Neurons Generated In The Adult Brain Learn To Respond To Novel Stimuli

Neurons Generated In The Adult Brain Learn To Respond To Novel Stimuli: "New brain cells that develop in the olfactory system of adult mice appear to play a role in the brain different from that of older neurons. The new olfactory neurons are especially sensitive to novel stimuli, preferentially learning to respond to new odors. This level of flexibility suggests that such newly-generated neurons could be induced to adapt to and integrate into other regions of the brain, perhaps allowing them to replace neurons lost to injury or disease. The report from researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)-Harvard Medical School (HMS) Center for Nervous System Repair (CNSR) appears in the Nov. 16 Journal of Neuroscience."