Environmental Enrichment

Environmental enrichment: effects on spatial memory and hippocampal CREB immunoreactivity

Environmental enrichment (particularly during the earlier period) improved performance on the Morris water maze and tended to increase immunoreactivity to CREB in the hippocampus.

Year Published: 2001Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Williams, B. M., Luo, Y., Ward, C. et al. 2001. Environmental enrichment: effects on spatial memory and hippocampal CREB immunoreactivity. Physiology and Behavior 73, 649-658.

Neural consequences of environmental enrichment

Neuronal plasticity is a central theme of modern neurobiology, from cellular and molecular mechanisms of synapse formation in Drosophila to behavioural recovery from strokes in elderly humans. Although the methods used to measure plastic responses differ, the stimuli required to...

Year Published: 2001Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Insect & Spider, Invertebrate

Citation: Van Praag, H., Kempermann, G., Gage, F. H. 2001. Neural consequences of environmental enrichment. Nature Neuroscience 1, 191-198.

Baseball Puzzle Feeder

Utilizing the seasonal, kids' toys of Spring, these puzzle feeders [attached with a chain on the outside of the cage] are made out of plastic baseballs found at your local discount stores. They are VERY inexpensive (2 for $.97!), easy...

Year Published: 2001Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Hartley, D. 2001. Baseball Puzzle Feeder. Primate Enrichment Network (PEN), Item #: A 115.

Recipes for enrichment

Year Published: 2001Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: McGivern, L., Seyfried, A. 2001. Recipes for enrichment. The Shape of Enrichment 10(1), 3.

Control over videotape enrichment for socially housed chimpanzees: Subsequent challenge tests

The lower expression of stress-related behaviors by chimpanzees that took advantage of the opportunity to control the videotape apparatus implies that exerting control over the environment may have a generalized effect by lessening disturbance caused by mildly challenging situations.

Year Published: 2001Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Chimpanzee, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Lambeth, S. P., Bloomsmith, M., Baker, K. et al. 2001. Control over videotape enrichment for socially housed chimpanzees: Subsequent challenge tests. American Journal of Primatology 54(Supplement), 62-63 (Abstract).

Banana Foraging Puzzle

The banana foraging puzzle is a small PVC-pipe [attached outside of the cage] with holes which promotes time-consuming feeding/foraging when stuffed with a banana.

Year Published: 2001Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Lambeth, S. P. 2001. Banana Foraging Puzzle. Primate Enrichment Network (PEN), Item #: A105.

A roll in the hay: good clean play

The provision of hay as enrichment significantly decreased the frequency of fecal smearing.

Year Published: 2001Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Lambeth, S. P. 2001. A roll in the hay: good clean play. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 6(4), 2.

Animal data jeopardized by life behind bars

Well-implemented enrichment may reduce variability rather than increase it.' The irony is that all this barren environment that has been put upon animals for standardization may be the source of the variability, Garner says'

Year Published: 2001Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General, Rodent

Citation: Knight, J. 2001. Animal data jeopardized by life behind bars. Nature 412, 669.

Meeting the personnel resource needs for a quality environmental enrichment program

Successful compliance with the requirements to promote the psychological well-being of nonhuman primates requires an investment in time and training that may not be readily available to many institutions. Creative program must be established so that routine husbandry and research...

Year Published: 2001Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Jorgboyan, I. K. 2001. Meeting the personnel resource needs for a quality environmental enrichment program. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 105 (Abstract).

Use of a commercial parrot shelter for common marmoset housing and enrichment

A commercial parrot shelter was used to fit within the cage to allow continuous readings via telemetry. All marmosets have utilized the shelters for sleeping, exercise, and play.

Year Published: 2001Topics: Environmental Enrichment, HousingAnimal Type: Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Johnson-Delaney, C. A., Beck, T., Heffernan, K. et al. 2001. Use of a commercial parrot shelter for common marmoset housing and enrichment. Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science 4(4), 89 (Abstract).