Enhancing cognition through pharmacological and environmental interventions: Examples from preclinical models of neurodevelopmental disorders

Morè, Lorenzo, Lauterborn, Julie C., Papaleo, Francesco and Brambilla, Riccardo ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3569-5706 2020. Enhancing cognition through pharmacological and environmental interventions: Examples from preclinical models of neurodevelopmental disorders. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 110 , pp. 28-45. 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.003

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Abstract

In this review we discuss the role of environmental and pharmacological treatments to enhance cognition with special regards to neurodevelopmental related disorders and aging. How the environment influences brain structure and function, and the interactions between rearing conditions and gene expression, are fundamental questions that are still poorly understood. We propose a model that can explain some of the discrepancies in findings for effects of environmental enrichment on outcome measures. Evidence of a direct causal correlation of nootropics and treatments that enhanced cognition also will be presented, and possible molecular mechanisms that include neurotrophin signaling and downstream pathways underlying these processes are discussed. Finally we review recent findings achieved with a wide set of behavioral and cognitive tasks that have translational validity to humans, and should be useful for future work on devising appropriate therapies. As will be discussed, the collective findings suggest that a combinational therapeutic approach of environmental enrichment and nootropics could be particularly successful for improving learning and memory in both developmental disorders and normal aging.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Biosciences
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0149-7634
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	12 February 2019
Date of Acceptance:	5 February 2019
Last Modified:	18 Nov 2024 01:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/119438

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