Environmental Enrichment

Includes structural, behavioral, food, and auditory enrichment.

Hori, M., Yamada, K., Ohnishi, J. et al. 2014. Tickling during adolescence alters fear-related and cognitive behaviors in rats after prolonged isolation. Physiology & Behavior 131, 62-67.

Social interactions during adolescence are important especially for neuronal development and behavior. We recently showed that positive emotions induced by repeated tickling could modulate fear-related behaviors and sympatho-adrenal stress responses. In the present study, we...

Febinger, H.Y., George, A., Priestley, J. et al. 2014. Effects of housing condition and cage change on characteristics of sleep in mice. JAALAS 53(1), 29-37.

Although human subjects are widely used to study sleep and sleep disorders, animals have been invaluable in developing our understanding of the physiology of sleep and underlying mechanisms of sleep disorders. Environmental stimuli are likely...

Burlingame, L. A., Lofgren, J. L. 2014. Presence of nesting material does not prevent ability to accurately identify sick or de

Whether nesting material assists or hinders the ability to identify sick mice during routine health check is a widely debated topic. Currently, our large and diverse academic research institution is exploring the possibility of providing...