Properties of neurons born in development vs. adulthood

就在十年前，几乎没有人相信成年人的大脑能够产生新的神经元。从那时起，科学家们已经证明，不仅在包括人类在内的许多动物的成年大脑中添加了新的神经元，而且它们显著地影响了神经回路和行为。这些进步改变了我们对大脑的看法，从一个固定的、静态的器官变成了一个可塑的、能够适应经验的器官。在海马体中，一个与学习有关的大脑结构，新神经元的增加对形成记忆很重要。然而，我们仍然不知道它们是否比预先存在的神经元（大约在出生时产生）更重要，或者真正不同。事实上，自从发现成人神经发生以来，已经有许多研究表明，即使是年老的神经元也比以前认为的更灵活。因此，这项研究将直接比较成年后出生的神经元与出生前后出生的神经元的特性，以便更好地了解大脑的“可塑性”能力。只有当我们了解大量存在的年轻和年老神经元之间的关系时，我们才能理解大脑中的这些回路是如何使我们形成记忆的。

As recently as a decade ago, few even believed that the adult brain was capable of generating new neurons. Since that time, scientists have shown that not only are new neurons added to the adult brain of many animals, including humans, but they significantly impact neural circuitry as well as behaviour. These advances have changed our view of the brain, from an organ that is fixed and static to one that is moldable and capable of adapting to experience. In the hippocampus, a brain structure involved in learning, the addition of new neurons is important for forming memories. However, we still do not know if they are more important than, or truly different from, pre-existing neurons (born around the time of birth). In fact, since the discovery of adult neurogenesis, there have been many studies showing that even old neurons are more flexible than previously appreciated. This research will therefore directly compare the properties of neurons born in adulthood with those born around the time of birth, in order to better understand the brain's capacity for 'plasticity'. Only when we understand the relationship between young and old neurons, both of which exist in large numbers, can we understand how these circuits in the brain enable us to form memories.