Neurogenic plasticity and brain development

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The production of new neurons in the brain, a process called neurogenesis, continues throughout life. This is made possible by the existence of small populations of stem cells that persist in defined regions of the brain (called stem cell niches) that undergo cell division to produce new neurons functionally integrating into existing neural circuits. Research over the last 20 years has shown that neurogenesis in the mature brain is not a passive process, but instead can be modified with respect to the rate of stem cell division, the type of new neurons produced, or the extent to which new neurons survive. This form of structural plasticity, referred to here as ‘neurogenic plasticity,’ is thought to depend on mechanisms that are intrinsic to the brain interacting with the animal’s environment. However, our understanding of this interaction is quite limited and this represents a topic of intense interest in the field. Our research investigates how an animal’s external environment influences neurogenesis in the brain and whether this affects behaviour.