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Bijlsma A, Birza EE, Pimentel TC, Maranus JPM, van Gaans MJJM, Lozeman-van T Klooster JG, Baars AJM, Achterberg EJM, Lesscher HMB, Wierenga CJ, Vanderschuren LJMJ. Opportunities for risk-taking during play alters cognitive performance and prefrontal inhibitory signalling in rats of both sexes. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:2748-2765. [PMID: 38511534 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Social play behaviour is a rewarding activity that can entail risks, thus allowing young individuals to test the limits of their capacities and to train their cognitive and emotional adaptability to challenges. Here, we tested in rats how opportunities for risk-taking during play affect the development of cognitive and emotional capacities and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) function, a brain structure important for risk-based decision making. Male and female rats were housed socially or social play-deprived (SPD) between postnatal day (P)21 and P42. During this period, half of both groups were daily exposed to a high-risk play environment. Around P85, all rats were tested for cognitive performance and emotional behaviour after which inhibitory currents were recorded in layer 5 pyramidal neurons in mPFC slices. We show that playing in a high-risk environment altered cognitive flexibility in both sexes and improved behavioural inhibition in males. High-risk play altered anxiety-like behaviour in the elevated plus maze in males and in the open field in females, respectively. SPD affected cognitive flexibility in both sexes and decreased anxiety-like behaviour in the elevated plus maze in females. We found that synaptic inhibitory currents in the mPFC were increased in male, but not female, rats after high-risk play, while SPD lowered prefrontal cortex (PFC) synaptic inhibition in both sexes. Together, our data show that exposure to risks during play affects the development of cognition, emotional behaviour and inhibition in the mPFC. Furthermore, our study suggests that the opportunity to take risks during play cannot substitute for social play behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ate Bijlsma
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Evelien E Birza
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Tara C Pimentel
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Janneke P M Maranus
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke J J M van Gaans
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - José G Lozeman-van T Klooster
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Annemarie J M Baars
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - E J Marijke Achterberg
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi M B Lesscher
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Corette J Wierenga
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Section Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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2
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Farmer AL, Lewis MH. Reduction of restricted repetitive behavior by environmental enrichment: Potential neurobiological mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105291. [PMID: 37353046 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Restricted repetitive behaviors (RRB) are one of two diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder and common in other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. The term restricted repetitive behavior refers to a wide variety of inflexible patterns of behavior including stereotypy, self-injury, restricted interests, insistence on sameness, and ritualistic and compulsive behavior. However, despite their prevalence in clinical populations, their underlying causes remain poorly understood hampering the development of effective treatments. Intriguingly, numerous animal studies have demonstrated that these behaviors are reduced by rearing in enriched environments (EE). Understanding the processes responsible for the attenuation of repetitive behaviors by EE should offer insights into potential therapeutic approaches, as well as shed light on the underlying neurobiology of repetitive behaviors. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the relationship between EE and RRB and discusses potential mechanisms for EE's attenuation of RRB based on the broader EE literature. Existing gaps in the literature and future directions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Farmer
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Mark H Lewis
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Corredor K, Duran J, Herrera-Isaza L, Forero S, Quintanilla J, Gomez A, Martínez GS, Cardenas FP. Behavioral effects of environmental enrichment on male and female wistar rats with early life stress experiences. Front Physiol 2022; 13:837661. [PMID: 36225294 PMCID: PMC9548697 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.837661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to adverse childhood experiences or early life stress experiences (ELSs) increase the risk of non-adaptive behaviors and psychopathology in adulthood. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been proposed to minimize these effects. The vast number of methodological variations in animal studies underscores the lack of systematicity in the studies and the need for a detailed understanding of how enrichment interacts with other variables. Here we evaluate the effects of environmental enrichment in male and female Wistar rats exposed to adverse early life experiences (prenatal, postnatal, and combined) on emotional (elevated plus maze), social (social interaction chamber), memory (Morris water maze) and flexibility tasks. Our results—collected from PND 51 to 64—confirmed: 1) the positive effect of environmental enrichment (PND 28–49) on anxiety-like behaviors in animals submitted to ELSs. These effects depended on type of experience and type of enrichment: foraging enrichment reduced anxiety-like behaviors in animals with prenatal and postnatal stress but increased them in animals without ELSs. This effect