neurogenesis and neurodegenerative diseases

NEUROGENESISKURAN PAHWA AND DANIAL NAQVI

WHAT IS NEUROGENESIS?

“The growth and development of Nervous tissue”

Used to be thought that it only occurred in youth

Recent evidence strongly suggests it does occur in adults as well

THE PLACEBO EFFECT

‘I please’ Simulated/medically ineffectual

treatment for a disease or other medical condition intended to deceive the recipient

BDNF Brain-Derived

Neurotrophic Factor First isolated – Pig

brains, 1982 (Barde et al.)

Similar to Nerve growth factor

1998 – running increases BDNF levels in the hippocampus of mice

1999 – mice running increases cell proliferation in part of hippocampus

In Humans: 2010 (Kramer et al.)– Aerobic exercise

increases hippocampal volume by about 2% in 1-2 years

EVOLUTIONARY THEORY Help memory formation of how food was hunted

or predators were escaped And/or Cell proliferation – uses lots of energy; Promise of

energy replacement from food

MECHANISM

Associated with Long-term Potentiation (a mechanism for

memory formation)

SIGNIFICANCE

Offset Neurodegenerative diseases!

NEUROGENESIS COUNTERS NEURODEGENERATION!