title: Environmental enrichment improves recent but not remote memory in association with a modified brain metabolic activation profile in adult mice.
abstract: Environmental enrichment is known to improve learning and memory in adult rodents. Whereas the morphological changes underlying these beneficial effects are well documented, few studies have addressed the influence of this housing condition on the neuronal networks underlying memory processes. We assessed the effects of environmental enrichment on behavioural performances and brain metabolic activation during a memory task in mice. Adult mice were housed in standard (SC) or enriched (EC) conditions for 3 weeks. Then, recent and remote memory performances were measured in the passive avoidance test. After testing, brain metabolic activation was assessed through cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity. EC improved recent memory, in association with an increased metabolic activation in the frontal and prefrontal cortices and a decreased activation in the baso-lateral amygdala and the hippocampus. EC did not improve remote memory, and globally decreased CO activity. Our findings suggest the involvement of regions of pivotal importance during recent memory, such as the frontal cortex, in the beneficial effects of EC.
authors.affiliation: Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, Groupe Mémoire et Plasticité comportementale (GMPc), EA 4259, F-14032, Caen, France. marianne.leger@unicaen.fr
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leger
authors.forename: Valentine
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bouet
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Freret
authors.forename: Anne-Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Darmaillacq
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dacher
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dauphin
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boulouard
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schumann-Bard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D021461:Animals, Outbred Strains; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000378:metabolism*; D004777:Environment; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D057567:Memory, Long-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice
chemical_list: D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV