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Neurogenesis: can we really create new neurons as adults?

Neuroscienze

For many years, neurology has upheld a seemingly unshakable dogma: the human brain is a static organ. According to this vision, we are born with a fixed set of neurons and, once we reach adulthood, we can only witness a slow and inevitable decline.

Modern science has overturned this perspective. Research conducted by researchers at the Karolinska Institute and published in the prestigious journal Science has opened up new perspectives. The study found that the human brain retains the ability to generate new nerve cells (neurogenesis) throughout life, even up to 97 years.

 

The adult brain can generate new neurons? 

That's right: Swedish researchers They found that the brain can continue to create new neurons as well when we are adults, even if with less efficiency than our age childish. Scholars from the Karolinska Institute analyzed 36 post-mortem brains of individuals aged 0-78 years, combining advanced molecular biology techniques with advanced molecular biology algorithms artificial intelligence and machine learning.

According to what they have learned, the Neurogenesis takes place in a specific area of the brain called the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, the area responsible for episodic memory and learning. This is where neural stem cells reside, cells that are not yet specialized which possess the potential to transform into functional neurons.

Neurogenesis study: Two revolutionary figures

  1. Longevity of the process: immature neurons have been identified (newborn) and also developing in the brains of subjects almost centenarians.
  2. The real enemy is not age: although the production of neurons decreases physiologically over the years (a thirty-year-old produces about 30-40 thousand per year day, one elderly person less), the real collapse is not due to healthy aging, but to pathology.

In people with neurodegenerative like Alzheimer's, neurogenesis comes to a drastic halt and precocious. The most interesting fact is that this production freeze occurs before the appearance of obvious clinical symptoms such as severe memory loss, suggesting that monitoring neurogenesis could become an early diagnosis tool in the future.

 

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Adult neurogenesis: what prospects?

Scientific research focuses on now on understanding the mechanisms of adult neurogenesis, considered a potential key to brain self-repair. The possibility of generating new neurons opens up promising scenarios for the restoration of neural circuits damaged by trauma or pathologies.

Studies in animal models indicate that one Active lifestyle and a stimulating environment can accelerate This process, offering natural protection against aging and mood disorders. Although therapeutic applications are still being studied, the certainty that the adult brain maintains this plasticity revolutionizes our conception learning and resilience throughout life.

 

How to stimulate neurogenesis? 

If the brain has the potential to regenerate up to over 90 years of age, because we often feel the memory lose Strokes much earlier? The answer lies in the environment in which we live: we can positively influence this process through lifestyle.

Our daily choices They can accelerate or slow down neurogenesis:

  • Learning Active: Stimulating. Learning things and living different experiences induces the brain to integrate new neurons in circuits.
  • Exercise Physical: Stimulating. Increase blood supply to the hippocampus and releases growth factors such as BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), a protein that strengthens neuronal networks.
  • Chronic stress: inhibitor. Cortisol creates a toxic environment that blocks cell division stem cells.
  • Inflammation systemic: inhibitor. The signs of regeneration are extinguished in an inflamed body, often due to spikes glycemic disorders and an incorrect diet, based on too many refined sugars and processed foods.

With this in mind, supporting the cognitive functions with a functional drink with no added sugar It is a smart strategy: it allows you to provide mental energy and nutrients specific to the focus. Get started now: Charging the mind with brain fuel.

 

Neural regeneration, Frequently asked questions

Up to what age does the neurogenesis? 

Theoretically until the end of the life. Although the rate of production slows down with aging, a brain of an eighty-year-old still produces new neurons.

Does alcohol really kill the neurons? 

Alcohol abuse inhibits the birth of new cells and damages existing ones. However, the brain has a great capacity for recovery: withdrawal can partially reactivate regenerative processes.

How long does it take to create a new neuron? 

It is not an immediate process. From the stem cell division to the complete integration of the new neuron about 4-6 weeks pass in the brain circuits. Consistency in good habits is therefore essential.


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