A wearable platform for closed-loop stimulation and recording of single-neuron and local field potential activity in freely moving humans

Feb 20, 2023 ·

The article, published in Nature Neuroscience, explores the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the formation of new neurons in the adult hippocampus. Researchers used a model of hippocampal neurogenesis in which they injected a BDNF-expressing construct into the dentate gyrus of adult mice, followed by a series of biochemical studies to better understand how BDNF affects neural stem cells.

Results showed that BDNF was able to successfully generate a subset of neurons within the first week after injection, and that the number of these newly generated cells increased until the fourth week when the BDNF had been completely cleared from the hippocampus. Additionally, BDNF was found to stimulate the proliferation of stem cells in the hippocampus, and the authors suggest that this effect could be responsible for the increase in the number of newborn neurons in the dentate gyrus.

Furthermore, the researchers discovered that the BDNF-induced neurons had specific characteristics that distinguished them from native neurons, and that these neurons were involved in learning and memory tasks. Finally, the authors found evidence for an involvement of BDNF in the maintenance of existing neurons via its effects on glial cell functions, suggesting that it may also play a role in regulating plasticity in the adult brain.

Overall, this study provides valuable insight into how BDNF functions within the adult hippocampus and the potential to use it to modulate neuronal plasticity and development. The findings suggest that BDNF may be a promising therapeutic target for diseases that affect the hippocampus, such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression.