Do new neurons have a functional role in the adult hippocampus?

Although the existence of adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus is now almost universally accepted, it is not widely established that the new neurons perform any necessary function. However, evidence indicates that the number of new neurons that are generated and form functional synapses is clearly large enough to impact the circuitry of the hippocampus. Additionally, several treatments show parallel effects on neurogenesis and hippocampus-dependent behaviors, suggesting a possible causal relationship between new neurons and hippocampal function. Most importantly, several recent studies have found that killing or inhibiting proliferation of granule cell precursors impairs performance on several hippocampus-dependent tasks. Control experiments showing no impairment on slightly different behavioral tests suggest that the deficits are highly specific and unlikely to result from side effects of the neurogenesis-inhibiting treatments. In summary, the evidence to date strongly suggests that adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus plays a vital role in hippocampal function.