Cited by 1,345Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanismsMemory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Human Hippocampal Neurogenesis Persists throughout Aging

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Boldrini, Maura, Fulmore, Camille A., Tartt, Alexandria N., Simeon, Laika R., Pavlova, Ina, Poposka, Verica, Rosoklija, Gorazd B., Stankov, Aleksandar +4 more·2018·Cell Stem Cell

Abstract

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis declines in aging rodents and primates. Aging humans are thought to exhibit waning neurogenesis and exercise-induced angiogenesis, with a resulting volumetric decrease in the neurogenic hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) region, although concurrent changes in these parameters are not well studied. Here we assessed whole autopsy hippocampi from healthy human individuals ranging from 14 to 79 years of age. We found similar numbers of intermediate neural progenitors and thousands of immature neurons in the DG, comparable numbers of glia and mature granule neurons, and equivalent DG volume across ages. Nevertheless, older individuals have less angiogenesis and neuroplasticity and a smaller quiescent progenitor pool in anterior-mid DG, with no changes in posterior DG. Thus, healthy older subjects without cognitive impairment, neuropsychiatric disease, or treatment display preserved neurogenesis. It is possible that ongoing hippocampal neurogenesis sustains human-specific cognitive function throughout life and that declines may be linked to compromised cognitive-emotional resilience.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.stem.2018.03.015

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  • In human dentate gyrus, about 700 new neurons are generated per day whatever the age.

    “it has been nevertheless confirmed that in human DG, about 700 new neurons were generated per day whatever the age (Boldrini et al. 2018).”

    From Neurotrophic factors and neuroplasticity pathways in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression (2018) · cites this paper as Boldrini et al. 2018

    The Discussion reports age-stable numbers of immature neurons in the people studied, but it did not measure how many new neurons were generated per day. It describes 700 per dentate gyrus per day as an estimate from Spalding et al. (2013) that is only potentially consistent with its findings. The study covered healthy people aged 14–79, not every age. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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  • The decrease in hippocampal volume is positively correlated with duration of depression.

    “an effect often positively correlated with the duration of depression.6, 7, 8, 9”

    From Microglia secrete miR-146a-5p-containing exosomes to regulate neurogenesis in depression (2022) · cites this paper as [7]

    The Discussion reports stable dentate gyrus volume across ages in subjects without neuropsychiatric disease, not a relationship between hippocampal volume and depression duration. Searches for “duration of depression hippocampal volume” and “depression hippocampal volume” found no passage addressing the claimed correlation. (LLM, conf=0.76)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The hippocampus is one of the few brain regions capable of adult neurogenesis.

    “Second, the hippocampus is one of the few brain regions thought to be capable of adult neurogenesis19, 20.”
  • Relatively high numbers of new neurons have been reported in the adult human hippocampus.

    “Relatively high numbers of new neurons have also been reported in the adult human hippocampus (Boldrini et al., 2018; Eriksson et al., 1998; Knoth et al., 2010; Spalding et al., 2013).”

    From Adult neurogenesis, glia, and the extracellular matrix (2019) · cites this paper as Boldrini et al., 2018

  • Volumetric changes following exercise training have been most consistently observed in the prefrontal cortex, subcortex, and mesial temporal brain structures, with the most consistent changes in the dentate gyrus.

    “Volumetric changes following exercise training have been most consistently observed in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), subcortex, and mesial temporal brain structures (43), with the most consistent changes in the dentate gyrus (44, 45).”

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Authors
Boldrini, M., Fulmore, C. A., Tartt, A. N., Simeon, L. R., Pavlova, I., Poposka, V., Rosoklija, G. B., Stankov, A., Arango, V., Dwork, A. J., Hen, R., & Mann, J. J.
Affiliations
  • Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
  • New York State Psychiatric Institute (US)
  • Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje (MK)
  • Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts (MK)
  • Columbia University (US)
Corresponding author
Boldrini, Maura
Venue
Cell Stem Cell
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2018-04
Volume
22
Issue
4
Pages
589-599.e5
ISSN
  • 1875-9777 (ISSN-L)
  • 1934-5909
OpenAlex
W2796418566
Cited by
1,345
References
69
Citations by year
2026: 73 · 2025: 110 · 2024: 128 · 2023: 144 · 2022: 149 · 2021: 197 · 2020: 214 · 2019: 209 · 2018: 117 · 2017: 2
FWCI
67.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell stem cell (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • the Stroud Center for Aging Studies at Columbia University
  • NIH (MH83862, MH64168, MH40210, NS090415, MH94888, MH090964, MH098786)
  • American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (SRG-0-129-12)
  • Brain and Behavior Research Foundation Independent Investigator Grant (56388, C029157, C023054)
  • the Diane Goldberg Foundation
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
adult hippocampal neurogenesis, aging, dentate gyrus, human hippocampus, neural progenitor cells, angiogenesis, neuroplasticity, granule neurons, hippocampal volume, cognitive resilience, healthy older adults
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aging, Hippocampus, Humans, Middle Aged, Neurons, Dentate Gyrus, Neurogenesis, Young Adult

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