Behavioural, cellular and molecular studies have revealed a significant beneficial impact of environmental enrichment (EE; housing conditions that facilitate enhanced sensory, cognitive and motor stimulation) on brain development and behaviour. EE can minimise adverse neurobehavioural effects of age, pharmacological/genetic manipulation and early life intervention in laboratory rodent models. Furthermore, EE has the potential to increase animal welfare for laboratory animals.
However, protocols for EE vary widely across laboratories, as does the degree to which enrichment is part of so-called standard laboratory housing conditions. As EE can modulate or even rescue the phenotype of animal models, our team is interested in systematically evaluating the effects of EE on rodent models in more detail, using neuro-behavioural phenotyping techniques. We also investigate how a new form of rodent housing (i.e. individually ventilated rack systems) might alter the behavioural response of mice in stress-related paradigms and cognitive tasks.
