Effects of environmental enrichment and deprivation on rat frontal cortex

Rearing animals under conditions of environmental enrichment has been shown to induce depth increases in the cerebral cortex. The nature of these increases is not simple since a variety of regional and temporal patterns are apparent and on e report indicated an actual decreased depth of the medial frontal cortex following 80 days of enrichment. in the present study the depth of this medial frontal cortex was measured in three separate experiments and the dimensions of adjacent cortex, and subcortex were also examined. A precise regional response specificity was identified within the frontal cortex while corpus callosum depth was increased and diencephalic width decreased by environmental enrichment. © 1972 Informa UK Ltd All rights reserved: reproduction in whole or part not permitted.