was sex-dependent: females showed lower anxiety compared to males. Our data also indicated that females exposed to prenatal and postnatal stress had lower anxious responses than males in the same conditions; 2) no differences were found for social interactions; 3) concerning memory, there was a significant interaction between the three factors: A significant interaction for males with prenatal stress was observed for foraging enrichment, while physical enrichment was positive for males with postnatal stress; d) regarding cognitive flexibility, a positive effect of EE was found in animals exposed to adverse ELSs: animals with combined stress and exposed to physical enrichment showed a higher index of cognitive flexibility than those not exposed to enrichment. Yet, within animals with no EE, those exposed to combined stress showed lower flexibility than those exposed to both prenatal stress and no stress. On the other hand, animals with prenatal stress and exposed to foraging-type enrichment showed lower cognitive flexibility than those with no EE. The prenatal stress-inducing conditions used here 5) did not induced fetal or maternal problems and 6) did not induced changes in the volume of the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Corredor
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- Centro de Investigación en Biomodelos, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - J.M. Duran
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - L. Herrera-Isaza
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - S. Forero
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - J.P. Quintanilla
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - A. Gomez
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - F. P. Cardenas
- Laboratory of Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- *Correspondence: F. P. Cardenas,
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4
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Effects of environmental enrichment on exploratory behavior, win-stay and lose-shift performance, motor sequence learning, and reversal learning during the three-lever operant task in mice. Behav Brain Res 2022; 429:113904. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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5
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Yegla B, Foster TC. Operationally defining cognitive reserve genes. Neurobiol Aging 2021; 110:96-105. [PMID: 34565615 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Variability in cognitive decline is related to the environment, lifestyle factors, and individual differences in biological aging, including cognitive reserve, plastic properties of the brain, which account for better-than-expected cognition for a given level of brain aging or pathology. Cognitive reserve has not been thoroughly investigated in aged rodents. To address this gap, cognitive reserve was examined using Gene Expression Omnibus data for the CA1 region of the hippocampus of young and aged behaviorally characterized male rats. Statistical filtering identified brain aging and potential cognitive reserve genes, and multiple regression was employed to confirm cognitive reserve genes as genes that predicted better-than-expected cognition for a given level of brain aging. In general, cognitive reserve genes, in which increased expression was associated with better cognition, were not different with age or directly correlated with measures of cognition and appear to act as negative regulators of aging processes, including neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. The results suggest that, for some animals, resilience mechanisms are activated to counteract aging stressors that impair cognition. In contrast, cognitive reserve genes, in which decreased expression was associated with better cognition, were linked to nervous system development and cation transport, suggesting adaptive changes in the circuit to preserve cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittney Yegla
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Thomas C Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Genetics and Genomics Program University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Lambert CT, Guillette LM. The impact of environmental and social factors on learning abilities: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2871-2889. [PMID: 34342125 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Since the 1950s, researchers have examined how differences in the social and asocial environment affect learning in rats, mice, and, more recently, a variety of other species. Despite this large body of research, little has been done to synthesize these findings and to examine if social and asocial environmental factors have consistent effects on cognitive abilities, and if so, what aspects of these factors have greater or lesser impact. Here, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis examining how different external environmental features, including the social environment, impact learning (both speed of acquisition and performance). Using 531 mean-differences from 176 published articles across 27 species (with studies on rats and mice being most prominent) we conducted phylogenetically corrected mixed-effects models that reveal: (i) an average absolute effect size |d| = 0.55 and directional effect size d = 0.34; (ii) interventions manipulating the asocial environment result in larger effects than social interventions alone; and (iii) the length of the intervention is a significant predictor of effect size, with longer interventions resulting in larger effects. Additionally, much of the variation in effect size remained unexplained, possibly suggesting that species differ widely in how they are affected by environmental interventions due to varying ecological and evolutionary histories. Overall our results suggest that social and asocial environmental factors do significantly affect learning, but these effects are highly variable and perhaps not always as predicted. Most notably, the type (social or asocial) and length of interventions are important in determining the strength of the effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor T Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, P217 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Lauren M Guillette
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, P217 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
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7
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McQuail JA, Dunn AR, Stern Y, Barnes CA, Kempermann G, Rapp PR, Kaczorowski CC, Foster TC. Cognitive Reserve in Model Systems for Mechanistic Discovery: The Importance of Longitudinal Studies. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 12:607685. [PMID: 33551788 PMCID: PMC7859530 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.607685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The goal of this review article is to provide a resource for longitudinal studies, using animal models, directed at understanding and modifying the relationship between cognition and brain structure and function throughout life. We propose that forthcoming longitudinal studies will build upon a wealth of knowledge gleaned from prior cross-sectional designs to identify early predictors of variability in cognitive function during aging, and characterize fundamental neurobiological mechanisms that underlie the vulnerability to, and the trajectory of, cognitive decline. Finally, we present examples of biological measures that may differentiate mechanisms of the cognitive reserve at the molecular, cellular, and network level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A. McQuail
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Amy R. Dunn
- The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, United States
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carol A. Barnes
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Gerd Kempermann
- CRTD—Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers (HZ), Dresden, Germany
| | - Peter R. Rapp
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Neurocognitive Aging Section, National Institute on Aging, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Thomas C. Foster
- Department of Neuroscience, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Genetics and Genomics Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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8
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Effects of exercise on proactive interference in memory: potential neuroplasticity and neurochemical mechanisms. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1917-1929. [PMID: 32488351 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05554-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Proactive interference occurs when consolidated memory traces inhibit new learning. This kind of interference decreases the efficiency of new learning and also causes memory errors. Exercise has been shown to facilitate some types of cognitive function; however, whether exercise reduces proactive interference to enhance learning efficiency is not well understood. Thus, this review discusses the effects of exercise on proactive memory interference and explores potential mechanisms, such as neurogenesis and neurochemical changes, mediating any effect.
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9
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Li R, Wang X, Lin F, Song T, Zhu X, Lei H. Mapping accumulative whole-brain activities during environmental enrichment with manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroimage 2020; 210:116588. [PMID: 32004718 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
An enriched environment (EE) provides multi-dimensional stimuli to the brain. EE exposure for days to months induces functional and structural neuroplasticity. In this study, manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) was used to map the accumulative whole-brain activities associated with a 7-day EE exposure in freely-moving adult male mice, followed by c-Fos immunochemical assessments. Relative to the mice residing in a standard environment (SE), the mice subjected to EE treatment had significantly enhanced regional MEMRI signal intensities in the prefrontal cortex, somatosensory cortices, basal ganglia, amygdala, motor thalamus, lateral hypothalamus, ventral hippocampus and midbrain dopaminergic areas at the end of the 7-day exposure, likely attributing to enhanced Mn2+ uptake/transport associated with brain activities at both the regional and macroscale network levels. Some of, but not all, the brain regions in the EE-treated mice showing enhanced MEMRI signal intensity had accompanying increases in c-Fos expression. The EE-treated mice were also found to have significantly increased overall amount of food consumption, decreased body weight gain and upregulated tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression in the midbrain dopaminergic areas. Taken together, these results demonstrated that the 7-day EE exposure was associated with elevated cumulative activities in the nigrostriatal, mesolimbic and corticostriatal circuits underpinning reward, motivation, cognition, motor control and appetite regulation. Such accumulative activities might have served as the substrate of EE-related neuroplasticity and the beneficial effects of EE treatment on neurological/psychiatric conditions including drug addiction, Parkinson's disease and eating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronghui Li
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China; National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Xuxia Wang
- National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Fuchun Lin
- National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Tao Song
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China; National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China
| | - Xutao Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Lab of Neuropsychiatric Modulation and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Hao Lei
- Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430074, PR China; National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, PR China.
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10
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Therapeutic efficacy of environmental enrichment for substance use disorders. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 188:172829. [PMID: 31778722 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.172829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Addiction to drug and alcohol is regarded as a major health problem worldwide for which available treatments show limited effectiveness. The biggest challenge remains to enhance the capacities of interventions to reduce craving, prevent relapse and promote long-term recovery. New strategies to meet these challenges are being explored. Findings from preclinical work suggest that environmental enrichment (EE) holds therapeutic potential for the treatment of substance use disorders, as demonstrated in a number of animal models of drug abuse. The EE intervention introduced after drug exposure leads to attenuation of compulsive drug taking, attenuation of the rewarding (and reinforcing) effects of drugs, reductions in control of behavior by drug cues, and, very importantly, relapse prevention. Clinical work also suggests that multidimensional EE interventions (involving physical activity, social interaction, vocational training, recreational and community involvement) might produce similar therapeutic effects, if implemented continuously and rigorously. In this review we survey preclinical and clinical studies assessing the efficacy of EE as a behavioral intervention for substance use disorders and address related challenges. We also review work providing empirical evidence for EE-induced neuroplasticity within the mesocorticolimbic system that is believed to contribute to the seemingly therapeutic effects of EE on drug and alcohol-related behaviors.
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Sampedro-Piquero P, Ladrón de Guevara-Miranda D, Pavón FJ, Serrano A, Suárez J, Rodríguez de Fonseca F, Santín LJ, Castilla-Ortega E. Neuroplastic and cognitive impairment in substance use disorders: a therapeutic potential of cognitive stimulation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 106:23-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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12
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Gelfo F. Does Experience Enhance Cognitive Flexibility? An Overview of the Evidence Provided by the Environmental Enrichment Studies. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:150. [PMID: 31338030 PMCID: PMC6629767 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroplasticity accounts for the ability of the brain to change in both structure and function in consequence of life experiences. An enhanced stimulation provided by the environment is able to create a form of brain, neural, and cognitive reserve, which allows an individual to cope better with the environmental demands, also in case of neural damage leading to cognitive decline. With its complex manipulation of several stimuli, the animal experimental paradigm of environmental enrichment (EE) appears particularly effective in modulating the ability to successfully respond to the ever-changing characteristics of the environment. According to this point, it could be very relevant to analyze the specific effects of EE on cognitive flexibility (CF). CF could be defined as the ability to effectively change behavior in response to the environmental condition changing. This review article is specifically aimed to summarize and focus on the available evidence in relation to the effects of EE on CF. To this aim, findings obtained in behavioral tasks specifically structured to investigate animal CF, such as reversal learning and attentional set-shifting tests (tasks based on the request of responding to a rewarding rule that changes, within one or multiple perceptual dimensions), are reviewed. Data provided on the structural and biochemical correlates of these findings are also enumerated. Studies realized in healthy animals and also in pathological models are considered. On the whole, the summarized evidence clearly supports the specific beneficial effects of EE on CF. However, further studies on this key topic are strictly required to gain a comprehensive and detailed framework on the mechanisms by which an enhanced stimulation could improve CF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Gelfo
- Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Behavioural Neurology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Bento-Torres J, Bento-Torres NVO, Stillman CM, Grove GA, Huang H, Uyar F, Watt JC, Wollam ME, Erickson KI. Associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, intraindividual variability in behavior, and cingulate cortex in younger adults. JOURNAL OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCE 2019; 8:315-324. [PMID: 31333884 PMCID: PMC6620364 DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and greater amounts of physical activity have been associated with lower intraindividual variability (IIV) in executive function in children and older adults. In the present study, we examined whether CRF, measured as maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and daily volume of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) were associated with IIV of reaction time during performance of the incongruent condition of the Stroop task in younger adults. Further, we examined whether the thickness of the cingulate cortex was associated with regulating variability in reaction time performance in the context of CRF or physical activity. METHODS CRF (measured as VO2max), accelerometry-measured MVPA, Stroop performance, and thickness of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) derived from magnetic resonance imaging data were collected in 48 younger adults (age = 24.58 ± 4.95 years, mean ± SD). Multiple regression was used to test associations between IIV during the Stroop task and CRF, MVPA, and rACC thickness. Mediation was tested using maximum likelihood estimation with bootstrapping. RESULTS Consistent with our predictions, higher VO2max was associated with greater rACC thickness for the right hemisphere and greater daily amounts of MVPA were associated with greater rACC thickness for both the left and right hemispheres. Greater thickness of the right rACC was associated with lower IIV for the incongruent condition of the Stroop task. CRF and MVPA were not directly associated with IIV. However, we did find that IIV and both CRF and MVPA were indirectly associated via the thickness of the right rACC. CONCLUSION These results indicate that higher CRF and greater daily volume of MVPA may be associated with lower IIV during the Stroop task via structural integrity of the rACC. Randomized controlled trials of MVPA would provide crucial information about the causal relations between these variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Bento-Torres
- Institute of Biological Science, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Pará 66075-110, Brazil
| | | | - Chelsea M. Stillman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - George A. Grove
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Haiqing Huang
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Fatma Uyar
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Jennifer C. Watt
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Mariegold E. Wollam
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Kirk I. Erickson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Corresponding author.
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Exposure to enriched environment rescues anxiety-like behavior and miRNA deregulated expression induced by perinatal malnutrition while altering oligodendrocyte morphology. Neuroscience 2019; 408:115-134. [PMID: 30904666 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.03.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Maternal malnutrition is one of the major early-life adversities affecting the development of newborn's brain and is associated with an increased risk to acquire cognitive and emotional deficiencies later in life. Studies in rodents have demonstrated that exposure to an enriched environment (EE) can reverse the negative consequences of early adversities. However, rescue of emotional disorders caused by perinatal malnutrition and the mechanisms involved has not been determined. We hypothesized that exposure to an EE may attenuate the anxiety-like disorders observed in mice subjected to perinatal protein malnutrition and that this could be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms. Male CF-1 mice were subject to perinatal protein malnutrition until weaning and then exposed to an EE for 5 weeks after which small RNA-seq was performed. In parallel, dark-light box and elevated plus maze tests were conducted to evaluate anxiety traits. We found that exposure to an EE reverses the anxiety-like behavior in malnourished mice. This reversal is paralleled by the expression of three miRNAs that become dysregulated by perinatal malnutrition (miR-187-3p, miR-369-3p and miR-132-3p). The predicted mRNA targets of these miRNAs are mostly related to axon guidance pathway. Accordingly, we also found that perinatal malnutrition leads to reduction in the cingulum size and altered oligodendrocyte morphology. These results suggest that EE-rescue of anxiety disorders derived from perinatal malnutrition is mediated by the modulation of miRNAs associated with the regulation of genes involved in axonal guidance.
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Shepherd A, Zhang TD, Zeleznikow-Johnston AM, Hannan AJ, Burrows EL. Transgenic Mouse Models as Tools for Understanding How Increased Cognitive and Physical Stimulation Can Improve Cognition in Alzheimer's Disease. Brain Plast 2018; 4:127-150. [PMID: 30564551 PMCID: PMC6296266 DOI: 10.3233/bpl-180076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive decline appears as a core feature of dementia, of which the most prevalent form, Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects more than 45 million people worldwide. There is no cure, and therapeutic options remain limited. A number of modifiable lifestyle factors have been identified that contribute to cognitive decline in dementia. Sedentary lifestyle has emerged as a major modifier and accordingly, boosting mental and physical activity may represent a method to prevent decline in dementia. Beneficial effects of increased physical activity on cognition have been reported in healthy adults, showing potential to harness exercise and cognitive stimulation as a therapy in dementia. 'Brain training' (cognitive stimulation) has also been investigated as an intervention protecting against cognitive decline with normal aging. Consequently, the utility of exercise regimes and/or cognitive stimulation to improve cognition in dementia in clinical populations has been a major area of study. However, these therapies are in their infancy and efficacy is unclear. Investigations utilising animal models, where dose and timing of treatment can be tightly controlled, have provided many mechanistic insights. Genetically engineered mouse models are powerful tools to investigate mechanisms underlying cognitive decline, and also how environmental manipulations can alter both cognitive outcomes and pathology. A myriad of effects following physical activity and housing in enriched environments have been reported in transgenic mice expressing Alzheimer's disease-associated mutations. In this review, we comprehensively evaluate all studies applying environmental enrichment and/or increased physical exercise to transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease. It is unclear whether interventions must be applied before first onset of cognitive deficits to be effective. In order to determine the importance of timing of interventions, we specifically scrutinised studies exposing transgenic mice to exercise and environmental enrichment before and after first report of cognitive impairment. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of these preclinical studies and suggest approaches for enhancing rigor and using mechanistic insights to inform future therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Shepherd
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Tracy D Zhang
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ariel M Zeleznikow-Johnston
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Emma L Burrows
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Sampedro-Piquero P, Álvarez-Suárez P, Moreno-Fernández RD, García-Castro G, Cuesta M, Begega A. Environmental Enrichment Results in Both Brain Connectivity Efficiency and Selective Improvement in Different Behavioral Tasks. Neuroscience 2018; 388:374-383. [PMID: 30086366 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.07.036] [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: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental enrichment (EE) has been a useful model for studying the effects of experience on brain plasticity, but to date, few is known about the impact of this condition on the brain functional networks that probably underlies the multiple behavioral improvements. Hence, we assessed the effect of an EE protocol in adult Wistar rats on the performance in several behavioral tasks testing different domains (Open field (OP): locomotor activity; Elevated-zero maze (EZM): anxiety-related behaviors; 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT): attentional processes; 4-arm radial water maze (4-RAWM): spatial memory) in order to check its effectiveness in a wide range of functions. After this, we analyzed the functional brain connectivity underlying each experimental condition through cytochrome C oxidase (COx) histochemistry. Our EE protocol reduced both locomotor activity in the OP and anxiety-related behaviors in the EZM. On the other hand, enriched rats showed more accuracy in the 4-RAWM, whereas 5-CSRTT performance was not significantly ameliorated by EE condition. In relation to COx functional connectivity, we found that EE reduced the number of strong positive correlations both in basal and training conditions, suggesting a modulating effect on specific brain connections. Our results suggest that EE seems to have a selective effect on specific brain regions, such as prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, leading to a more efficient brain connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sampedro-Piquero
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Spain.
| | | | - R D Moreno-Fernández
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - G García-Castro
- Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias INEUROPA, Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
| | - M Cuesta
- Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias INEUROPA, Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
| | - A Begega
- Instituto de Neurociencias del Principado de Asturias INEUROPA, Departamento de Psicología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain
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17
