Cognition, Behavior, and Memory
Author: Agustina Belén Villegas | Email: agustina.villegas@mi.unc.edu.ar
Agustina Belén Villegas1°, Ana Paula Toselli1°, Franco Rafael Mir1°2°4°, María Angélica Rivarola1°3°
1° Cátedra de Fisiología Animal, FCEFyN, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
2° átedra de Fisiología Animal, DACEFyN, Universidad Nacional de La Rioja
3° Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
4° Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC-CONICET-UNC)
Social behavior and cognitive abilities can be shaped during perinatal life, a period of high neuronal plasticity. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been observed to provide a wide range of neurochemical and behavioral benefits. However, the impact of gestational EE on programming neurocognitive development in offspring remains underexplored. Additionally, the brain exhibits sexual dimorphism, with different neuroendocrine responses to both EE and stress. This study examines the influence of gestational EE on adolescent rats, focusing on their ability to counteract the adverse effects of postnatal stress and potential sex differences. Wistar rats were exposed to EE or standard environments during gestation. On postnatal days (PND) 1 to 21, pups were subjected to either maternal separation (SM) stress or no stress. Social behavior and spatial memory were assessed in adolescence (PND 45-50) using the three-chamber test and Barnes maze. Results indicate that gestational and postnatal environments independently influence behavior with sexually dimorphic effects in adolescent rats. Social recognition memory showed a positive trend with the gestational EE having a greater impact on males, while SM affected females. For spatial memory, significant effects were only observed in males, with both gestational EE and SM enhancing memory independently, but neutral when combined. Gestational environment and postnatal stress affect adolescents’ behavior in a sex-specific way.