Today neurobiologists no longer argue about whether or not the brain can grow new cells. Instead they're trying to figure out how this cell growth can be harnessed to treat everything from epilepsy to stress to depression. Some have observed that during stress, for example, neurogenesis in the learning center of the brain in several animal species slows considerably-which may help explain depressive episodes that accompany stress.
Gage now believes that changes in behavior like exercising more can affect neurogenesis and alter the brain's wiring. "The idea is that we have control over who we are, even as adults," he says. We're used to thinking that our minds control our bodies. Could it be the other way around? Could what we do change the structure of our brains? It's a radical idea-one that turns on its head accepted ideas of nature vs. nurture. And since Gage has some experience toppling long-standing biological truths, it's probably worth considering.
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Name: Fred Gage Age: 49 Why critics are taking note: His groundbreaking work in neurogenesis and research with stem cells |
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Fred Gage
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