Environmental Enrichment

Environmental enrichment reduces Abeta levels and amyloid deposition in transgenic mice

Cerebral deposition of beta-amyloid (Abeta) peptides is an invariant pathological hallmark in brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and transgenic mice coexpressing familial AD-linked APP and PS1 variants. We now report that exposure of transgenic mice to an enriched...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Lazarov, O., Robinson, J., Tang, Y. P. et al. 2005. Environmental enrichment reduces Abeta levels and amyloid deposition in transgenic mice. Cell 120, 701-713.

Plastic bottle and chain make effective swine enrichment tool

The swine were quite aggressive with the bottles, which required frequent replacement.

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Pig

Citation: Jackson, L. 2005. Plastic bottle and chain make effective swine enrichment tool. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 9(4), 5.

Environmental enrichment for laboratory rodents

In this article, laws and guidelines relating to rodent enrichment are reviewed, the natural behaviors of select rodent species are discussed, and an overview of widely used types of enrichment in laboratory rodent management is provided. Survey data on current...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Natural Behavior, Regulations & Ethical ReviewAnimal Type: Guinea Pig, Hamster, Mouse, Rat, Rodent

Citation: Hutchinson, E., Avery, A., Van de Woude, S. 2005. Environmental enrichment for laboratory rodents. ILAR Journal 46(2), 148-161.

Rx for mice: Take enrichment and call me in the morning

In a first phase, the effectiveness of several enrichment devices was evaluated: flavored nylon chew bones, colored tunnels, igloo shaped houses, and a life-sized rubber mouse. Mice, whether alone or in a group, had constant interaction with the houses.... I...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gaskin, N. 2005. Rx for mice: Take enrichment and call me in the morning. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 10(6).

Stereotypies and other abnormal repetitive behaviors: Potential impact on validity, reliability, and replicability of scientific outcomes

Normal behavior plays a key role in facilitating homeostasis, especially by allowing the animal to control and modify its environment. Captive environments may interfere with these behavioral responses, and the resulting stress may alter many physiological parameters. Abnormal behaviors indicate...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Garner, J. P. 2005. Stereotypies and other abnormal repetitive behaviors: Potential impact on validity, reliability, and replicability of scientific outcomes. ILAR Journal 46(2), 106-117.

More fun with a barrel full of monkeys – A non-human primate swing made from recycling plastic barrels

Construction of primate swing from recycled material is described.

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Davis, E. 2005. More fun with a barrel full of monkeys - A non-human primate swing made from recycling plastic barrels. American Journal of Primatology 66(Supplement), 81 (Abstract).

Environmental enrichment

Summary of a collection of articles pertaining to the topic of environmental enrichment.

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: All/General

Citation: Wolfle, T. L. 2005. Environmental enrichment. ILAR Journal 46(2), 79-82.

Assessment of the use of two commercially available environmental enrichments by laboratory mice by preference testing

All three strains of mice showed a significant preference for the paper box. The paper box was much lighter [20 g] than the plastic box [95 g]. This allowed the mice to move the paper box around, manipulate it and...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Van Loo, P. L. P., Blom, H. J. M., Meijer, M. K. et al. 2005. Assessment of the use of two commercially available environmental enrichments by laboratory mice by preference testing. Laboratory Animals 39, 58-67.

Impact of environmental enrichment in mice

The result of this study suggests that values of body weight, haematological variables .... were not significantly influenced by our enrichment design [nestbox plus climbing structure], but that enrichment seemed [sic] to have effects on the variation and the strain...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Tsai, P. P., Pachowsky, U., Stelzer, H. D. et al. 2005. Impact of environmental enrichment in mice. 1: Effect of housing conditions on body weight, organ weights and haematology in different strains. Animal Technology and Welfare 4(1), 17-23.

Foraging enrichment for individually housed horses: Practicality and effects on behaviour

The results indicate that the potentially beneficial behavioural effects of short-term multiple forage provision do persist when horses are managed on a MF [multiple forage] diet [long-chop and short-chop forages] for a 7-day period. They suggest that a MF diet...

Year Published: 2005Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Thorne, J. B., Goodwin, D., Kennedy, M. J. et al. 2005. Foraging enrichment for individually housed horses: Practicality and effects on behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 94, 149-164.