Medicalnewstoday.com is reporting on new research which suggests that neurons, or the brain's nerve cells, may be created even in old age. Prevailing scientific belief held that most neurons are lost shortly after birth, with the loss slowing but continuing throughout one's life.
According to researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology in Germany, certain types of neuronal stem cells in the brains of mice are able to divide later in life. Certain events, such as physical activity or an epileptic seizure, can trigger the production of new cells. The newly formed cells are then integrated into the existing network of neurons and may increase learning capacity.