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You can grow new brain cells. Here's how - Sandrine Thuret

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TED Talk

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Can we, as adults, grow new neurons? Neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret says that we can, and she offers research and practical advice on how we can help our brains better perform neurogenesis—improving mood, increasing memory formation and preventing the decline associated with aging along the way.

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Additional references

About adult neurogenesis - BioEd Online
For at least a century before the discovery of neurogenesis in the adult human brain, a prevailing belief in the field of neuroscience was that the brain of virtually all mammals (not just humans) remained structurally constant throughout life and was incapable of producing new neurons. Read more to find out the studies that say otherwise.

Do adult brains make new neurons? A contentious new study says no - The Atlantic
It’s the latest chapter in a century-long debate about whether neurogenesis continues throughout humans’ lives. Find out more about counter-argument to the TED talk.

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