Enriched Environment Procedures for Rodents: Creating a Standardized Protocol for Diverse Enrichment to Improve Consistency across Research Studies.

Type of content
Journal Article
Thesis discipline
Degree name
Publisher
Bio-Protocol, LLC
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Language
eng
Date
2020
Authors
Harland BC
Dalrymple-Alford, John
Abstract

Exposure to environmental enrichment has beneficial effects on learning and memory, diverse neurobiological effects, and promotes recovery of function after brain injury. The effect of enrichment is produced by a combination of increased social interaction, physical activity, spatial complexity, and novelty. Procedures in the literature have, however, been idiosyncratic with poor consistency in the manner or extent to which protocols provide consistent enrichment. We provide an environmental enrichment protocol that can be easily replicated with minor details determined locally so that animals across cohorts and cages all experience a comparable level of enrichment. Procedures are outlined to generate and use a daily pool of suitably varied objects using a standardized format, with objects systematically varied up to a 40-day continuous period. Together with using a large group of rats in a suitably-sized cage, and regular shifting of the position of food and water and cage location, these procedures have produced robust effects in different laboratories and rat strain, thereby improving comparisons within and across laboratories. Non-enriched comparisons can vary, but typically would include grouped animals in standard laboratory housing without objects and with stable food and water locations. Enrichment is a safe non-pharamacological tool to examine behavioral and neurobiological processes in animal models of the lifespan, brain dysfunction and injury.

Description
Citation
Harland BC, Dalrymple-Alford JC (2020). Enriched Environment Procedures for Rodents: Creating a Standardized Protocol for Diverse Enrichment to Improve Consistency across Research Studies.. Bio-protocol. 10(11). e3637-.
Keywords
Cognitive reserve, Enriched environment, Enrichment, Environmental enrichment, Mouse, Novel objects, Rat, Recovery of function, Social stimulation
Ngā upoko tukutuku/Māori subject headings
ANZSRC fields of research
Fields of Research::52 - Psychology::5202 - Biological psychology::520203 - Cognitive neuroscience
Fields of Research::52 - Psychology::5203 - Clinical and health psychology::520301 - Clinical neuropsychology
Fields of Research::42 - Health sciences::4201 - Allied health and rehabilitation science::420109 - Rehabilitation
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All rights reserved unless otherwise stated