“Bone” in the Brain? Osteocalcin-Expressing Neurons in Adult Hippocampus Promote Neurogenesis and Suppress Anxiety

The ability of the dentate gyrus (DG) to generate new neurons, also known as neurogenesis, has been well established in rodents and nonhuman primates (1). How these adult-born neurons incorporate into hippocampal microcircuits and influence information processing has drawn tremendous attention over the past decade. Apart from learning and memory regulation, adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus has been proposed as a key regulator of depression and anxiety (2). A variety of rodent models for depression and anxiety (e.g., chronic social defeat, chronic immobilization, early-life stress) have exhibited impairments in neurogenesis, and similar effects are also observed in nonhuman primates (e.g., social isolation, subordination).
Source: Biological Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: Commentary Source Type: research