A rich environmental experience reactivates visual cortex plasticity in aged rats

Scali, Manuela; Baroncelli, Laura; Cenni, Maria Cristina; Sale, Alessandro; Maffei, Lamberto

doi:10.1016/j.exger.2012.01.007

Cited by 42 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…These observations indicate that the molecular machinery necessary for juvenile OD plasticity cannot be completely restored once the sensitive phase for OD plasticity is closed (i.e., because of SC rearing beyond a critical age). This interpretation is supported by the results of the rat EE studies showing a lesspronounced plasticity compared with critical period animals (18,20). It is interesting, in this context, that some of our late EE mice even spend more time in EE compared with the mice raised from 7 d before birth in EE.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

“…In addition, the OD shift of the adult EE-raised mice was mediated by a reduction in deprived eye responses in V1, which is another hallmark of juvenile OD plasticity (9, 10, 27, 28), whereas OD plasticity in adult SC-raised mice is predominantly mediated by an increase in open-eye responses in V1 (4,9,27) and absent beyond PD110 (6). In contrast to the very strong OD shifts of our EE mice, the OD shifts documented previously in adult and old rats after EE housing (18,20) were not as prominent as in SC rats during the critical period (29)(30)(31)(32). This difference is most likely because of the shorter time of EE housing (2-3 wk) and the later onset (EE housing started when rats were already adults) compared with our mice.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 50%

“…Raising animals in an enriched environment (EE) gives them the opportunity of enhanced physical, social, and cognitive stimulation and influences brain physiology and behavior in many ways (12,13). It has been shown previously that EE enhances visual system development in rats (14) and mice (15)(16)(17), increases levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor and serotonin (18), reduces both extracellular GABA levels (18,19) and the density of ECM perineuronal nets (PNNs) (19), and promotes OD plasticity in adult and aging rats (18)(19)(20)(21). Here, we explored cellular mechanisms of EE in V1 of mice and the therapeutic potential of EE to prevent impairments of plasticity after a cortical stroke.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Environmental enrichment extends ocular dominance plasticity into adulthood and protects from stroke-induced impairments of plasticity

Greifzu

Pielecka-Fortuna

Kalogeraki

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

133

208

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Ocular dominance (OD) plasticity in mouse primary visual cortex (V1) declines during postnatal development and is absent beyond postnatal day 110 if mice are raised in standard cages (SCs). An enriched environment (EE) promotes OD plasticity in adult rats. Here, we explored cellular mechanisms of EE in mouse V1 and the therapeutic potential of EE to prevent impairments of plasticity after a cortical stroke. Using in vivo optical imaging, we observed that monocular deprivation in adult EE mice (i) caused a very strong OD plasticity previously only observed in 4-wk-old animals, (ii) restored already lost OD plasticity in adult SC-raised mice, and (iii) preserved OD plasticity after a stroke in the primary somatosensory cortex. Using patch-clamp electrophysiology in vitro, we also show that (iv) local inhibition was significantly reduced in V1 slices of adult EE mice and (v) the GABA/AMPA ratio was like that in 4-wk-old SC-raised animals. These observations were corroborated by in vivo analyses showing that diazepam treatment significantly reduced the OD shift of EE mice after monocular deprivation. Taken together, EE extended the sensitive phase for OD plasticity into late adulthood, rejuvenated V1 after 4 mo of SCrearing, and protected adult mice from stroke-induced impairments of cortical plasticity. The EE effect was mediated most likely by preserving low juvenile levels of inhibition into adulthood, which potentially promoted adaptive changes in cortical circuits. O cular dominance (OD) plasticity induced by monocular deprivation (MD) is one of the best studied models of experience-dependent plasticity in the mammalian cortex (1, 2). OD plasticity in primary visual cortex (V1) of C57BL/6J mice is maximal at 4 wk of age, declines after 2-3 mo, and is absent beyond postnatal day 110 (PD110) if animals are raised in standard cages (SCs) (3-6). In 4-wk-old mice, 4 d of MD are sufficient to induce an OD shift to the open eye; therefore, neurons in the binocular V1, which are usually dominated by the contralateral eye in rodents (3, 7), become activated more equally by both eyes (5,8). This juvenile OD shift is predominantly mediated by a decrease in the visual cortical responses to the deprived eye (1, 9-11), whereas significant OD shifts in older animals up to PD110 need 7 d of MD and are mediated primarily by increased openeye responses in V1. Raising animals in an enriched environment (EE) gives them the opportunity of enhanced physical, social, and cognitive stimulation and influences brain physiology and behavior in many ways (12, 13). It has been shown previously that EE enhances visual system development in rats (14) and mice (15-17), increases levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor and serotonin (18), reduces both extracellular GABA levels (18, 19) and the density of ECM perineuronal nets (PNNs) (19), and promotes OD plasticity in adult and aging rats (18-21). Here, we explored cellular mechanisms of EE in V1 of mice and the therapeutic potential of EE to prevent impairments of plasticity after a c...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 50%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Environmental enrichment extends ocular dominance plasticity into adulthood and protects from stroke-induced impairments of plasticity

