A single exposure to an enriched environment stimulates the activation of discrete neuronal populations in the brain of the fos-tau-lacZ mouse

• Autorzy: Ali A. , Wilson Y. , Murphy M.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Storage of experience, including learning and memory, is thought to involve plasticity within pre-existing brain circuits. One model for looking at experience-dependent changes is environmental enrichment (EE), which involves exposing animals to a complex novel environment. Animals exposed to EE have previously been shown to exhibit a variety of behavioural and structural alterations in the brain, including decreased stress, improved learning and memory, altered levels of immediate early genes and synaptic change in the visual cortex. We were interested in understanding what regions of the brain are activated during the initial stages of EE. We used the fos-tau-lacZ (FTL) transgenic mouse to examine changes in functional activation throughout the brain after a single exposure to EE. Female C57BL6 FTL mice (n=19) were divided into three groups; enriched, home cage and handled control. We found that early in the process of EE, there was a high level of FTL expression in a series of brain regions in the enriched group compared to the home cage group and the handled control group, indicating that multiple circuits were activated. These regions include the claustrum, infralimbic cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and the hypothalamus. We believe that EE stimulates an initial strong increase in activation of multiple functional circuits. These circuits are presumably involved in the initial response of the animal to the enriched environment.

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis
• Rocznik: 2009
• Tom: 69
• Numer: 3
• Opis fizyczny: p.331-332

Twórcy

autor

Ali A.

• Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

autor

Wilson Y.

• Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

autor

Murphy M.

• Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia