Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Aging and Alzheimer's Disease

Overview

Journal Stem Cell Reports

Publisher Cell Press

Specialty Cell Biology

Date 2021 Feb 26

PMID 33636114

Citations 101

Authors

Kelsey R Babcock

John S Page

Justin R Fallon

Ashley E Webb

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) severely impact daily life for the millions of affected individuals. Progressive memory impairment in AD patients is associated with degeneration of the hippocampus. The dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, a region critical for learning and memory functions, is a site of adult neurogenesis in mammals. Recent evidence in humans indicates that hippocampal neurogenesis likely persists throughout life, but declines with age and is strikingly impaired in AD. Our understanding of how neurogenesis supports learning and memory in healthy adults is only beginning to emerge. The extent to which decreased neurogenesis contributes to cognitive decline in aging and AD remains poorly understood. However, studies in rodent models of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases raise the possibility that targeting neurogenesis may ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in AD. Here, we review recent progress in understanding how adult neurogenesis is impacted in the context of aging and AD.

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