A Comprehensive Theoretical Survey on Functionalities and Properties of Adult Neurogenesis under the Influence of Slow Oscillations

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Adult neurogenesis is the process of generating new neurons in the adult brain. It occurs in two regions of the brain: the subventricular zone (SVZ) and the hippocampus. The SVZ is located in the walls of the lateral ventricles and generates new neurons that migrate to the olfactory bulb. The hippocampus is involved in learning and memory and generates new neurons that integrate into existing neural circuits. Adult neurogenesis is regulated by various factors such as stress, exercise, and environmental enrichment. It has been suggested that adult neurogenesis may play a role in learning and memory, mood regulation, and recovery from brain injury. However, its exact function is still not fully understood and remains an active area of research.To investigate the functional meaning of the phenomenon, we have constructed a computational model to explain why synaptic competition is important to the Dentate Gyrus (DG) for pattern separation. Synaptic competition is a process that adult-born neurons integrate into the existing neuronal cluster. This piece of work can help us to understand the importance of adult neurogenesis. Also, our work addressed the mystery that suppressing adult neurogenesis impairs the ability to distinguish similar memories only, while the ability to differentiate distinct memories remains unaffected. Our work has also shown that the computational model can be applied as a machine learning algorithm.This work is accepted by PNAS Nexus for publication in May 2023.