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Your brain can still make new neurons when you’re an adult. But how does the rare birth of these new neurons contribute to cognitive function?

Neurons are the , and you are born with most of the neurons you will ever have during your lifetime. While the brain undergoes most of its development during early life,  continue to generate new neurons throughout adulthood, although at a much . Whether this process of neurogenesis actually happens in adults and what function it serves in the brain is  among scientists.

Past research has shown that people with  or  and other  develop fewer neurons as adults than people without these conditions. However, whether the absence of new neurons contributes to the cognitive challenges patients with these neurological disorders face is unknown.

We are part of a team of , , neurologists,  and neuropsychologists. Our newly published research reveals that the new neurons that form in adults’ brains are linked to how you learn from .

New neurons and learning

Researchers know that new neurons contribute to . But in humans, the  of identifying and analyzing new neurons in adult brains, combined with their rarity, had led scientists to doubt their significance to brain function.

Aswathy Ammothumkandy/Bonaguidi Lab/USC Stem Cell, CC BY-SA

Newborn neuron (green and purple) in brain tissue from human epilepsy patients.

To uncover the relationship between neurogenesis in adults and cognitive function, we studied patients with . These patients underwent cognitive assessments prior to and donated brain tissue during surgical procedures to treat their seizures. To see whether how many new neurons a patient had was associated with specific cognitive functions, we looked under the microscope for markers of neurogenesis.

We found that new neurons in the adult brain are linked to reduced cognitive decline – particularly in , or learning by listening to others.

This was very surprising to us. In mice, new neurons are known for their role in helping them learn and navigate new spaces . However, we did not observe a similar connection between new neurons and spatial learning in people.

Improving cognition

Talking with others and remembering those conversations is an integral part of day-to-day life for many people. However, this crucial cognitive function , and the effects are more severe with . As , 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. This will ensure that research conducted in animal models, such as mice, is relevant to people and can translate to the clinic.

Current drugs for epilepsy primarily aim to reduce seizures, with limited focus on addressing the cognitive decline patients experience. To enhance cognitive outcomes for patients, we started a  focusing on boosting new neuron production and cognition in epilepsy patients through aerobic exercise. We are currently in the early Phase 1 of the clinical trial, which seeks to establish the safety of the study. Thus far, two patients have successfully and safely finished the study. We plan to recruit eight more patients to exercise and complete this phase.

By bringing together  in the lab and clinical research in people, a better understanding of brain regeneration could help support brain health throughout the lifespan.