Mice in an enriched environment learn more flexibly because of adult hippocampal neurogenesis.

ABSTRACT: We here show that living in a stimulus-rich environment (ENR) improves water maze learning with respect to specific key indicators that in previous loss-of-function experiments have been shown to rely on adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Analyzing the strategies employed by mice to locate the hidden platform in the water maze revealed that ENR facilitated task acquisition by increasing the probability to use effective search strategies. ENR also enhanced the animals' behavioral flexibility, when the escape platform was moved to a new location. Treatment with temozolomide, which is known to reduce adult neurogenesis, abolished the effects of ENR on both acquisition and flexibility, while leaving other aspects of water maze learning untouched. These characteristic effects and interdependencies

SUBMITTER: Garthe A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5049654 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature