%0 Journal Article %A Verstynen, Timothy %A Tierney, Robert %A Urbanski, Tina %A C. Tang, Akaysha %D 2001 %T Neonatal novelty exposure modulates hippocampal volumetric asymmetry in the rat. %U https://kilthub.cmu.edu/articles/journal_contribution/Neonatal_novelty_exposure_modulates_hippocampal_volumetric_asymmetry_in_the_rat_/6617249 %R 10.1184/R1/6617249.v1 %2 http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com/sp-3.12.0b/ovidweb.cgi?&S=OOKLFPPOINDDOBDENCMKOHOBAPPHAA00&Abstract=S.sh.22%7c1%7c1 %K Animals %K Newborn %K Cell Size %K Dominance %K Cerebral %K Environment %K Controlled %K Exploratory Behavior %K Female %K Functional Laterality %K Hippocampus %K Learning %K Male %K Neuronal Plasticity %K Neurons %K Organ Size %K Rats %K Long-Evans %K Sex Characteristics %K Space Perception %X

Early life environmental manipulations have been shown to affect hippocampal-dependent learning, hippocampal volume and cerebral lateralization. In this study, we investigated the effects of neonatal stimulation on hippocampal volumetric asymmetry. Long-Evans hooded rats were exposed to a novel non-home environment 3 min daily for the first 3 weeks of life. Histological measures of the left and right hippocampus were made at 8 months of age. We found that neonatal novelty exposure resulted in a long-lasting change in hippocampal volumetric asymmetry. Specifically, this brief and transient early life stimulation increased the right hippocampal volumetric dominance at mid-adulthood.

%I Carnegie Mellon University