Adult neurogenesis and hippocampal memory function: new cells, more plasticity, new memories?

Neurosurg Clin N Am

Institute for Cell Engineering, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 North Broadway, BRB 706, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Published: January 2007

The discovery of active adult neurogenesis in mammals, a process of generating functional neurons from neural stem cells, suggests that the adult brain is more dynamic than once imagined. The coincidence of this phenomenon occurring in the hippocampus, a region critical to the learning process, begs the question of whether adult neurogenesis is involved in memory formation. Here, the authors review rapidly accumulating evidence showing a strong correlation between certain types of memory functions and adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Establishment of the potential link between memory formation and adult neurogenesis is instrumental, at a basic science level, to understand the function of neural networks and is essential, at a clinical level, to develop effective therapies for various cognitive dysfunctions.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5439504PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nec.2006.10.008DOI Listing

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