Environmental Enrichment Affects Brain Interactions in Mice
Author Information
Author(s): Di Garbo Angelo, Mainardi Marco, Chillemi Santi, Maffei Lamberto, Caleo Matteo
Primary Institution: Institute of Biophysics, CNR - National Research Council, Pisa, Italia
Hypothesis
How does environmental enrichment influence cortico-cortical interactions in the mouse brain?
Conclusion
Environmental enrichment decreases the level of coupling between the electrical activities of the motor cortex and primary visual cortex in mice.
Supporting Evidence
- Environmental enrichment promotes molecular, anatomical, and functional changes in neural circuits.
- EE increases neurogenesis and enhances cognitive capabilities.
- Monosynaptic connections were identified between motor cortex and primary visual cortex.
Takeaway
When mice have more things to do and explore, the way their brain areas talk to each other changes.
Methodology
The study used simultaneous recordings of local field potentials from the primary visual cortex and secondary motor cortex in awake, freely moving mice under different rearing conditions.
Limitations
The study had a relatively low sampling rate, which limited the analysis of faster frequency bands.
Participant Demographics
C57BL/6J mice, both male and female, reared in either standard or enriched conditions.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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