Enriched Environment Effects on Myelination of the Central Nervous System: Role of Glial Cells

Figure 1

(a) A classic rodent’s enriched environment paradigm. There is a larger space in the EE cages to place more animals (8–14 per cage) and various toys, shelters, and other objects to increase sensorimotor stimulation, and the types and positions of objects in the cage are regularly changed to encourage spontaneous exploration. (b) An improved rodent’s enriched environment paradigm. The cage is divided into three layers according to the mechanistic routes of EE. In the first layer, voluntary running wheels, climbing ropes, balls, and other objects are placed in the room to enhance locomotion and physical activity. In the second layer, various colored building blocks, toys, and music are used to increase sensory stimuli. In the third layer, shelters, nesting materials, and climbing ladders are placed to increase social interaction and exploratory activities. The objects in EE cage are in line with rodents’ habits and nonstressful. Each layer is equipped with a monitor to record the animal’s behavior track, and the running wheel is equipped with a sensor to detect the animal’s movement. The ladder connecting each floor is easy to pass.

(a)

(b)