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A balanced evaluation of the evidence for adult neurogenesis in humans: implication for neuropsychiatric disorders

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Abstract

There is a widespread belief that neurogenesis exists in adult human brain, especially in the dentate gyrus, and it is to be maintained and, if possible, augmented with different stimuli including exercise and certain drugs. Here, we examine the evidence for adult human neurogenesis and note important limitations of the methodologies used to study it. A balanced review of the literature and evaluation of the data indicate that adult neurogenesis in human brain is improbable. In fact, in several high-quality recent studies in adult human brain, unlike in adult brains of other species, neurogenesis was not detectable. These findings suggest that the human brain requires a permanent set of neurons to maintain acquired knowledge for decades, which is essential for complex high cognitive functions unique to humans. Thus, stimulation and/or injection of neural stem cells into human brains may not only disrupt brain homeostatic systems, but also disturb normal neuronal circuits. We propose that the focus of research should be the preservation of brain neurons by prevention of damage, not replacement.

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Abbreviations

AN:

Adult neurogenesis

BBB:

Blood–brain barrier

B-CSF:

Blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier

BrdU:

Bromodeoxyuridine

CP:

Choroid plexus

CSF:

Cerebrospinal fluid

DG:

Dentate gyrus

NSC:

Neural stem cell

SNc:

Substantia nigra pars compacta

SGZ:

Subgranular zone

VZ-SVZ:

Ventricular zone–subventricular zone

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Michiko Spector for her valuable contribution in the preparation of this manuscript. This work has been made in part possible by MacBrainResource.

Funding

NIMH R01-MH113257 to AD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, SHM C317B, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA

    Alvaro Duque

  2. Department of Medicine, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, 08554, USA

    Reynold Spector

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  1. Alvaro Duque
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  2. Reynold Spector
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Correspondence to Alvaro Duque or Reynold Spector.

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Duque, A., Spector, R. A balanced evaluation of the evidence for adult neurogenesis in humans: implication for neuropsychiatric disorders. Brain Struct Funct 224, 2281–2295 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-019-01917-6

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