Figshare is one of the greatest new tools for scientists. It allows you to publish any piece of data, no matter how small or insignificant, in a citable fashion. This is a big deal because ALL scientists have (tons of) data of this sort. Pilot experiments are performed to get the…
The idea that adult neurogenesis protects individuals from depression is perhaps the single greatest motivator driving neurogenesis research. Not surprisingly, “neurogenesis depression” is the most common behavioral keyword that brings people to this blog (followed closely by “pattern separation”). So I’m excited to say that we will soon be publishing what (I…
So, it turns out that neurogenesis in primates is quite a bit different than in rodents. It’s been over 10 years since adult neurogenesis was first described in the adult primate hippocampus and yet much of the basic work has yet to be done. That’s where this new study by…
For obvious reasons, studying neurogenesis in primates is useful. Primates are phylogenetically more related to us than rodents, and so understanding their nervous system can better help us to understand our own. For over a decade we have known that neurogenesis continues in adulthood in primates and in many ways,…
Sometimes when you say something on Twitter people respond. People don’t respond that much to what I have to say but, now and then, there’s enough of a reaction to help me realize that an idea was meaningful beyond the moment it popped into my mind and made its way…
“Random” roundup because any posts linking to articles or ideas I’ve recently found noteworthy will never occur on a regular basis (as others manage to do – I applaud you) but only when enough interesting material has accrued and I have a spare moment. The links will, however, not be…
Some facts on neuronal excitability: Excitable: the ability to fire action potentials. More excitable: fires action potentials, but more. More LTP: not the same as more excitable. Less inhibition: also not the same as more excitable, though the two may go hand in hand. The Scholarpedia page on neuronal excitability,…
Wiring. That’s one answer to this question. We know this from topographic maps in the thalamus and neocortex, where the basic units of sensory information are neatly represented in spatially-arranged populations of neurons – the various body parts are represented in specific locations, as are the different frequencies of sound, the different…
As we accumulate more and more data on adult neurogenesis in rodents I keep asking myself what kind of impact these new cells could have. The dearth of literature on primate and human adult neurogenesis seems to make these questions all the more relevant. As a starting point, I created…
It’s surprising that it’s 2011 and there’s no regular meeting on adult neurogenesis. There have been neurogenesis sessions at other meetings and perhaps the occasional, sometimes closed, neurogenesis meeting here and there, but nothing regular for all to attend. This Keystone meeting on adult neurogenesis will hopefully mark the end…