Environmental Enrichment Repairs Structural and Functional Plasticity in the Hippocampus

Abstract

In the developing brain, gene-environment interactions shape structure and function in response to experience. In mammals, brain development has been programmed to reach complete maturation after birth to take maximum advantage of appropriate stimulations. In this context, an enriched environment is the best incentive for activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. The present chapter provides an appraisal of seminal and most recent evidences that environmental enrichment (EE) stimulates the endogenous potential of hippocampus for plasticity and repair. After discussing structural and functional changes induced by EE, we examined the evidence in support to the role of EE as a trigger for intrinsic resilience mechanisms that preserve synaptic integrity in distinct hippocampal neuronal population against aging and neurodegeneration. Finally, according to the potential of EE to boost proliferation and survival of neuronal and glial cells, we explored the hypothesis that the strict temporal organization of critical periods can be challenged by appropriate EE protocols, providing support for sustainable therapeutic interventions on neurological diseases characterized by permanent loss of function.