Name: You can grow new brain cells. Here's how
Uploaded: 2015-10-08T15:00:00Z
Duration: 10 min 54 s
Description: Can we, as adults, grow new neurons? Neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret says that we can, and she offers research and practical advice on how we can help our brains better perform neurogenesis—improving mood, increasing memory formation and preventing the decline associated with aging along the way.

Sandrine Thuret: You can grow new brain cells. Here's how

You can grow new brain cells. Here's how

Can we, as adults, grow new neurons? Neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret says that we can, and she offers research and practical advice on how we can help our brains better perform neurogenesis—improving mood, increasing memory formation and preventing the decline associated with aging along the way.

The adult brain continues to produce new neurons, particularly in the hippocampus, an area key for memory and mood. Research shows that by age 50, humans may have replaced all original hippocampal neurons with new ones grown during adulthood. Factors like learning, physical activity, and certain foods can boost this neurogenesis, while stress, sleep loss, and poor diet diminish it. These findings reveal that memory, mood, and even resilience against depression can be shaped by lifestyle.