Greifzu

Pielecka-Fortuna

Kalogeraki

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

133

208

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“…The rationale for the application of a-tDCS to amblyopia is based on previous work showing that a-tDCS reduces gamma-aminobutyric acidmediated inhibition [28][29][30], a key mechanism underlying suppression of the amblyopic eye [3,57]. A reduction in inhibition may also enhance the potential for experience dependant plasticity [15,29,62,63]. It is possible that a-tDCS further reduced suppression of the amblyopic eye, therefore enhancing the effects of dichoptic treatment on stereopsis, which requires precise binocular integration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Enhances Recovery of Stereopsis in Adults With Amblyopia

Spiegel

Hess

et al. 2013

Neurotherapeutics

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Amblyopia is a neurodevelopmental disorder of vision caused by abnormal visual experience during early childhood that is often considered to be untreatable in adulthood. Recently, it has been shown that a novel dichoptic videogamebased treatment for amblyopia can improve visual function in adult patients, at least in part, by reducing inhibition of inputs from the amblyopic eye to the visual cortex. Non-invasive anodal transcranial direct current stimulation has been shown to reduce the activity of inhibitory cortical interneurons when applied to the primary motor or visual cortex. In this doubleblind, sham-controlled cross-over study we tested the hypothesis that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the visual cortex would enhance the therapeutic effects of dichoptic videogame-based treatment. A homogeneous group of 16 young adults (mean age 22.1±1.1 years) with amblyopia were studied to compare the effect of dichoptic treatment alone and dichoptic treatment combined with visual cortex direct current stimulation on measures of binocular (stereopsis) and monocular (visual acuity) visual function. The combined treatment led to greater improvements in stereoacuity than dichoptic treatment alone, indicating that direct current stimulation of the visual cortex boosts the efficacy of dichoptic videogamebased treatment. This intervention warrants further evaluation as a novel therapeutic approach for adults with amblyopia.

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“…These deficits can, at least in part, be attributed to a progressive decay of neural plasticity in the elderly [148]. Interestingly, an enhanced environmental stimulation is able to restore ocular dominance plasticity not only in young adults [127], but also in the aging visual cortex, though to a slightly lower extent [149]. Plasticity in response to one week of MD is detectable at both the level of subthreshold modifications of postsynaptic potentials (by means of VEPs) and that of spike properties of cortical neurons (by means of single-unit recordings).…”

Section: Life-long Beneficial Outcome Of Ee: From Developmental Disormentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Influences on Visual Cortex Development and Plasticity

Sale¹,

Berardi²,

Maffei³

2012

Visual Cortex - Current Status and Perspectives

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A rich environmental experience reactivates visual cortex plasticity in aged rats

Cited by 42 publications

References 13 publications

Environmental enrichment extends ocular dominance plasticity into adulthood and protects from stroke-induced impairments of plasticity

Environmental enrichment extends ocular dominance plasticity into adulthood and protects from stroke-induced impairments of plasticity

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Enhances Recovery of Stereopsis in Adults With Amblyopia

Environmental Influences on Visual Cortex Development and Plasticity

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