Adult neurogenesis and systemic adaptation: animal experiments and clinical perspectives for PTSD

The life-long persistence of neuron production in the adult mammalian central nervous system was established at the end of the 20th century and since then, intensive studies have been carried out to determine the biological role of neuronal turnover in the mature brain. To date, evidence has been found of involvement in learning/memory function and stress-related mental disorders. With a discussion of speculative link between impaired amygdala-relevant neurogenesis and PTSD in an animal model, we here review across species the functional significance of adult neurogenesis from the point of view of systemic adaptation.