Environmental enrichment (EE) exerts beneficial effects on brain plasticity, cognition, and @entity148 / @entity308 , leading to a brain that can counteract deficits underlying various @entity75 . Because the complexity of the EE commonly used makes it difficult to identify causal aspects, we examined possible factors using a 2 * 2 design with social EE (two vs. six @entity35 ) and physical EE (physically enriched vs. nonenriched). For the first time, we demonstrate that social and physical EE have differential effects on brain plasticity, cognition, and ultrasonic communication. Expectedly, physical EE promoted neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampal formation, but not in the subventricular zone, and, as a novel finding, affected microRNA expression levels, with the activity-dependent miR-124 and @entity26664 being upregulated. Concomitant improvements in cognition were observed, yet social deficits were seen in the emission of prosocial 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) paralleled by a lack of social approach in response to them, consistent with the intense world syndrome/theory of @entity2438 . In contrast, social EE had only minor effects on brain plasticity and cognition, but led to increased prosocial 50-kHz USV emission rates and enhanced social approach behavior. Importantly, social deficits following physical EE were prevented by additional social EE. The finding that social EE has positive whereas physical EE has negative effects on social behavior indicates that preclinical studies focusing on EE as a potential treatment in models for @entity146 characterized by social deficits, such as @entity2438 , should include social EE in addition to physical EE, because its lack might @entity51 . J. Comp. Neurol. 524:1586-1607, 2016.    2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Differential effects of social and physical environmental enrichment on brain plasticity, cognition, and ultrasonic communication in XXXX .

@entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['depression'] @entity146 :: ('MESH:D001523', 'Disease') :: ['neuropsychiatric disorders'] @entity75 :: ('MESH:D001927', 'Disease') :: ['brain disorders'] @entity26664 :: ('100314029(Tax:10116)', 'Gene') :: ['miR-132'] @entity2438 :: ('MESH:D001321', 'Disease') :: ['autism'] @entity51 :: ('MESH:D009461', 'Disease') :: ['worsen social deficits'] @entity148 :: ('MESH:D001008', 'Disease') :: ['anxiety'] @entity35 :: ('10116', 'Species') :: ['rats']
@entity35 :: (10116,Species) :: ['rats']
