Environmental Enrichment Rescues Social Behavioral Deficits and Synaptic Abnormalities in Pten Haploinsufficient Mice.

ABSTRACT: Pten germline haploinsufficient (Pten^+/-) mice, which model macrocephaly/autism syndrome, show social and repetitive behavior deficits, early brain overgrowth, and cortical-subcortical hyperconnectivity. Previous work indicated that altered neuronal connectivity may be a substrate for behavioral deficits. We hypothesized that exposing Pten^+/- mice to environmental enrichment after brain overgrowth has occurred may facilitate adaptation to abnormal "hard-wired" connectivity through enhancing synaptic plasticity. Thus, we reared Pten^+/- mice and their wild-type littermates from weaning under either standard (4-5 mice per standard-sized cage, containing only bedding and nestlet) or enriched (9-10 mice per large-sized cage, containin

SUBMITTER: Clipperton-Allen AE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8468545 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature