title: Continuous enriched environment improves learning and memory in adult NMRI mice through theta burst-related-LTP independent mechanisms but is not efficient in advanced aged animals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Effects of 3-month continuous environmental enrichment (EE) on cognitive abilities and on theta burst-related synaptic plasticity of CA1 hippocampal neuronal networks have been assessed in 6- and 20-month old NMRI female mice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EE decreased anxiety-like behavior and improved learning and memory performances in adult but not in aged mice. Electrophysiological results in CA1 hippocampal slices showed that basal synaptic transmission was not affected by EE in adult mice whereas it was partially improved in aged animals, even though not sufficient to rescue the decrease related to aging. Besides, no effect of EE on N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor activation and theta-burst-induced long-term potentiation was found in adult or aged animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that continuous EE is able to improve cognitive abilities in adult NMRI female mice, that does not correlate with changes in theta burst-related synaptic plasticity within neuronal networks. In addition, the lack of effects in aged animals suggests the existence of a critical delay for the beneficial effects of EE on cognitive aging.
authors.affiliation: GMPc, Groupe Mémoire et Plasticité comportementale, Caen, France.
authors.forename: Valentine
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bouet
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Freret
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dutar
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Billard
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boulouard
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*