期刊
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
卷 196, 期 1, 页码 44-48出版社
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.07.008
关键词
Rett syndrome; Mecp2; Environmental enrichment; Behaviour; Brainvolume; MRI
资金
- National Science Foundation
- International Rett Syndrome Association (IRSA)
- Merck-AAAS
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
- Wellesley College Faculty Award
Rett syndrome (RTT) is an autistic spectrum developmental disorder associated with mutations in the X-linked Mecp2 gene, and severe behavioural and neuropathological deficits. In a mouse model of RTT (Mecp2(1lox)), we examined whether environmental enrichment (EE) alters behavioural performance and regional brain volume. At weaning, Mecp2(1lox) and control mice were assigned to enriched or standard housing. From postnatal day 29 to 43, mice were subjected to behavioural tasks measuring motor and cognitive performance. At postnatal day 44, volumes of whole brain, cerebellum, ventricles, and motor cortex were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. EE provided subtle improvements to locomotor activity and contextual fear conditioning in Mecp2(1lox) mice. Additionally, EE reduced ventricular volumes, which correlated with improved locomotor activity, suggesting that neuroanatomical changes contribute to improved behaviour. Our results suggest that post-weaning EE may provide a non-invasive palliative treatment for RTF. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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