Paradoxical effects of cortical impact injury on environmentally enriched rats

Animals housed in an enriched environment develop thicker cortices, with increased numbers of dendrites, synapses, blood vessels, and glial cells. This study examines the responses of adult rats, developmentally reared in an enriched environment, to traumatic brain injury. Rats were placed in an enriched environment for 15 days, starting on postnatal day 21. Following enrichment, they were placed in standard vivarium conditions until adulthood. At 3 months of age, enriched and age-matched control rats received a mild unilateral controlled cortical impact and were allowed to recover for 41 days. During this time, they were examined for motor coordination deficits and for preferences in forelimb use. Results demonstrate that enriched animals had a larger contusion cavity and a greater initial deficit in forelimb use. However, this deficit quickly diminished in comparison to that seen in non-enriched injured rats. The deficit in motor coordination recovered more quickly in enriched rats, 1 week sooner than in controls. These data suggest that the response of enriched animals to brain injury results in more marked neurodegeneration and acute behavioral dysfunction, with a higher capacity for compensation and recovery.