A new study has indicated that physical exercise or epileptic seizures may help kick-start regeneration of brain cells that are lost with age.
Until recently, it was believed brain cells that die off from birth are irreplaceable.
Scientists led by Dr Verdon Taylor, from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology in Freiburg, Germany, carried out the study on mice and found it is possible to create at least some neurons in the hippocampus – the brain region that plays a vital role in learning and memory.
The researchers noticed that more new hippocampal neurons were generated in physically active mice compared to inactive animals.
Dr Taylor said: “Running promotes the formation of new neurons.”
The scientists pointed out that a large number of stem cells that help create new neurons remain inactive in adults.
The study may help find new therapies to tackle age-related memory loss or the effects of brain injuries or Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers said.
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