Neonatal novelty exposure modulates hippocampal volumetric asymmetry in the rat.
Early life environmental manipulations have been shown to affect hippocampal-dependent learning, hippocampal volume and cerebral lateralization. In this study, we investigated the effects of neonatal stimulation on hippocampal volumetric asymmetry. Long-Evans hooded rats were exposed to a novel non-home environment 3 min daily for the first 3 weeks of life. Histological measures of the left and right hippocampus were made at 8 months of age. We found that neonatal novelty exposure resulted in a long-lasting change in hippocampal volumetric asymmetry. Specifically, this brief and transient early life stimulation increased the right hippocampal volumetric dominance at mid-adulthood.
Verstynen
T
T
Departments of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
Tierney
R
R
Urbanski
T
T
Tang
A
A
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D048429:Cell Size / Q000502:physiology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D004780:Environment, Controlled; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*