Therapeutic efficacy of environmental enrichment on behavioral, endocrine, and synaptic alterations in an animal model of maternal immune activation.

ABSTRACT: Maternal immune activation (MIA) has been identified as a significant risk factor for several neurodevelopmental disorders. We have previously demonstrated that postpubertal environmental enrichment (EE) rescues and promotes resiliency against MIA in male rats. Importantly, EE protocols have demonstrated clinical relevancy in human rehabilitation settings. Applying some of the elements of these EE protocols (e.g. social, physical, cognitive stimulation) to animal models of health and disease allows for the exploration of the mechanisms that underlie their success. Here, using a MIA model, we further investigate the rehabilitative potential of complex environments with a focus on female animals. Additionally, we expand upon some of our previous work by exploring genetic markers of synaptic

SUBMITTER: Zhao X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7197879 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature