Environmental Enrichment in Real and Virtual Realms Fosters Neural Plasticity Related to Learning and Memory Processes

The new perspective of embodied cognition has broadened the horizons of cognition-related neural activity up to embracing the whole body and its interaction with the environment and other individuals. Neuroscientific stud-ies on memory processes using animal models and experimental research with humans, have clearly pointed to a role of multisensory integration and envi-ronmental stimuli in modulating mechanisms of synaptic strength and neural plasticity related to memory. Here the power of environmental enrichment in shaping brain structure—which means acting physically on our bodies— and enhancing cognition—which means acting functionally on our minds— emerges. With the development of digital technologies capable of reproducing complex virtual environments (VE), we are provided with an unprecedented tool to study or act on cognition, to enhance it, recover cognitive deficits, slow down age-related cognitive decline, and assist bioeducational scenarios—among the possible applications. These goals can be achieved as long as the brain is proven to respond to VE as it does to real environments. Indeed, several experimen-tal studies showed that VE can elicit psychophysiological and neural responses similar to those elicited by real environments in both humans and animals, and suggest that they should be specifically developed for inducing neural plasticity and promoting cognition.