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Updated: May 4, 2026

The Use of the Puzzle Box as a Means of Assessing the Efficacy of Environmental Enrichment
Published on: December 29, 2014
[Changes in structural and functional plasticity of the brain induced by environmental enrichment]
Abstract:
The review contains current data on structural and functional brain plasticity mechanisms under the enriched environment. Enriched environment contains social and non-social stimuli acting on different aspects of the development and functioning of the brain. Special attention is devoted to the modeling of enriched environment in the experiment. Enriched environment implies the action of social stimuli, new objects, therefore the enriched environment in animals can be considered as an adequate model to study changes in brain structure and function in people during learning or acquiring complex skills. The review describes the theory of enriched environment's influence on neurogenesis, the neuron-glia relationships, and the impact of enriched environment on damaged brain as well as the possibilities of using the paradigm of enriched envimronmentfor neurorenhabilitation. Molecular mechanisms of synaptic transmission, which has a correlation with the performance of cognitive functions, are the possible target for the action of environmental factors at the brain under (patho)physiological conditions. The considerable progress has been done in understanding the mechanisms that mediate the effects of enriched environment on the brain, but still there are many non-resolved questions in the neurochemistry and neurobiology of this phenomenon. Overall, the experience-induced neuroplasticity is a unique mechanism for the development and recovery of brain functions. It opens new perspectives in neuropharmacology and neurorehabilitation.
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