Developmental effects on dopamine projections and hippocampal cell proliferation in the rodent model of postweaning social and physical deprivation can be triggered by brief changes of environmental context.

Periadolescence is a critical period during which environmental stimuli modulate developmental neural plasticity. This includes the density of mesolimbic dopamine (DA) projections and the mitotic dynamic in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, both involved in central structures for emotional and cognitive functioning. Behavioural tests suggest that even short periods of stimulation can have lasting developmental effects on cognitive and emotional measures.