Table 2.
Recent studies investigating the effects of environmental enrichment on the hippocampus in neurodegenerative models of rodents
| Rodent species | Gender | Age of enrichment | Duration of enrichment | Cage conditions | Findings | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse (APOE4 transgenic) | Male | P21 (prepubertal) | 24 weeks |
Running wheel, labyrinth, bedding, ladder, house, chains, wooden blocks N = 5 per cage |
• ↓ hippocampal neurogenesis • ↑ hippocampal apoptosis |
[250] |
| Mouse (3xTg-AD) | Male | P21 (prepubertal) | 6 months |
Running wheel only N = 4 per group |
• ↑ hippocampal neurogenesis | [49] |
|
Tunnels, climbing materials, tilted running wheels N = 4 per group | ||||||
| Mouse (TgCRND8) | Female | P30 (prepubertal) | 120 days |
Gnawing wood, sisal rope, tunnels, balls, soft materials, wooden ramps, ladders, plastic stairs, running wheels N = 3–4 per cage |
• ↑ cell proliferation and hippocampal neurogenesis • ↑ structural plasticity proteins (synaptophysin, ARC and GAP43) |
[278] |
| Mouse (APPSw,Ind) | Female | 4 months (adult) | 7 weeks |
Plastic play tubes, 2–4 hideouts, running wheel N = 6–8 per cage |
• ↑ hippocampal neurogenesis • ↑ number, dendritic length and projection to CA3 region of mature neurons |
[50] |
| Mouse (APPSWE/PS1dE9) | Male | 6 months (adult) | 6 months |
Wooden and plastic blocks, platforms, ball, running wheel, mouse hut N = 4–5 per cage |
• ↑ synaptic density in CA1 region | [75] |
| Mouse (APPswe/PS1ΔE9) | Male | P21 (prepubertal stage) | 1 month |
Running wheels, tunnels, toys N = 3–4 per cage |
• ↑ cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus • ↑ survival of new neurons • ↑ hippocampal LTP • ↑ astrogenesis |
[66] |
| Mouse (PDAPP-J20) | Female | 5 months (adult) | 3 months |
Toys, extra nesting materials, houses, tubes, no running wheels N = 5 per cage |
• Prevention of astroglial morphological changes induced by Aβ | [279] |