Research in Progress

HD and Lifestyle

Environmental Enrichment Slows Progress of Disease in HD Mice

Here’s a great reason to stay physically and mentally active: researchers have shown that environmental enrichment can slow the progress of Huntington’s disease in HD mouse models. When the mice were placed in cages with play objects (such as small wooden houses and cardboard tunnels) that were switched every two days, they exhibited normal levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), whereas the mice that lived in un-enriched cages had below normal levels. BDNF promotes nerve cell growth in the brain and regulates communication between nerve cells, so the mice with the enriched environment were much better off. The enriched mice also showed fewer HD-like physical symptoms than their un-enriched counterparts. (The researchers evaluated physical symptoms by measuring how long five-month-old enriched and un-enriched mice stayed on a rotating rod.)

The results of this study are encouraging for the clinical treatment of HD. Researchers have already linked enhanced physical and mental activity to a reduced risk of dementia in Alzheimer’s disease. It seems that environmental factors may play a role in slowing down the chemical changes in the brain associated with HD.

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Last Modified: 04/12/2007

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