Environmental enrichment results in higher levels of nerve growth factor mRNA in the rat visual cortex and hippocampus.

Evidence for structural modifications in the brain following environmental changes have been provided during the last decades. The most pronounced alterations following environmental manipulations have been found in the visual cortex. These plastic changes are supposed to reflect reorganization of neuronal connections involved in postnatal development and adult adjustments of connections involved in sensori-perceptual processing and learning.

Expression of neurotrophin-3 mRNA in the rat visual cortex and hippocampus is influenced by environmental conditions.

Environmental enrichment results in structural changes in the brain. Recent findings indicate involvement of neurotrophins in neuronal plasticity. This study examined the effect of environmental complexity on the levels of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) mRNA in the rat visual cortex and hippocampus, studied by in situ hybridization.