For decades, scientists have debated the existence of neurogenesis in adult brains. Recent research has provided conclusive evidence that adult human brains can form new neurons, challenging previous assumptions. A new technique allowed researchers to identify newly formed neurons in adults as old as 78 and pinpoint the brain cells responsible for their birth.
This breakthrough is significant because it confirms the presence of neural precursor cells, which have the ability to transform into neurons. The study’s findings provide strong evidence that neurogenesis occurs in humans, from precursor cells to immature neurons. This process has been observed in other adult animals but was previously unclear in humans.
The brain’s neural activity changes throughout life. Newborns and young children have an abundance of new neurons, with around 100 billion at birth. As we age, this number declines. Researchers had discovered evidence of neurogenesis in rats as early as 1962, but it remained uncertain whether these newly formed neurons were truly generated during adulthood or if they existed from birth and developed over time.
Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/proof-that-adult-brains-make-new-neurons-settles-scientific-controversy