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Sampedro-Piquero P, Álvarez-Suárez P, Begega A. Coping with Stress During Aging: The Importance of a Resilient Brain. Curr Neuropharmacol 2018; 16:284-296. [PMID: 28925881 PMCID: PMC5843980 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x15666170915141610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 01/01/1970] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Resilience is the ability to achieve a positive outcome when we are in the face of adversity. It supposes an active resistance to adversity by coping mechanisms in which genetic, molecular, neural and environmental factors are involved. Resilience has been usually studied in early ages and few is known about it during aging. METHODS In this review, we will address the age-related changes in the brain mechanisms involved in regulating the stress response. Furthermore, using the EE paradigm, we analyse the resilient potential of this intervention and its neurobiological basis. In this case, we will focus on identifying the characteristics of a resilient brain (modifications in HPA structure and function, neurogenesis, specific neuron types, glia, neurotrophic factors, nitric oxide synthase or microRNAs, among others). RESULTS The evidence suggests that a healthy lifestyle has a crucial role to promote a resilient brain during aging. Along with the behavioral changes described, a better regulation of HPA axis, enhanced levels of postmitotic type-3 cells or changes in GABAergic neurotransmission are some of the brain mechanisms involved in resilience. CONCLUSION Future research should identify different biomarkers that increase the resistance to develop mood disorders and based on this knowledge, develop new potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Sampedro-Piquero
- Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las CC, Facultad de Psicología, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga, Spain
| | - P. Álvarez-Suárez
- Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Spain
| | - A. Begega
- Institute of Neuroscience of the Principality of Asturias (INEUROPA), Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Spain
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Saha R, Shrivastava K, Jing L, Schayek R, Maroun M, Kriebel M, Volkmer H, Richter-Levin G. Perturbation of GABAergic Synapses at the Axon Initial Segment of Basolateral Amygdala Induces Trans-regional Metaplasticity at the Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Cereb Cortex 2017; 28:395-410. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rinki Saha
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | | | - Liang Jing
- The Institute for the Study of Affective Neuroscience, University of Haif, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Rachel Schayek
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Mouna Maroun
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel
| | - Martin Kriebel
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Tübingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Hansjürgen Volkmer
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Tübingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Gal Richter-Levin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel
- The Institute for the Study of Affective Neuroscience, University of Haif, Haifa 31905, Israel
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Zeleznikow-Johnston A, Burrows EL, Renoir T, Hannan AJ. Environmental enrichment enhances cognitive flexibility in C57BL/6 mice on a touchscreen reversal learning task. Neuropharmacology 2017; 117:219-226. [PMID: 28196627 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Environmental enrichment (EE) is any positive modification of the 'standard housing' (SH) conditions in which laboratory animals are typically held, usually involving increased opportunity for cognitive stimulation and physical activity. EE has been reported to enhance baseline performance of wild-type animals on traditional cognitive behavioural tasks. Recently, touchscreen operant testing chambers have emerged as a way of performing rodent cognitive assays, providing greater reproducibility, translatability and automatability. Cognitive tests in touchscreen chambers are performed over numerous trials and thus experimenters have the power to detect subtle enhancements in performance. We used touchscreens to analyse the effects of EE on reversal learning, visual discrimination and hippocampal-dependent spatial pattern separation and working memory. We hypothesized that EE would enhance the performance of mice on cognitive touchscreen tasks. Our hypothesis was partially supported in that EE induced enhancements in cognitive flexibility as observed in visual discrimination and reversal learning improvements. However, no other significant effects of EE on cognitive performance were observed. EE decreased the activity level of mice in the touchscreen chambers, which may influence the enrichment level of the animals. Although we did not see enhancements on all hypothesized parameters, our testing paradigm is capable of detecting EE-induced improved cognitive flexibility in mice, which has implications for both understanding the mechanisms of EE and improving screening of putative cognitive-enhancing therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Emma L Burrows
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Thibault Renoir
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
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Gursky ZH, Klintsova AY. Wheel Running and Environmental Complexity as a Therapeutic Intervention in an Animal Model of FASD. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 28190057 DOI: 10.3791/54947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Aerobic exercise (e.g., wheel running (WR) extensively used in animal research) positively impacts many measures of neuroplastic potential in the brain, such as rates of adult neurogenesis, angiogenesis, and expression of neurotrophic factors in rodents. This intervention has also been shown to mitigate behavioral and neuroanatomical aspects of the negative impacts of teratogens (i.e., developmental exposure to alcohol) and age-related neurodegeneration in rodents. Environmental complexity (EC) has been shown to produce numerous neuroplastic benefits in cortical and subcortical structures and can be coupled with wheel running to increase the proliferation and survival of new cells in the adult hippocampus. The combination of these two interventions provides a robust "superintervention" (WR-EC) that can be implemented in a range of rodent models of neurological disorders. We will discuss the implementation of WR/EC and its constituent interventions for use as a more powerful therapeutic intervention in rats using the animal model of prenatal exposure to alcohol in humans. We will also discuss which elements of the procedures are absolutely necessary for the interventions and which ones may be altered depending on the experimenter's question or facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary H Gursky
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware
| | - Anna Y Klintsova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware;
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