V1. In contrast, mice raised in a so-called “enriched environment” (EE), exhibit lifelong OD-plasticity. EE-mice have more voluntary physical exercise (running wheels), and experience more social interactions (bigger housing groups) and more cognitive stimulation (regularly changed labyrinths or toys). Whether experience-dependent shifts of V1-activation happen faster in EE-mice and how long the plasticity promoting effect would persist after transferring EE-mice back to SCs has not yet been investigated. To this end, we used intrinsic signal optical imaging to visualize V1-activation i) before and after MD in EE-mice of different age groups (from 1–9 months), and ii) after transferring mice back to SCs after postnatal day 130. Already after 2 days of MD, and thus much faster than in SC-mice, EE-mice of all tested age groups displayed a significant OD-shift towards the open eye. Transfer of EE-mice to SCs immediately abolished OD-plasticity: already after 1 week of SC-housing and MD, OD-shifts could no longer be visualized. In an attempt to rescue abolished OD-plasticity of these mice, we either administered the anti-depressant fluoxetine (in drinking water) or supplied a running wheel in the SCs. OD-plasticity was only rescued for the running wheel- mice. Altogether our results show that raising mice in less deprived environments like large EE-cages strongly accelerates experience-dependent changes in V1-activation compared to the impoverished SC-raising. Furthermore, preventing voluntary physical exercise of EE-mice in adulthood immediately precludes OD-shifts in V1.
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Leinonen H, Tanila H. Vision in laboratory rodents-Tools to measure it and implications for behavioral research. Behav Brain Res 2017; 352:172-182. [PMID: 28760697 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Mice and rats are nocturnal mammals and their vision is specialized for detection of motion and contrast in dim light conditions. These species possess a large proportion of UV-sensitive cones in their retinas and the majority of their optic nerve axons target superior colliculus rather than visual cortex. Therefore, it was a widely held belief that laboratory rodents hardly utilize vision during day-time behavior. This dogma is being questioned as accumulating evidence suggests that laboratory rodents are able to perform complex visual functions, such as perceiving subjective contours, and that declined vision may affect their performance in many behavioral tasks. For instance, genetic engineering may have unexpected consequences on vision as mouse models of Alzheimer's and Huntington's diseases have declined visual function. Rodent vision can be tested in numerous ways using operant training or reflex-based behavioral tasks, or alternatively using electrophysiological recordings. In this article, we will first provide a summary of visual system and explain its characteristics unique to rodents. Then, we present well-established techniques to test rodent vision, with an emphasis on pattern vision: visual water test, optomotor reflex test, pattern electroretinography and pattern visual evoked potentials. Finally, we highlight the importance of visual phenotyping in rodents. As the number of genetically engineered rodent models and volume of behavioral testing increase simultaneously, the possibility of visual dysfunctions needs to be addressed. Neglect in this matter potentially leads to crude biases in the field of neuroscience and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henri Leinonen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, Neulaniementie 2, 70211 Kuopio, Finland.
| | - Heikki Tanila
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, Neulaniementie 2, 70211 Kuopio, Finland
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Durán-Carabali LE, Arcego DM, Odorcyk FK, Reichert L, Cordeiro JL, Sanches EF, Freitas LD, Dalmaz C, Pagnussat A, Netto CA. Prenatal and Early Postnatal Environmental Enrichment Reduce Acute Cell Death and Prevent Neurodevelopment and Memory Impairments in Rats Submitted to Neonatal Hypoxia Ischemia. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:3627-3641. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-017-0604-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Cutuli D, Berretta E, Pasqualini G, De Bartolo P, Caporali P, Laricchiuta D, Sampedro-Piquero P, Gelfo F, Pesoli M, Foti F, Begega A, Petrosini L. Influence of Pre-reproductive Maternal Enrichment on Coping Response to Stress and Expression of c-Fos and Glucocorticoid Receptors in Adolescent Offspring. Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:73. [PMID: 28536510 PMCID: PMC5422443 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) is an experimental setting broadly used for investigating the effects of complex social, cognitive, and sensorimotor stimulations on brain structure and function. Recent studies point out that parental EE experience, even occurring in the pre-reproductive phase, affects neural development and behavioral trajectories of the offspring. In the present study we investigated the influences of pre-reproductive EE of female rats on maternal behavior and adolescent male offspring's coping response to an inescapable stressful situation after chronic social isolation. For this purpose female Wistar rats were housed from weaning to breeding age in enriched or standard environments. Subsequently, all females were mated and housed in standard conditions until offspring weaning. On the first post partum day (ppd 1), mother-pup interactions in undisturbed conditions were recorded. Further, after weaning the male pups were reared for 2 weeks under social isolation or in standard conditions, and then submitted or not to a single-session Forced Swim Test (FST). Offspring's neuronal activation and plastic changes were identified by immunohistochemistry for c-Fos and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs), and assessed by using stereological analysis. The biochemical correlates were measured in the hippocampus, amygdala and