Influence of enriched environment on anxiety-related behavior: evidence and mechanisms

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are one of the most prevalent mental disorders that are in a great demand of developing new treatments. Both genetic and environmental factors play essential roles in the pathophysiology of anxiety disorders. Increasing evidence implicates environmental enrichment that shapes neural plasticity exerts beneficial effects on anxiety-related behavior in animal models. Here, we summarize the effects of enriched environment on anxiety-related behavior in rats and mice, highlight the potential mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of environmental enrichment on emotionality at cellular/molecular level, and discuss the potential directions for further research.

Keywords

• anxiety
• environmental enrichment
• amygdala
• fear
• hippocampus