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Environmental enrichment: effects on stereotyped behavior and neurotrophin levels.
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Year: 2003

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Abstract

The present study evaluated whether environmental enrichment-related effects on the development of stereotyped behavior in deer mice were associated with alterations in neurotrophin levels. Deer mice were reared in enriched or standard cage conditions for 60 days. The mice were then tested in automated photocell detectors and classified as either stereotypic or nonstereotypic. This testing paradigm yielded four behaviorally distinct groups: enriched stereotypic, enriched nonstereotypic, standard cage stereotypic, and standard cage nonstereotypic. The motor cortex, striatum, and hippocampus were dissected, and the levels of brain-derived neurotrophin factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in each brain region were analyzed using Promega ELISA kits. There were no differences in either NGF or BDNF in either the motor cortex or the hippocampus. In the striatum, the enriched nonstereotypic mice exhibited significantly more BDNF than the enriched stereotypic, the standard cage nonstereotypic, or the standard cage stereotypic mice. There were no differences in NGF in the striatum. These results provide evidence that the enrichment-related prevention of stereotyped behavior in deer mice is associated with increased BDNF in the striatum. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved


Article
Environmental enrichment: Effects on stereotyped behavior and dendritic morphology.
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Year: 2003

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Abstract

We evaluated whether environmental enrichment-related effects on the development of stereotyped behavior in deer mice were associated with alterations in dendritic morphology. Deer mice were reared under enriched or standard housing conditions and then tested in automated photocell detectors and classified as stereotypic or nonstereotypic. Dendritic morphology was assessed in layer V pyramidal neurons of the motor cortex, medium spiny neurons of the dorsolateral striatum, and granule cells of the dentate gyrus using Golgi-Cox histochemistry. Enriched nonstereotypic mice exhibited significantly higher dendritic spine densities in the motor cortex and the striatum than enriched stereotypic or standard-cage mice. Significant increases in dendritic arborization following environmental enrichment also were observed. These results suggest that the enrichment-related prevention of stereotyped behavior is associated with increased dendritic spine density. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

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