Adult Brain Regeneration After Injuries

The discovery of a continuous renewal of neurons in adult mammalian brains, in particular in the adult hippocampus, has been a breakthrough in Neuroscience. By virtue of the structure-function relationships, this adult hippocampal neurogenesis has been involved in learning and memory. Supporting this hypothesis, a reciprocal relationship between neurogenesis and memory has been evidenced. On one hand, the rate of neurogenesis determines learning and memory abilities. On the other hand, spatial learning sculpts memory networks by adding and removing new neurons in the DG. One of the requirements for the new neurons in order to process information from these memory networks is the development of extensive dendritic arbors capable of receiving and integrating complex spatio-temporal patterns of synaptic inputs. We will show that spatial learning influences the dendritic morphology of adult-born neurons, an effect dependant of the cognitive demand and NMDA receptors. In conclusion, similarly to the selective stabilization process, neo-networks are sculpted during learning by a tightly regulated selection of newly-born neurons. Functional relevance of adult hippocampal neurogenesis: on the influence of spatial learning on neurogenesis Abrous N