Environment and brain plasticity: towards an endogenous pharmacotherapy

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurobiology
• Developmental Neuroscience

Background:

• Brain plasticity is the brain's ability to change structure and function with experience.
• Early research focused on deprivation; recent advances utilize environmental enrichment.
• Environmental enrichment involves multi-level stimulation: cognitive, sensory, social, and motor.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the influence of environment on brain plasticity.
• To emphasize underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms.
• To cover research from animal models to human studies.

Main Methods:

• Review of past and recent scientific literature.
• Analysis of experimental work in animal models.
• Inclusion of human studies on brain plasticity and environmental factors.

Main Results:

• Environmental enrichment significantly impacts brain plasticity across the lifespan.
• Early life experiences (stress, care, enrichment) shape CNS development.
• Environmental enrichment and physical exercise enhance adult brain plasticity.
• Enriched conditions positively affect physiological and pathological brain aging.

Conclusions:

• The environment profoundly influences brain plasticity from development through aging.
• Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for neural rehabilitation and healthy aging.
• Environmental enrichment offers a promising avenue for promoting brain health and recovery.