A team of researchers led by Dr. Lluís Camprubí-Ferrer from Lund University reported on Apr. 11 that enriched environments can improve recovery after stroke and reduce chronic brain inflammation, according to a study published in the journal Neuroprotection.
Stroke is a major cause of death globally, and many survivors face long-term disabilities, especially with motor function. The environment during poststroke recovery has been shown to influence healing outcomes. While environmental enrichment—which includes increased physical activity, sensory stimulation, and social interaction—has previously been linked to better neuroplasticity and recovery, its effect on brain inflammation was not fully understood.
Dr. Camprubí-Ferrer said, "EE is known for exerting beneficial effects on neuroplasticity and recovery after stroke. However, a systemic study on understanding the microglial phenotypes during the recovery period after stroke under enriched housing conditions was lacking. Our study addresses this research gap." In their animal-based study using male mice with induced photothrombotic strokes, researchers compared standard housing conditions to an enriched environment that offered more space, social contact, exercise opportunities, and varied objects.
The results showed that mice in the enriched environment performed better in sensorimotor tests such as paw placement and limb symmetry over three weeks following the stroke event. Tissue analysis revealed that mice housed in standard conditions had larger infarcts associated with stronger chronic inflammatory signals and greater myelin damage near injury sites. However, these associations were weaker or absent among mice in the enriched setting.
Higher levels of TREM2-positive microglia—a type of immune cell—were found to be linked with improved neurological outcomes specifically among those exposed to enrichment. No other inflammatory or myelin marker showed as strong a relationship with behavior changes as TREM2-positive microglia did.
"Our findings suggest that interventions like EE that targets microglial marker suppression and TREM2 potentiation may contribute to post‐stroke white matter repair and improve functional outcomes," concludes Dr. Camprubí-Ferrer.
