Providing a stimulating environment with social interaction, physical activity, and mental challenges increases BDNF in the brain, which helps improve different types of memory and learning.

Source Excerpt

“Enriched environment (EE) has been shown to increase BDNF levels in the hippocampus in comparison with standard housing conditions. Thus, EE could be an easy way to promote the systemic and neural recovery from the effects of chronic stress. showed that exposure to EE following 10 days of immobilization (2 h/day) ameliorates spatial memory deficits in a version of the radial arm maze and depressive-like behavior. Recovery seems to be achieved through the modulation of several signaling cascades, including BDNF’s. Environmental enrichment could be seen as a multidomain intervention. It consists of social enrichment, physical exercise and environmental changes and has been shown to increase BDNF levels and enhance learning and memory in different domains such as object recognition, spatial learning and motor abilities. The combination of both sensory enrichment and physical activity has more impact on neuronal plasticity than these elements given independently.”