Neurogenesis and Cognitive Resilience Across the Lifespan

Adult neurogenesis is one of the most striking expressions of brain plasticity, allowing the continuous integration of new neurons into established circuits throughout life. In the mammalian brain, the hippocampal dentate gyrus and the subventricular zone retain populations of neural stem and progenitor cells whose proliferation, differentiation, and circuit integration depend on a tightly regulated molecular landscape, including BDNF, Wnt, Notch, Sonic hedgehog, and epigenetic regulators of cell fate. The activity of these niches is shaped by experience, learning, stress, sleep, exercise, diet, and inflammatory signals, linking lifestyle and environment directly to the cellular substrates of plasticity.The functional contribution of adult-born neurons is increasingly understood as a key element of cognitive resilience, the brain’s capacity to maintain memory, learning, and behavioral flexibility despite age-related changes or environmental challenges. New neurons in the dentate gyrus support pattern separation, contextual learning, and emotional regulation, while progenitor-derived signaling influences the broader plasticity of surrounding circuits. How these processes change from development through adulthood into healthy aging, and how their molecular regulation shapes long-term cognitive trajectories, remains an active and evolving question.This Research Topic aims to bring together work on the molecular mechanisms of neurogenesis and their contribution to cognitive resilience across the lifespan. It welcomes studies that connect stem and progenitor cell biology with circuit-level function, behavior, and adaptive capacity in the healthy brain, as well as work that explores how early-life and adult experiences leave lasting molecular marks on neurogenic niches. We welcome contributions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Molecular regulation of neural stem cell maintenance, proliferation, and differentiationo Epigenetic and transcriptional control of neurogenic niches across life stageso Signaling pathways linking experience, learning, and behavior to adult neurogenesiso Integration of adult-born neurons into hippocampal and olfactory circuitso Contribution of neurogenesis to pattern separation, memory, and emotional regulationo Effects of stress, exercise, diet, sleep, and environmental enrichment on neurogenic capacityo Glial and vascular niche components shaping neural stem cell behavioro Age-related changes in neurogenesis and their relationship to cognitive resilienceo Comparative insights into neurogenic mechanisms during development, adulthood, and healthy agingArticle types welcomed: Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Methods, Brief Research Report, Perspective, Hypothesis and Theory, and more. Topic editors: Sangeeta Singh, Daniela Andrea Gutierrez Garcia Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83247/neurogenesis-and-cognitive-resilience-across-the-lifespan