Can adults grow new brain cells?

"Neurogenesis," or the formation of new neurons, is known to take place before birth. But some evidence suggests that it can continue throughout the human lifespan. The developing human brain gains billions of neurons while in the womb, and tacks on some more during childhood. For most of the 20th century, the conventional wisdom was that the brain cells grown before adulthood would be the only ones we would have for the rest of our lives. But over the past few decades, more and more research is challenging that belief. So is it actually possible for adults to grow neurons? While some experts believe there's strong evidence that we can gain brain cells after childhood, others are still skeptical of this notion. The process of creating new brain cells is called neurogenesis. Researchers first observed neurogenesis after birth in lab animals of various ages, including mice, rats and songbirds . In adult mice, they found new neurons growing in parts of the brain collectively called the ... Read full article.