cingulate cortex, structures involved in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis regulation. Enriched dams exhibited increased Crouching levels in comparison to standard reared dams. In the offspring of both kinds of dams, social isolation reduced body weight, decreased Immobility, and increased Swimming during FST. Moreover, isolated offspring of enriched dams exhibited higher levels of Climbing in comparison to controls. Interestingly, in the amygdala of both isolated and control offspring of enriched dams we found a lower number of c-Fos immunopositive cells in response to FST and a higher number of GRs in comparison to the offspring of standard dams. These results highlight the profound influence of a stressful condition, such as the social isolation, on the brain of adolescent rats, and underline intergenerational effects of maternal experiences in regulating the offspring response to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debora Cutuli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of RomeRome, Italy.,Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy
| | - Erica Berretta
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of RomeRome, Italy.,Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy
| | - Greta Pasqualini
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of RomeRome, Italy.,Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy
| | - Paola De Bartolo
- Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy.,Department of TeCoS, Marconi UniversityRome, Italy
| | - Paola Caporali
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of RomeRome, Italy
| | - Daniela Laricchiuta
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of RomeRome, Italy.,Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy
| | - Patricia Sampedro-Piquero
- Department of Biological and Health Psychology, Psychology Faculty, Autonomous University of MadridMadrid, Spain
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy.,Department of Systemic Medicine, University of Rome Tor VergataRome, Italy
| | - Matteo Pesoli
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of RomeRome, Italy.,Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy
| | - Francesca Foti
- Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy.,Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Magna Graecia UniversityCatanzaro, Italy
| | - Azucena Begega
- Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Department, University of OviedoOviedo, Spain
| | - Laura Petrosini
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of RomeRome, Italy.,Santa Lucia FoundationRome, Italy
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Baroncelli L, Cenni MC, Melani R, Deidda G, Landi S, Narducci R, Cancedda L, Maffei L, Berardi N. Early IGF-1 primes visual cortex maturation and accelerates developmental switch between NKCC1 and KCC2 chloride transporters in enriched animals. Neuropharmacology 2017; 113:167-177. [PMID: 26924708 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) has a remarkable impact on brain development. Continuous exposure to EE from birth determines a significant acceleration of visual system maturation both at retinal and cortical levels. A pre-weaning enriched experience is sufficient to trigger the accelerated maturation of the visual system, suggesting that factors affected by EE during the first days of life might prime visual circuits towards a faster development. The search for such factors is crucial not only to gain a better understanding of the molecular hierarchy of brain development but also to identify molecular pathways amenable to be targeted to correct atypical brain developmental trajectories. Here, we showed that IGF-1 levels are increased in the visual cortex of EE rats as early as P6 and this is a crucial event for setting in motion the developmental program induced by EE. Early intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of IGF-1 in standard rats was sufficient to mimic the action of EE on visual acuity development, whereas blocking IGF-1 signaling by i.c.v. injections of the IGF-1 receptor antagonist JB1 prevented the deployment of EE effects. Early IGF-1 decreased the ratio between the expression of NKCC1 and KCC2 cation/chloride transporters, and the reversal potential for GABAAR-driven Cl- currents (ECl) was shifted toward more negative potentials, indicating that IGF-1 is a crucial factor in accelerating the maturation of GABAergic neurotransmission and promoting the developmental switch of GABA polarity from excitation to inhibition. In addition, early IGF-1 promoted a later occurring increase in its own expression, suggesting a priming effect of early IGF-1 in driving post-weaning cortical maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Baroncelli
- Institute of Neuroscience CNR, via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | | | - Riccardo Melani
- Institute of Neuroscience CNR, via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research, Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Piazza San Marco 4, I-50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Gabriele Deidda
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163, Genoa, Italy
| | - Silvia Landi
- Institute of Neuroscience CNR, via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - Roberta Narducci
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research, Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Piazza San Marco 4, I-50121, Florence, Italy
| | - Laura Cancedda
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, I-16163, Genoa, Italy
| | - Lamberto Maffei
- Institute of Neuroscience CNR, via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy; Laboratory of Neurobiology, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza Cavalieri 7, I-56126, Pisa, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Berardi
- Institute of Neuroscience CNR, via Moruzzi 1, I-56124, Pisa, Italy; Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research, Child Health (NEUROFARBA), University of Florence, Piazza San Marco 4, I-50121, Florence, Italy
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Zuena AR, Zinni M, Giuli C, Cinque C, Alemà GS, Giuliani A, Catalani A, Casolini P, Cozzolino R. Maternal exposure to environmental enrichment before and during gestation influences behaviour of rat offspring in a sex-specific manner. Physiol Behav 2016; 163:274-287. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Experience Affects Critical Period Plasticity in the Visual Cortex through an Epigenetic Regulation of Histone Post-Translational Modifications. J Neurosci 2016; 36:3430-40. [PMID: 27013673 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1787-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED During an early phase of enhanced sensitivity called the critical period (CP), monocular deprivation causes a shift in the response of visual cortex binocular neurons in favor of the nondeprived eye, a process named ocular dominance (OD) plasticity. While the time course of the CP for OD plasticity can be modulated by genetic/pharmacological interventions targeting GABAergic inhibition, whether an increased sensory-motor experience can affect this major plastic phenomenon is not known. We report that exposure to environmental enrichment (EE) accelerated the closure of the CP for OD plasticity in the rat visual cortex. Histone H3 acetylation was developmentally regulated in primary visual cortex, with enhanced levels being detectable early in enriched pups, and chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed an increase at the level of the BDNF P3 promoter. Administration of the histone deacetylase inhibitor SAHA (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid) to animals reared in a standard cage mimicked the increase in H3 acetylation observed in the visual cortex and resulted in an accelerated decay of OD plasticity. Finally, exposure to EE in adulthood upregulated H3 acetylation and was paralleled by a reopening of the CP. These findings demonstrate a critical involvement of the epigenetic machinery as a mediator of visual cortex developmental plasticity and of the impact of EE on OD plasticity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT While it is known that an epigenetic remodeling of chromatin structure controls developmental plasticity in the visual cortex, three main questions have remained open. Which is the physiological time course of histone modifications? Is it possible, by manipulating the chromatin epigenetic state, to modulate plasticity levels during the critical period? How can we regulate histone acetylation in the adult brain in a noninvasive manner? We show that the early exposure of rat pups to enriching environmental conditions accelerates the critical period for plasticity in the primary visual cortex, linking this effect to increased histone acetylation, specifically at the BDNF gene level. Moreover, we report that the exposure of adult animals to environmental enrichment enhances histone acetylation and reopens juvenile-like plasticity.
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Nozari M, Suzuki T, Rosa MGP, Yamakawa K, Atapour N. The impact of early environmental interventions on structural plasticity of the axon initial segment in neocortex. Dev Psychobiol 2016; 59:39-47. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Nozari
- Neuroscience Research Center, Neuropharmacology Institute; Kerman University of Medical Sciences; Kerman Iran
| | - Toshimitsu Suzuki
- Laboratory for Neurogenetics; RIKEN Brain Science Institute; Wako-shi Saitama Japan
| | - Marcello G. P. Rosa
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology; Monash University; Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Australian Research Council, Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function; Monash University Node; Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - Kazuhiro Yamakawa
- Laboratory for Neurogenetics; RIKEN Brain Science Institute; Wako-shi Saitama Japan
| | - Nafiseh Atapour
- Neuroscience Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Physiology; Monash University; Melbourne Victoria Australia
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van Versendaal D, Levelt CN. Inhibitory interneurons in visual cortical plasticity. Cell Mol Life Sci 2016; 73:3677-91. [PMID: 27193323 PMCID: PMC5002041 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2264-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Revised: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
For proper maturation of the neocortex and acquisition of specific functions and skills, exposure to sensory stimuli is vital during critical periods of development when synaptic connectivity is highly malleable. To preserve reliable cortical processing, it is essential that these critical periods end after which learning becomes more conditional and active interaction with the environment becomes more important. How these age-dependent forms of plasticity are regulated has been studied extensively in the primary visual cortex. This has revealed that inhibitory innervation plays a crucial role and that a temporary decrease in inhibition is essential for plasticity to take place. Here, we discuss how different interneuron subsets regulate plasticity during different stages of cortical maturation. We propose a theory in which different interneuron subsets select the sources of neuronal input that undergo plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniëlle van Versendaal
- Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan N Levelt
- Department of Molecular Visual Plasticity, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Barbosa EH, Soares RO, Braga NN, Almeida SDS, Lachat JJ. Effects of environmental enrichment on blood vessels in the optic tract of malnourished rats: A morphological and morphometric analysis. Nutr Neurosci 2016; 19:224-30. [DOI: 10.1179/1476830515y.0000000013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Everton Horiquini Barbosa
- Faculty of Philosophy Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, Department of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roberto Oliveira Soares
- Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Natália Nassif Braga
- Faculty of Philosophy Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, Department of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sebastião de Sousa Almeida
- Faculty of Philosophy Sciences and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, Department of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João-José Lachat
- Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, University of São Paulo, Brazil
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Greifzu F, Kalogeraki E, Löwel S. Environmental enrichment preserved lifelong ocular dominance plasticity, but did not improve visual abilities. Neurobiol Aging 2016; 41:130-137. [PMID: 27103526 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In standard cage (SC)-raised mice, ocular dominance (OD) plasticity of the primary visual cortex (V1) induced by monocular deprivation (MD) is maximal in juveniles, declines in adults, and is absent beyond postnatal day (PD) 110. Raising mice in an enriched environment (EE) preserved a juvenile-like OD plasticity after 7 days of MD until at least PD196, mediated by reductions of deprived eye responses in V1. Whether the sensitive phase for OD plasticity can be prolonged into older age and whether long-term EE modifies visual abilities was not yet known. Here, we demonstrate that EE raising enables lifelong OD plasticity. In contrast to PD200 EE-mice, the preserved OD shift in both >PD400 and >PD700 EE-mice was mediated by increases in open eye responses in V1 (adult OD plasticity). When SC-mice were transferred to EE after PD110, OD plasticity was restored until PD922. Moreover, visual abilities tested by both optomotry and the visual water task and interindividual variability were not different between PD700 SC- and EE-mice. Taken together, EE raising enabled a lifelong OD plasticity but did not affect basic visual performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Greifzu
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie and Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Evgenia Kalogeraki
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie and Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences, Biophysics, and Molecular Biosciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Siegrid Löwel
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institut für Zoologie und Anthropologie and Bernstein Fokus Neurotechnologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Sensory Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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45
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Díez-León M, Mason G. Effects of environmental enrichment and stereotypic behavior on maternal behavior and infant viability in a model carnivore, the American mink (Neovison vison). Zoo Biol 2015; 35:19-28. [DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Revised: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María Díez-León
- Department of Animal Biosciences; University of Guelph; Ontario Canada
| | - Georgia Mason
- Department of Animal Biosciences; University of Guelph; Ontario Canada
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Valenza E, Otsuka Y, Bulf H, Ichikawa H, Kanazawa S, Yamaguchi MK. Face Orientation and Motion Differently Affect the Deployment of Visual Attention in Newborns and 4-Month-Old Infants. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136965. [PMID: 26367122 PMCID: PMC4569357 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Orienting visual attention allows us to properly select relevant visual information from a noisy environment. Despite extensive investigation of the orienting of visual attention in infancy, it is unknown whether and how stimulus characteristics modulate the deployment of attention from birth to 4 months of age, a period in which the efficiency in orienting of attention improves dramatically. The aim of the present study was to compare 4-month-old infants' and newborns' ability to orient attention from central to peripheral stimuli that have the same or different attributes. In Experiment 1, all the stimuli were dynamic and the only attribute of the central and peripheral stimuli to be manipulated was face orientation. In Experiment 2, both face orientation and motion of the central and peripheral stimuli were contrasted. The number of valid trials and saccadic latency were measured at both ages. Our results demonstrated that the deployment of attention is mainly influenced by motion at birth, while it is also influenced by face orientation at 4-month of age. These findings provide insight into the development of the orienting visual attention in the first few months of life and suggest that maturation may be not the only factor that determines the developmental change in orienting visual attention from birth to 4 months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloisa Valenza
- Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e Socializzazione, Università degli Studi di Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padova, Italy
- Interdepartmental Center for Cognitive Science (CISC), Università di Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padova
| | - Yumiko Otsuka
- School of Psychology, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Hermann Bulf
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza Ateneo Nuovo 1, 20126, Milano, Italy
- Milan Center of Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
| | - Hiroko Ichikawa
- Department of Psychology, Chuo University, Hachioji-city, Tokyo, 192–0393, Japan
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102–0083, Japan
| | - So Kanazawa
- Department of Psychology, Japan Women’s University, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 214–8565, Japan
| | - Masami K. Yamaguchi
- Department of Psychology, Chuo University, Hachioji-city, Tokyo, 192–0393, Japan
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Abstract
