Environmental enrichment accelerates cortical memory consolidation.

ABSTRACT: Environmental enrichment is an established strategy to enhance learning and to build resilience against neurodegeneration. In humans, this is known as 'cognitive reserve'. Though the beneficial effects of exposure to a complex environment in animal models have been well-documented by behavioural, immunohistological and morphological observations, its impact on the functional properties of neuronal populations remains poorly understood. This study aimed to compare the functional encoding and offline memory retrieval dynamics of cortical neurons in enriched and control mice performing a virtual spatial foraging task. Thy1-GCaMP6s mice aged 21 days were enriched for 9 weeks by running a complex obstacle course, during which they were gradually exposed to many different types of obstacles requ

SUBMITTER: Esteves IM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12478415 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature