Effects of environmental enrichment on anxiety-like behavior, sociability, sensory gating, and spatial learning in male and female C57BL/6J mice
Abstract
The influence of housing on cognition and emotional regulation in mice presents a problem for the study of genetic and environmental risk factors for neuropsychiatric disorders: standard laboratory housing may result in low levels of cognitive function or altered levels of anxiety that leave little room for assessment of deleterious effects of experimental manipulations. The use of enriched environment (EE) may allow for the measurement of a wider range of performance in cognitive domains. Cognitive and behavioral effects of EE in male mice have not been widely reproduced, perhaps due to variability in the application of enrichment protocols, and the effects of EE in female mice have not been widely studied. We have developed an EE protocol using common laboratory equipment that, without a running wheel for exercise, results in significant cognitive and behavioral effects relative to standard laboratory housing conditions. We compared male and female wild-type C57BL/6J mice reared from weaning age in an EE to those reared in a standard environment (SE), using common measures of anxiety-like behavior, sensory gating, sociability, and spatial learning and memory. Sex was a significant factor in relevant elevated plus maze (EPM) measures, and bordered on significance in a social interaction (SI) assay. Effects of EE on anxiety-like behavior and sociability were indicative of a general increase in exploratory activity. In male and female mice, EE resulted in reduced prepulse inhi…
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Environmental enrichment reduces anxiety.
“Environmental enrichment | Reduces anxiety [196,197], stress [196,197], and abnormal repetitive behaviour [198–200]. Reduces susceptibility to epilepsy [201] and osteoarthritis [202] and modifies the pathology of neurological disorders [203]. Increases foraging behaviour in fish [204].”
From Reporting animal research: Explanation and elaboration for the ARRIVE guidelines 2.0 (2020) · cites this paper as [197]
Environmental enrichment reduces stress.
“Environmental enrichment | Reduces anxiety [196,197], stress [196,197], and abnormal repetitive behaviour [198–200]. Reduces susceptibility to epilepsy [201] and osteoarthritis [202] and modifies the pathology of neurological disorders [203]. Increases foraging behaviour in fish [204].”
From Reporting animal research: Explanation and elaboration for the ARRIVE guidelines 2.0 (2020) · cites this paper as [197]
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Belzung, C., & Griebel, G. (2001) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/s0166-4328(01)00291-1 · Cited by 912 · see citing works
Mouse Behavioral Assays Relevant to the Symptoms of Autism*
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Reporting animal research: Explanation and elaboration for the ARRIVE guidelines 2.0
Percie du Sert, N., Ahluwalia, A., Alam, S., Avey, M. T., Baker, M., Browne, W. J., Clark, A., Cuthill, I. C., Dirnagl, U., Emerson, M., et al. (2020) · PLOS Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.3000411 · Cited by 2,677 · see citing works
- Authors
- Hendershott, T. R., Cronin, M. E., Langella, S., McGuinness, P. S., & Basu, A. C.
- Affiliations
- College of the Holy Cross (US)
- Corresponding author
- Basu, Alo C.
- Venue
- Behavioural Brain Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-11
- Volume
- 314
- Pages
- 215-225
- ISSN
- 0166-4328 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2502928904
- Cited by
- 83
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 5.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Behavioural Brain Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- College of the Holy Cross
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
- Keywords
- environmental enrichment, anxiety-like behavior, sociability, sensory gating, prepulse inhibition, acoustic startle response, spatial learning, spatial memory, sex differences, C57BL/6J mice, housing conditions, elevated plus maze, social interaction, exploratory activity, Morris water maze
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Animals, Newborn, Anxiety, Behavior, Animal, Environment, Exploratory Behavior, Female, Male, Memory, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Reflex, Startle, Maze Learning, Sensory Gating, Spatial Learning, Social Skills
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