Brain development is a complex process, and stimuli during this developmental period may modulate the brain's functional maturation and determine its lifelong integrity. Human and animal studies have shown that environmental stimuli such as physical activity habits seem to have a favorable influence on brain development. Research on humans has demonstrated improvement in cognitive performance in the children of women who exercised regularly throughout pregnancy and in individuals who were physically active during childhood and adolescence. Investigations using animal models have also reported that physical activity improves the cognitive function of developing rats. In this review, we will present the neurobiological mechanisms of such effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sérgio Gomes da Silva
- a 1 Instituto do Cérebro, Instituto Israelita de Ensino e Pesquisa Albert Einstein, Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Av. Albert Einstein, 627/701, Morumbi, CEP: 06780-110 São Paulo - SP, Brazil
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Begenisic T, Sansevero G, Baroncelli L, Cioni G, Sale A. Early environmental therapy rescues brain development in a mouse model of Down syndrome. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 82:409-419. [PMID: 26244989 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Revised: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Down syndrome (DS), the most common genetic disorder associated with intellectual disabilities, is an untreatable condition characterized by a number of developmental defects and permanent deficits in the adulthood. Ts65Dn mice, the major animal model for DS, display severe cognitive and synaptic plasticity defects closely resembling the human phenotype. Here, we employed a multidisciplinary approach to investigate, for the first time in developing Ts65Dn mice, the effects elicited by early environmental enrichment (EE) on brain maturation and function. We report that exposure to EE resulted in a robust increase in maternal care levels displayed by Ts65Dn mothers and led to a normalization of declarative memory abilities and hippocampal plasticity in trisomic offspring. The positive effects of EE on Ts65Dn phenotype were not limited to the cognitive domain, but also included a rescue of visual system maturation. The beneficial EE effects were accompanied by increased BDNF and correction of over-expression of the GABA vesicular transporter vGAT. These findings highlight the beneficial impact of early environmental stimuli and their potential for application in the treatment of major functional deficits in children with DS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris, University of Pisa, Calambrone, I-56100 Pisa, Italy
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Guadagni V, Novelli E, Piano I, Gargini C, Strettoi E. Pharmacological approaches to retinitis pigmentosa: A laboratory perspective. Prog Retin Eye Res 2015; 48:62-81. [PMID: 26113212 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2015.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Retinal photoreceptors are highly specialized and performing neurons. Their cellular architecture is exquisitely designed to host a high concentration of molecules involved in light capture, phototransduction, electric and chemical signaling, membrane and molecular turnover, light and dark adaption, network activities etc. Such high efficiency and molecular complexity require a great metabolic demand, altogether conferring to photoreceptors particular susceptibility to external and internal insults, whose occurrence usually precipitate into degeneration of these cells and blindness. In Retinitis Pigmentosa, an impressive number of mutations in genes expressed in the retina and coding for a large varieties of proteins leads to the progressive death of photoreceptors and blindness. Recent advances in molecular tools have greatly facilitated the identification of the underlying genetics and molecular bases of RP leading to the successful implementation of gene therapy for some types of mutations, with visual restoration in human patients. Yet, genetic heterogeneity of RP makes mutation-independent approaches highly desirable, although many obstacles pave the way to general strategies for treating this complex disease, which remains orphan. The review will focus on treatments for RP based on pharmacological tools, choosing, among the many ongoing studies, approaches which rely on strong experimental evidence or rationale. For perspective treatments, new concepts are foreseen to emerge from basic studies elucidating the pathways connecting the primary mutations to photoreceptor death, possibly revealing common molecular targets for drug intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Guadagni
- Neuroscience Institute, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Area della Ricerca, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Elena Novelli
- Neuroscience Institute, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Area della Ricerca, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Ilaria Piano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Enrica Strettoi
- Neuroscience Institute, Italian National Research Council (CNR), Area della Ricerca, Via Giuseppe Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
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Castillo-Padilla DV, Funke K. Effects of chronic iTBS-rTMS and enriched environment on visual cortex early critical period and visual pattern discrimination in dark-reared rats. Dev Neurobiol 2015; 76:19-33. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diana V. Castillo-Padilla
- Clinical Research Subdivision; National Institute of Psychiatry Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz; México D.F 14370 México
- Department of Neurophysiology; Medical Faculty; Ruhr-University Bochum; 44780 Bochum Germany
| | - Klaus Funke
- Department of Neurophysiology; Medical Faculty; Ruhr-University Bochum; 44780 Bochum Germany
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