Enriched environment restores hippocampal cell proliferation and ameliorates cognitive deficits in chronically stressed rats

Adult neurogenesis, particularly in the subgranular zone, is thought to be linked with learning and memory. Chronic stress inhibits adult hippocampal neurogenesis and also impairs learning and memory. On the other hand, exposure to enriched environment (EE) is reported to enhance the survival of new neurons and improve cognition. Accordingly, in the present study, we examined whether short‐term EE after stress could ameliorate the stress‐induced decrease in hippocampal cell proliferation and impairment in radial arm maze learning. After restraint stress (6 hr/day, 21 days) adult rats were exposed to EE (6 hr/day, 10 days). We observed that chronic restraint stress severely affected formation of new cells and learning. Stressed rats showed a significant decrease (70%) in the number of BrdU (5‐bromo‐2′‐deoxyuridine)‐immunoreactive cells and impairment in the performance of the partially baited radial arm maze task. Interestingly, EE after stress completely restored the hippocampal cell proliferation. On par with the restoration of hippocampal cytogenesis, short‐term EE after stress resulted in a significant increase in percentage correct choices and a decrease in the number of reference memory errors compared with the stressed animals. Also, EE per se significantly increased the cell proliferation compared with controls. Furthermore, stress significantly reduced the hippocampal volume that was reversed after EE. Our observations demonstrate that short‐term EE completely ameliorates the stress‐induced decrease in cell proliferation and learning deficit, thus demonstrating the efficiency of rehabilitation in reversal of stress‐induced deficits and suggesting a probable role of newly formed cells in the effects of EE. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.