Computational Modeling of Adult Neurogenesis

The restriction of adult neurogenesis to only a handful of regions of the brain is suggestive of some shared requirement for this dramatic form of structural plasticity. However, a common driver across neurogenic regions has not yet been identified. Computational studies have been invaluable in providing insight into the functional role of new neurons; however, researchers have typically focused on specific scales ranging from abstract neural networks to specific neural systems, most commonly the dentate gyrus area of the hippocampus. These studies have yielded a number of diverse potential functions for new neurons, ranging from an impact on pattern separation to the incorporation of time into episodic memories to enabling the forgetting of old information. This review will summarize these past computational efforts and discuss whether these proposed theoretical functions can be unified into a common rationale for why neurogenesis is required in these unique neural circuits.