Serap ATA, Hamit ÖZYÜREK
Anatolian Current Medical Journal - 2026;8(2):179-186
Aims: Early-life maternal separation (MS) induces long-term metabolic and neurobehavioral disturbances, whereas environmental enrichment (EE) is considered a protective intervention; however, potential sex-dependent responses remain unclear. This study evaluated whether adolescent EE mitigates MS-related alterations in growth and emotional-cognitive outcomes and whether these effects differ between males and females. Methods: Sprague-Dawley litters were allocated to control, MS, or MS+EE groups. MS consisted of daily 180-minute separations from postnatal day (PND) 2-14, and EE was initiated after PND14. Body weight was monitored at several developmental stages. Neurobehavioral assessments included the open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPM), forced swim test (FST), and passive avoidance test (PAT). Data were analyzed using ANOV A with Tukey-Kramer post hoc comparisons. Results: MS resulted in significantly reduced weight gain on PND7 (p<0.001). By PND28, both MS and MS+EE groups displayed greater weight gain than controls (p<0.05 and p<0.0001, respectively), with EE animals showing the highest weight by week 10 (p<0.0001), particularly males. MS decreased locomotor activity in the OFT (p<0.001), increased anxiety-like behavior in the EPM (p<0.05), elevated FST immobility (p<0.0001), and impaired PAT memory (p<0.05). EE reversed these deficits, enhancing locomotion (p<0.0001), reducing immobility (p<0.05), and improving memory retention (p<0.001). Females exhibited more pronounced anxiolytic and cognitive benefits. Conclusion: MS produces persistent metabolic and neurobehavioral impairments, whereas EE confers significant restorative effects with notable sex-specific variation.
