A new Salk study is the first to closely follow the development of new neurons in the adult brain, giving insight into neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. By genetically engineering new neurons to fluoresce green, researchers were able to see when the new cells grew and branched surrounded by other cell nuclei (blue) in the brain. Credit: Salk Institute
A new study is first to closely follow development of new neurons in the adult brain, giving potential new insight into neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. New brain cells began with a period of overgrowth, sending out a plethora of neuronal branches, before the brain pruned back the connections. “We were surprised by the extent of the pruning we saw,” says Prof. Rusty Gage.
While most o...
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