Borsa di Ricerca SIF per brevi periodi all'estero

Aim of the Project: Enriched housing (EH) affects various aspects of neuronal integrity and functioning, ranging from increased dendritic arborization and spine density to neurogenesis and improved cognition (Brown et al., 2003; Kempermann et al., 1997; Rosenzweig & Bennett, 1996; van Praag et al., 2000). Even though endocannabinoids (eCB) have been implicated in all of those processes under standard housing conditions, surprisingly little is known about a potential involvement of the eCB system in EH-induced changes in brain morphology and cognition. Therefore, the present study will combine EH with pharmacological manipulations of the eCB system and study consequences on cognition and neurogenesis. Those measurements will be embedded in longitudinal in vivo imaging [(magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI)] to provide neurochemical and morphological correlates for behavioral and structural changes that have high translational value.