Research Article

Environmental enrichment influences survival rate and enhances exploration and learning but produces variable responses to the radial maze in old rats†

  1. J.A. Bell1,
  2. P.J. Livesey2,
  3. J.F. Meyer2,*

Article first published online: 31 AUG 2009

DOI: 10.1002/dev.20394

Issue

Developmental Psychobiology

Developmental Psychobiology

Volume 51, Issue 7, pages 564–578, November 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Bell, J.A., Livesey, P.J. and Meyer, J.F. (2009), Environmental enrichment influences survival rate and enhances exploration and learning but produces variable responses to the radial maze in old rats. Dev. Psychobiol., 51: 564–578. doi: 10.1002/dev.20394

Author Information

  1. 1

    School of Psychology, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University of Technology, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia

  2. 2

    School of Anatomy and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia

*School of Anatomy and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.

  1. †

    This article was published online on 31 August 2009. An error was subsequently identified. This notice is included in the online and print versions to indicate that both have been corrected 03 September 2009.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 9 OCT 2009
  2. Article first published online: 31 AUG 2009
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 8 JUL 2009
  4. Manuscript Received: 18 APR 2008

Funded by

  • Australian Research Council. Grant Numbers: A788313337, 04/15/031/067

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Keywords:

  • aging;
  • enrichment;
  • learning;
  • emotion;
  • hippocampus;
  • rat;
  • radial maze

Abstract

Wistar rats at 7 (mature), 16 (aging), and 22 (old) months of age spent 70 days in normal laboratory (Social), impoverished (Isolated) or dynamic Enrichment cages. The Enriched cage emphasized spatial re-arrangements of significant items, and the learning of new routes. Subsequently, Enriched rats at all ages entered a novel environment and escaped from a bright light with significantly shorter latencies than rats from either of the other environments. Mature, aging and some of the old Enriched rats also significantly outperformed their Isolated and Social counterparts in the radial maze. However old Enriched and Isolated animals showed significant variability in relation to the measure of the proportion reaching criterion on this task, and a significantly lower proportion than of old Social rats reached criterion. Enriched rats had a significantly higher survival rate than Social and Isolated animals. These findings are discussed in terms of learning efficiency and behaviors that conserve energy and thereby enhance survival. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 51: 564–578, 2009.

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