Parental enriched environment: A look through key temporary windows

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Biology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Environmental enrichment (EE) is known to affect neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and behavior.
• The impact of parental EE during pregestation and gestation on offspring development and parental behavior is under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the literature from 2000 onwards on the effects of maternal and paternal EE.
• To explore the influence of parental EE on the behavioral, endocrine, and neural systems of offspring and parents.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search conducted on PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar.
• Focused on research published since the year 2000.

Main Results:

• Parental EE can profoundly influence offspring developmental trajectories.
• Evidence suggests potential epigenetic mechanisms mediating these effects.
• Parental EE also impacts parental behavior and physiology.

Conclusions:

• Parental EE is a significant factor in offspring development, potentially through epigenetic modifications.
• EE offers a promising therapeutic strategy for mitigating the effects of adverse environments in humans.