SILS II
Treatment of suppressed neurogenesis
The brain is an exceptional organ in that cell birth hardly occurs
anymore in adult life. This makes our brain extremely vulnerable, since
cells lost after damage cannot be replaced. Over the past decade, it
has been discovered that limited birth of new brain cells
(‘neurogenesis’) is still possible. Adult neurogenesis seems important
for memory performance and mood stability.
Recently we and others have demonstrated that prolonged stress suppresses neurogenesis. Partial recovery occurs when prolonged stress is followed by weeks of rest. We have now found that anti-glucocorticoid treatment for 4 days can also improve cell survival in the brain.
