Researchers at the University of Queensland's Brain Institute have discovered how new nerve cells form in the area of the brain associated with learning and memory.
Image: Hippocampus region of the brain (blue). Credit: Grey\'s Anatomy/public domain
This activity, located in the hippocampus region of the brain, is known to deteriorate in people with stroke and dementia.
“The hippocampus is the region of the brain involved in important brain functions such as learning and memory and loss of neuronal production in the hippocampus is associated with a range of neurodegenerative conditions, and is particularly evident in ageing dementia.” said Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) Director Professor Perry Bartlett.
“Surprisingly, however, studies have so far failed to identify a resident stem cell population in the hippocampus that's capable of providing the renewable source of these essential nerve cells.”
However research by Prof. Bartlett and his QBI colleague Dr Tara Walker has identified the resident stem cell in the hippocampus and has shown how it can be activated to produce new neurons.
The research has found that new neurons can be stimulated to grow to reverse or prevent the cognitive decline that occurs during ageing dementia, said Dr Walker.
“These significant advances in determining the molecular regulation of nerve production will also have a major impact on our understanding of more complex areas such as behaviour, cognition, neurological disease and mental illness,” she said.
The pair's findings are published in the Journal of Neuroscience on 14 May.
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