Laboratoire des Neurosciences de la Vision, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Sci Rep. 2023 Apr 29;13(1):7020. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-33951-0.
Optimal conditions of development have been of interest for decades, since genetics alone cannot fully explain how an individual matures. In the present study, we used optical brain imaging to investigate whether a relatively simple enrichment can positively influence the development of the visual cortex of mice. The enrichment paradigm was composed of larger cages housing multiple mice that contained several toys, hiding places, nesting material and a spinning wheel that were moved or replaced at regular intervals. We compared C57BL/6N adult mice (> P60) that had been raised either in an enriched environment (EE; n = 16) or a standard (ST; n = 12) environment from 1 week before birth to adulthood, encompassing all cortical developmental stages. Here, we report significant beneficial changes on the structure and function of the visual cortex following environmental enrichment throughout the lifespan. More specifically, retinotopic mapping through intrinsic signal optical imaging revealed that the size of the primary visual cortex was greater in mice reared in an EE compared to controls. In addition, the visual field coverage of EE mice was wider. Finally, the organization of the cortical representation of the visual field (as determined by cortical magnification) versus its eccentricity also differed between the two groups. We did not observe any significant differences between females and males within each group. Taken together, these data demonstrate specific benefits of an EE throughout development on the visual cortex, which suggests adaptation to their environmental realities.
几十年来，人们一直对最佳发育条件很感兴趣，因为仅凭遗传学并不能完全解释个体是如何成熟的。在本研究中，我们使用光学脑成像来研究相对简单的丰富环境是否可以积极影响小鼠视觉皮层的发育。丰富环境范式由多个容纳多只小鼠的大笼子组成，这些笼子里有几个玩具、藏身之处、筑巢材料和一个旋转轮，它们会定期移动或更换。我们比较了从出生前一周到成年后一直生活在丰富环境（EE；n = 16）或标准环境（ST；n = 12）中的 C57BL/6N 成年小鼠（>P60），涵盖了所有皮质发育阶段。在这里，我们报告了在整个生命周期中通过环境丰富对视觉皮层的结构和功能产生的显著有益变化。更具体地说，通过内源性信号光学成像进行的视网膜映射显示，在 EE 中饲养的小鼠的初级视觉皮层比对照组更大。此外，EE 小鼠的视野覆盖范围更广。最后，两个组的皮层对视野的表示（由皮层放大率确定）的组织也存在差异。我们在每个组内的雌性和雄性之间没有观察到任何显著差异。总之，这些数据表明，整个发育过程中 EE 对视觉皮层具有特定的益处，这表明它们适应了环境现实。
