Environmental enrichment requires adult neurogenesis to facilitate the recovery from psychosocial stress.

ABSTRACT: The subgranular zone of the adult hippocampal dentate gyrus contains a pool of neural stem cells that continuously divide and differentiate into functional granule cells. It has been shown that production of new hippocampal neurons is necessary for amelioration of stress-induced behavioral changes by antidepressants in animal models of depression. The survival of newly born hippocampal neurons is decreased by chronic psychosocial stress and increased by exposure to enriched environments. These observations suggest the existence of a link between hippocampal neurogenesis, stress-induced behavioral changes, and the beneficial effects of enriched environment. To show causality, we subjected transgenic mice with conditionally suppressed neurogenesis to psychosocial stress followed by environme

SUBMITTER: Schloesser RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2990187 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature