Until lately experts believed adult brains could not grow new cells or regenerate old ones. Now there is an entire field of neurogenesis that shows how adult brains generate new cells.
Elizabeth Gould at Princeton University first challenged old guard thinking – such as Rakic’s endless studies on rhesus monkeys that denied adult brain cell growth, and then showed life-changing scientific proof.
Interestingly, scientists no longer question the brain’s capacity to replace damaged cells and yet it doesn’t always happen as it could. Why so?
Sadly, some workplaces inhibit the brain’s capacity for regeneration, through -
1. Stress
2. Isolation
3. Boredom
4. Exhaustion
5. Too little movement
Does your workplace enhance or inhibit new discoveries for adult brain cell generation? Do you see work related implications for older adults, and for those people who hope to age with the brain in mind.
Great list, Ellen. I especially like "too little movement," something we often forget.
Posted by: Wally Bock | November 3, 2008 4:22 PM | Permalink to Comment