Do we grow new brain cells as adults? The answer seems to be yes

Whether or not we grow new brain cells as adults has been the subject of an ongoing and often contentious debate. Now, evidence suggests that we can. This could help answer one of neuroscience's most controversial questions and has sparked some speculation that the process could be exploited to treat conditions like depression and Alzheimer's disease. New neurons form via a process called neurogenesis in children, as well as in adult mice and macaques. This involves stem cells repeatedly giving rise to so-called progenitor cells that proliferate to form immature neurons that later become fully developed. Prior studies on human adults have identified stem cells and immature neurons in the hippocampus.