New neurons
"This was very surprising to us. In mice, new neurons are known for their role in helping them learn and navigate new spaces through visual exploration. However, we did not observe a similar connection between new neurons and spatial learning in people.
"Talking with others and remembering those conversations is an integral part of day-to-day life for many people. However, this crucial cognitive function declines with age, and the effects are more severe with neurological disorders.
"As aging populations grow, the burden of cognitive decline on health care systems worldwide will increase.
"Our research suggests that the link between newborn neurons and verbal learning may be foundational to developing treatments to restore cognition in people. Enhancing new neuron generation could be a potential strategy to improve brain health and restore cognition in aging and in people with epilepsy or dementia.
"But for now, these ideas are just goals and any future treatments are a long way off.
"Importantly, our finding that new neurons function differently in mice and in humans emphasizes the critical need to study biological functions like neurogenesis in people whenever possible."
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