Download - 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!