Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2024:38:163-193.
doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-62983-9_10.

Adult Neurogenesis, Context Encoding, and Pattern Separation: A Pathway for Treating Overgeneralization

Wei-Li Chang  1   2 , Rene Hen  3   4
Affiliations
Review

Adult Neurogenesis, Context Encoding, and Pattern Separation: A Pathway for Treating Overgeneralization

Wei-Li Chang et al. Adv Neurobiol. 2024.

Abstract

In mammals, the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus is one of two brain regions (with the subventricular zone of the olfactory bulb) that continues to generate new neurons throughout adulthood, a phenomenon known as adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) (Eriksson et al., Nat Med 4:1313-1317, 1998; García-Verdugo et al., J Neurobiol 36:234-248, 1998). The integration of these new neurons into the dentate gyrus (DG) has implications for memory encoding, with unique firing and wiring properties of immature neurons that affect how the hippocampal network encodes and stores attributes of memory. In this chapter, we will describe the process of AHN and properties of adult-born cells as they integrate into the hippocampal circuit and mature. Then, we will discuss some methodological considerations before we review evidence for the role of AHN in two major processes supporting memory that are performed by the DG. First, we will discuss encoding of contextual information for episodic memories and how this is facilitated by AHN. Second, will discuss pattern separation, a major role of the DG that reduces interference for the formation of new memories. Finally, we will review clinical and translational considerations, suggesting that stimulation of AHN may help decrease overgeneralization-a common endophenotype of mood, anxiety, trauma-related, and age-related disorders.

Keywords: Contextual encoding; Dentate gyrus; Neurogenesis; Pattern separation.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Abrous DN, Koehl M, Lemoine M (2022) A Baldwin interpretation of adult hippocampal neurogenesis: from functional relevance to physiopathology. Mol Psychiatry 27:383–402 - PubMed - DOI
    1. Acheson DT, Gresack JE, Risbrough VB (2012) Hippocampal dysfunction effects on context memory: possible etiology for posttraumatic stress disorder. Neuropharmacology 62:674–685 - PubMed - DOI
    1. Aimone JB, Deng W, Gage FH (2011) Resolving new memories: a critical look at the dentate gyrus, adult neurogenesis, and pattern separation. Neuron 70:589–596 - PubMed - PMC - DOI
    1. Akers KG et al (2014) Hippocampal neurogenesis regulates forgetting during adulthood and infancy. Science 344:598–602 - PubMed - DOI
    1. Altman J, Das GD (1965) Autoradiographic and histological evidence of postnatal hippocampal neurogenesis in rats. J Comp Neurol 124:319–335 - PubMed - DOI